Reviews for Instrument Procedures Handbook: Faa-h-8261-1a

The average rating for Instrument Procedures Handbook: Faa-h-8261-1a based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-08-02 00:00:00 Ryan Costion I passed three instrument knowledge tests yesterday (FII, IGI, IRA) so I'm shelving this and the Instrument Flying Handbook as read even though I'll go back and consult throughout my instrument airplane training. I have to say that this is the worst of the FAA handbooks that I've read. Usually the FAA handbooks (like the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge or Airplane Flying Handbook) are maybe not the best written books ever, but are terribly useful for the beginner pilot because they lay out all of the necessary information in a reasonably well-structured way. I can't say that is true about the instrument handbooks, especially for this, the Instrument Procedures Handbook. One of the most important things for a student instrument pilot to master is approaches, and having no more than just an idea of what approaches are, I need to know what they are, how they're designed and flown... start with the basics, and build up. The chapter about approaches in this book starts by talking about getting weather from DUATS (phased out) and 1800wxbrief (thankfully still in existence) and other weather products like HIWAS (phased out) and TIBS (phased out). So not only do I not want to know about products that haven't been in use for years, I also learned about how to get a weather briefing in my private pilot training. Then there's more information about ATIS/AWOS/ASOS including way more detail about the automated weather systems than I ever wanted to know. I still know zero about flying an approach meanwhile. Then the very nitty-gritty regulations about weather requirements for part 91 / 135 / 121 is laid out in very intricate detail. This was the point at which I got completely demoralized reading this chapter, because it's too much too soon. I still don't know how to fly an approach or read an approach plate! Maybe you get the idea? The handbook is poorly written. It was probably outlined by a committee of pilots who all got their instrument ratings decades ago and can't remember what the most important things are to *start* with, when talking to a beginner student instrument pilot. Start with the basics, then build on it from there. Include weather details in a separate chapter. And that's only the chapter on approaches! Yikes! At any rate, if you're starting your ground training for instrument ratings, I recommend The Pilot's Manual: Instrument Flying as a primary source, and maybe just hit up the FAA handbooks for an informational nugget here and there.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-02-20 00:00:00 Eric Pomminville With the Instrument Flying Handbook, everything you need to pass FAA's Instrument written test. Could be usefully supplemented with, say, Jeppesen's Instrument/Commercial book (which has great graphics), but still a great resource.