What Must Work, and What Must Be Inspected
Required equipment: GRABCARD
For IFR, 14 CFR 91.205(d) adds to the day/night VFR list. Use GRABCARD:
- G — Generator/alternator
- R — Radios (nav/comm appropriate to the ground facilities to be used)
- A — Altimeter (sensitive, adjustable)
- B — Ball (slip-skid inclinometer)
- C — Clock (with sweep-second or digital display of hours, minutes, seconds)
- A — Attitude indicator
- R — Rate-of-turn indicator
- D — Directional gyro (heading indicator)
Plus the VFR items (tachometer, oil pressure/temp, fuel gauges, etc.).
Required inspections: AVIATES (or AV1ATE)
- A — Annual inspection (12 calendar months)
- V — VOR check every 30 days for IFR (91.171)
- 1 — 100-hour inspection (if for hire/instruction given)
- A — Altimeter/pitot-static system, every 24 calendar months (91.411)
- T — Transponder every 24 calendar months (91.413)
- E — ELT (battery 50% rule; 12-month inspection)
- S — Static system (part of 91.411)
The VOR check (91.171)
Within the preceding 30 days for IFR ops using VOR. Acceptable tolerances:
- VOT: ±4°
- Ground checkpoint: ±4°
- Airborne checkpoint: ±6°
- Dual VOR cross-check: within 4° of each other
- VOR above an airway: ±6° over a prominent landmark within 20 NM
Log the date, place, bearing error, and your signature.
GPS for IFR
A GPS used for IFR must be TSO-C129/C145/C146 approved and installed per AC 20-138. The database must be current, or you must verify each waypoint against current charts. Conduct a RAIM prediction when WAAS is unavailable.
Bottom line: GRABCARD tells you what must work today; AVIATES tells you what must have been inspected.