Odd

Sporty’s Pilot Shop has declared February IFR Month. Predictably, they’re running promotions on IFR-related items. Cool. Today, this free course hit my email:

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Pilots Guide to Airspace

Most pilots don’t just want an “airspace refresher.” They want to stop wondering:
Am I legal here?
Did I miss a TFR?
Do I need ADS-B for this?
Is that shelf going to bite me?

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I appreciate that they are offering this. It is good information that lots of pilots struggle with. But the timing doesn’t make any sense. The only point in any of the aforementioned promo that is the least bit applicable to IFR operations is the ADS-B question, and that applies equally to both VFR and IFR.

Airspace effectively disappears when operating IFR. One need not concern themselves with anything of that nature when on an active IFR flight plan. Class Bravo, Class Charlie, TFRs, Prohibited Areas, Restricted Areas, MOAs, none of it matters. Fly where they tell you to fly, and all is well from airspace and legal perspectives. They won’t do it, but if ATC clears you to fly directly over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, then you fly directly over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with zero concerns.

Which is why including this under the IFR Month banner confuses me. I never fly more than five minutes of any non-training flight under VFR for this very reason. They can’t bust me for flying anywhere if they told me to fly there in the first place. Not flying where they do tell you to fly is a whole ‘nother situation that I won’t get into now, though.

Happy flying!