Sharpening Skills: Instrument Proficiency Check in the Diamond DA42

Last week, AP's Instrument Flight Procedure Designer and Innovation Lead Brad O’Connor successfully completed his Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) flying a Diamond DA42 out of Moorabbin Airport (YMMB), located in Victoria, Australia.

The IPC is a cornerstone of maintaining instrument flight currency in Australia. To fly under the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) using an Instrument Rating, a pilot must prove their skills in flight to a CASA approved examiner every 12 months.

For Brad, the IPC also represents a closer connection to the operational side of aviation that informs his work as a flight procedure designer.

The Diamond DA42 was the aircraft of choice for this renewal. The G1000 equipped, twin engine aircraft provides impressive performance and responsive handling.

Brad’s IPC training covered a full range of instrument flying requirements, including multiple instrument approaches and an array of normal and abnormal scenarios. Each exercise reinforced the discipline of precision flying and the constant situational awareness required when operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).

Moorabbin Airport is one of Australia’s busiest airports, home to a wide mix of flight training, freight, charter operations and private flying. The complexity of traffic management and the need to integrate safely with a variety of airspace users highlighted how important well designed procedures are in keeping operations both safe and efficient. For a pilot, it’s a testing environment - for a flight procedure designer, it’s a reminder that what works on paper must also work seamlessly in practice.

These experiences feed directly back into Brad's professional role at Aviation Projects, where technical modelling and procedure design demand both regulatory compliance and practical usability. By staying current in the cockpit, Brad ensures the solutions delivered to clients are not just technically sound but also operationally effective and aligned with real-world flying.

Aviation Projects combines technical expertise with real-world flying experience to deliver practical, pilot-focused solutions. Contact us today to discuss how we can support your next project.