(JustMe) wrote

Seeing that Instrument Procedures are a requirement, do you have any
tips, tricks or magic incantation that I can perform so that I won't
be chasing the attitude indicator and heading DG all-over the sky?

The school is all screwed-up. Private Pilots don't begin by flying
by instruments. I require my students to fly entire sessions both
in and out of the pattern with the instrument panel completely covered.
The attitude indicator is a neat gadget, but is certainly not required
for VFR flying in the traffic pattern. One judges aircraft attitude
by looking at the nose of the aircraft. Altitude, Airspeed, and RPM
are all that you should be using in the traffic pattern, if even that.

From FAR 61.87

(c) Pre-solo flight training. Prior to conducting a solo flight,
a student pilot must have:

(1) Received and logged flight training for the maneuvers and
procedures of this section that are appropriate to the make and
model of aircraft to be flown; and

(2) Demonstrated satisfactory proficiency and safety, as judged
by an authorized instructor, on the maneuvers and procedures
required by this section in the make and model of aircraft or
similar make and model of aircraft to be flown.

(d) Maneuvers and procedures for pre-solo flight training in a
single-engine airplane. A student pilot who is receiving training
for a single-engine airplane rating or privileges must receive
and log flight training for the following maneuvers and procedures:

(1) Proper flight preparation procedures, including preflight
planning and preparation, powerplant operation, and aircraft systems;

(2) Taxiing or surface operations, including runups;

(3) Takeoffs and landings, including normal and crosswind;

(4) Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions;

(5) Climbs and climbing turns;

(6) Airport traffic patterns, including entry and departure
procedures;

(7) Collision avoidance, windshear avoidance, and wake turbulence
avoidance;

(8) Descents, with and without turns, using high and low drag
configurations;

(9) Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight;

(10) Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power
combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication
of a stall, and recovery from a full stall;

(11) Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions;

(12) Ground reference maneuvers;

(13) Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine
malfunctions;

(14) Slips to a landing; and

(15) Go-arounds.