So I’ve been having a go at IFR flying in MSFS and it seems fairly straightforward. Plot a route along predefined airways, enter it into the GPS (or get MSFS flight planner to do it), choose an approach and departure route and then fly with autopilot whilst listening to ATC for any changes.
I’ve seen comments here though saying things like saying ‘I enjoy the complexity of IFR flying’ or ‘planning IFR routes is fun as they are complicated and take a lot of pre-work’
I assume that I’m missing something. What are examples of ‘complex’ IFR planning? What am I missing?
It isn’t all that complex, you seem to have the fundamentals of it it figured out.
A few things that add to the complexity (fun or hassle depending on how you look at it…).
- Find an optimum route considering any route restrictions, altitude restrictions, current winds (tailwinds are better), current turbulence (might need a different route or a different altitude to select that).
- Airways versus directs - are you required to fly on airways for the route you have in mind or can you do directs? If directs, any restrictions that need to be considered, such as whether you need to use certain entry or exit points through some Free Route Airspace area, minimum one waypoint per FIR, or other such restrictions? If directs, consider terrain clearance.
- Depending on what you are flying, is a more direct route over a mountain range feasible or do you choose a more circuitous route to avoid higher Minimum Safe Altitude limits?
- Are there any NOTAMs affecting your route of flight? A common thing in the US now is that airways that are shown on a map might be NOTAMed closed or have a higher MSA since more and more VORs only exists on the charts and are actually NOTAMed u/s…
- There can be multiple ways of stringing together the SID to the enroute or the enroute to the STAR, which is better.
- Which SIDs and STARs can you use, e.g. they are jet-only and you fly a prop or vice versa?
- Which SIDs and STARs fit with which runways?
- Climb and descent planning, where is your top of climb and is that consistent with any altitude restrictions such as high terrain? Where is your top of climb?
- Fuel and performance calculations, how long will this take and how much fuel do you need? What are your fuel reserve requirements, what is your alternate, how will you get to your alternate, how much fuel do you need for that?
- Navlog preparation for in-flight follow up; for each waypoint crossing (or say every 15 minutes if your waypoint are close together), do you have the fuel that you expected, did it take the time you expected, of not why not and what are you going to do about it?
- Takeoff performance planning; what will your takeoff speeds be, what thrust setting do you need to use?
- Any noise abatement requirements for takeoff?
- Any noise abatement requirements for approach?
- Landing performance planning, what flap setting will you use, what speeds will you use, how much runway will you need? This all depends on how much you weigh and how much fuel you have left; see points 9 and 10.
So yeah there are a few more things you can consider… Of course, the sim doesn’t care if you do!
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Those are all really great responses.
Another thing would be to fly one of the TEC routes in Southern California. Sometimes the routes can be fairly complex with lots of turns after departure (easier if flying a C172 for example), intercepting radials. Of course it’s really tricky when doing this and introducing live air traffic with something like Pilot Edge.
From the FlyingBear’s answer, points 1, 3, 4, and 8-14 are equally applicable to VFR flight if you’re a disciplined and careful pilot.
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The basic difference between VFR amd IFR is who is responsible for the routing. For an IFR flight you file a flightplan and it‘s likely that if the routing is valid you get cleared as filed and just fly that route while being in contact and get handed over from controller to controller. You may do nothing without requesting it first and being adviced. If you file a direct to XXXX/YYYY you‘ll receive a route with your clearance.
In VFR the route is up to the pilot within legal limits like the dependence of airspaces or max VFR altitudes.
The flight itself is always on the responsibility of the pilot regardless which rules apply.
Both flight rules are easy and complex at the same time, but for a national VFR flight you normally don‘t have to file a flight plan in most countries.
Another thing that can add to the complexity (fun or hassle depending on how you look at it…)
Fly the planned route as it would be done with limited/older autopilots … using only altitude and heading hold. That way, you’re responsible for timing turns and holding course etc. rather than letting the flight management computer do it all for you.
Of course, you could hand fly the entire route too, but that might be considered unkind 