If we’ve had the chance to be in the cockpit with other pilots, we’ve likely noticed differences in how they practice instrument flying. Some seemed to be in a rushed, stressed-out arrival sequence while others make even a complicated approach seem like a walk in the park, resulting in a smooth arrival with everything under control. The question is: How do those pilots in the latter category make it look so easy?
The simple, quick answer is that they are ahead of the airplane. So, that brings a follow-up question: How do they do that? There is a simple answer to that question, too. It’s not just training, it’s GOOD training.
Flying a platform like the Pilatus, or other turboprop, demands more than just knowing the avionics or maintaining IFR currency. It requires discipline, structure, and execution under pressure. Starting with the descent checklist, workload builds fast. Decisions compress. And even small lapses in preparation can quickly compound, leaving a pilot behind the airplane and reacting instead of leading.
The pilots who stand out aren’t just experienced, they’re trained differently.
Let’s explore common weak points and practical techniques. You’ll see how they reflect the kind of training and mindset that separates pilots who are simply current… from those who are truly a pilot in command.
- Prepare Before You Fly!
A truly safe pilot actually begins the process of the flight often before they leave the house. It’s a mindset. Compare the process to knowing you have a high-stakes meeting today. You don’t “wing it” even if you’ve done it hundreds of times.
The best place to begin is gathering information, a good briefing, Knowing BEFORE you go means less change for anything unexpected getting in your way. After getting the weather, prepare for the fact it might be much worse than predicted. Plan an approach to minimums, as well as missed approach procedures, whether you’ll actually have to apply them or not.
Where’s your escape route? Where’s the good weather? What airspace or terrain limits you on the missed? Having those questions answered, BEFORE THE FLIGHT, substantially reduces your workload if things don’t go as predicted.
Then, put that same mindset to use as you preflight the plane and prepare the cockpit, making sure everything is ready to go in your avionics and radios.
A proven, structured method we use to train and sharpen Pilatus pilots, and all other pilots, is the PRICEATM flow:
P – Procedure: Confirm the correct approach is loaded
R – Radios: Set comm, nav, and weather
I – Identify: Verify LOC/GPS and NAV
C – Course: Set inbound course
E – Entry: Plan your arrival (IAF, vectors, HILO, procedure turn)
A – Altitudes & ATIS: Step-downs, minimums, weather
T – Time: Distance or timing awareness
M – Missed Approach: Know it. Don’t skim it
This is what GOOD training builds: awareness and considerations beyond the checklist. - Use ATC as a Resource, don’t just Simply
Comply. Stay Ahead of the Airplane, and Have a Fallback When You Don’t
If you’ve properly prepared, flying a complex IFR arrival and approach is less like juggling and more like managing a fast-moving project, with multiple deadlines hitting at once. If you fall behind early, everything begins to stack up and catching up sometimes turns into simply trying to salvage the situation. This is where disciplined, methodical pilots separate themselves. One of the most important mindset shifts is recognizing that ATC is not just a voice to comply with, but a teammate in the operation. If the approach doesn’t look right, isn’t fully briefed, or you feel yourself getting behind the airplane, that’s the moment to step back and fully recruit them to the project team.
Clear, early communication transforms the dynamic. The simple request; “We’re not quite set up yet, can we get delay vectors?” immediately makes you predictable and allows ATC to work with you instead of around you. Too often, pilots are reluctant to recruit ATC on to the team for fear of sounding unprofessional or unprepared. It’s better to have any extra set of eyes or options than risk not having the help.
Staying ahead of the airplane is as much about communication as it is about aircraft control. The sharpest pilots are constantly thinking one step ahead, confirming expectations, and shaping the operation. And when things do start to compress, as they inevitably will from time to time, the fallback isn’t to push harder, but to create space. Use the autopilot, slow the airplane down, and ask for what you need to stay in control of the operation. Too often in training, a rushed atmosphere develops and pilots feel pressured to keep up at all costs. Some will argue that staying ahead means never asking for help. In practice, the sharpest pilots are the ones who flip that mindset. Buying time isn’t a weakness, it’s a disciplined decision, and often the one that leaves you looking like a pro. - Currency Isn’t Proficiency!
While FAA regulations are important, many originated from accidents, we all need to remember many of them are based on the absolute minimum requirements. Too often, pilots will religiously keep up with many approaches they have shot in the last six months and when they hit that magic number of six, they feel good to go. Some of those six approaches are often the same ones each time. While we think we never forget, the fact is we do. If we are not getting challenged, our aviator skills will erode. If it has been a while since you’ve really been challenged in an IFR flight, sign up with a GOOD instructor for an Instrument Proficiency Check.
Stay in the system, fly regularly in a variety of conditions, and practice different approaches beyond the bare minimums. Challenge yourself, and frequently treat flights as an opportunity to maintain muscle memory and mental sharpness of a skill that has a very short shelf life. - The Missed Approach: Where Training Shows Up Instantly
Undoubtedly, one of the most highly work intensive stages of instrument flying is executing the missed approach when needed. For example, review the missed approach procedure for Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK). For a GPS approach, that usually ends up being runway 20.
Don’t just review the missed approach procedure, but notice the minimums for a straight-in versus a circle to land approach. Note: I’m not wild about circle to land approaches, especially in mountainous terrain. It can result in a dangerous loss of control scenario
We all need to practice and understand the importance of the missed approach procedure. There is no better example to illustrate than when the missed approach happens. There’s no time to think it through. You execute, or you react. And that outcome is determined long before you ever reach minimums.
Missed approach steps to rehearse: Power. Pitch. Clean up. Navigate. Verify.
Simple, but only if it’s automatic. That’s the difference between hoping it goes well—and knowing it will. - Always Have an Out – Alternatives are Bliss
This is where the ‘big picture’ is so important. Having a good understanding of the icing layers, the areas of convective activity, the terrain and the larger airmass picture can help you make good decisions when it comes to alternate actions such as diversions. Even with strong preparation and solid execution, the best IFR pilots are always thinking one step beyond the plan. Having an alternate in mind isn’t just about meeting requirements, it’s about maintaining options. Weather, fuel, and icing are the obvious drivers, but just as often it’s ATC delays, unexpected vectors, changing winds, runway or approach availability, or even a subtle mechanical concern that shifts the picture. While knowing where the bad weather is certainly is important, it is always a good idea to know where much better weather is if you need to get to it during rapidly deteriorating conditions.
The common thread is that things rarely unfold exactly as expected. The pilots who stay ahead are the ones quietly asking themselves throughout the flight, “If this doesn’t work out, where am I going or what am I doing next?” That mindset prevents you from backing yourself into a corner. When you always have a plan B, and even a plan C, you reduce pressure, make clearer decisions, and operate with a level of confidence.
This mindset isn’t luck, it’s trained. - Train With Pilots Who Raise Your Standard
There’s no substitute for flying with someone better than you. Working with highly skilled pilots, especially those with military or high-performance backgrounds, exposes you to a level of precision that is hard to replicate elsewhere.
Some of the most valuable lessons come from instructing former fighter or Air Force pilots transitioning into turboprops. Their discipline, consistency, accuracy and cockpit management are remarkable—and they often bring techniques and insights that can elevate any pilot’s game.
Stay humble, observe closely, and take what you can from those experiences. It will make a noticeable difference in your own flying.
The right training environment exposes you to that standard—and pushes you toward it.
Finally, Confidence Isn’t Luck, It’s Built
Turboprop aircraft are incredibly capable. But capability alone isn’t the differentiator. Preparation is. Discipline is. Training is.
Brief like it matters, because it does. Stay ahead. Manage workload. Create space when needed. Think beyond the immediate plan, because when things get busy, you won’t rise to the moment, you’ll fall back on how you’ve trained. During a challenging situation, YOU ARE GOING TO REACT THE WAY YOU WERE TRAINED.
And that’s the real goal of great training: Not just to make you pass… but to make you better. Sharper. More confident. More in control. At Aviation Success, that’s exactly what we focus on; real-world, scenario-based training that builds these skills while keeping the process engaging, practical, and actually enjoyable.
So when the workload spikes and the pressure builds… You’re not reacting. You’re executing.
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