Easy Approach to Instrument Flying by Butch Grafton Illustrations by Tom Grassia The following method is one that has made instrument flying the easiest thing in the world for me to do. Having taught instrument flight training at Fort Rucker, AL, for 23 years, I have learned the technique that really makes a difference in pilots' attitudes regarding instrument flying. Here is how I present it to my Rotary Wing Instrument Flight Examiner Course (RWIFEC) students: Question: If someone gives you a heading to fly, does that make your job easier? The answer is a resounding "YES." Question: So, if I am in the left seat and you are in the right seat and I say, "Fly heading zero-six-five, it will hold you on course." Does my giving you that heading make your job easier? Again, the answer is always "yes." How did I come up with the correct heading to fly? It's really very simple. What I did is exactly what has been in the Army's FM 1-240 manual for all these years but, unfortunately, few of us know how to use. It's called "bracketing," and it works beautifully. Not only does bracketing work, but the moment you fully understand it, instrument flying becomes truly easy. I know this because it has happened to me, and it happens to every student from initial entry rotary wing (IERW) to RWIFEC that I teach. It is amazing that something so simple can make such a big difference in instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, but it does. In every class I hear this same statement, "Why didn't someone teach me this 10 years ago?" Prior to continuing I must ask another question: Is being off course a good thing or a bad thing? Everyone, without fail, says it is a bad thing. So, the first problem with track following is the inherent fear that being off course is a "bad" thing. This fear creates the majority of track following problems simply because pilots tend to stare at the course deviation bar and quit cross-checking the flight instruments. It's tough to control the aircraft looking at navigation instruments! I can tell you that being off course is not a bad thing; indeed, it is a good thing and an inherent part of good track following. please read attacched file