# 415 Log IFR Instrument Currency in an FAA-Approved Simulator + Redbird Factory Tour

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour.md
Podcast: [Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News](https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015)
Published: 2026-02-27T02:11:00+00:00
Episode link: https://aviationnewstalk.libsyn.com/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/aviationnewstalk/Episode_415.mp3?dest-id=499762
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/episodes/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour
Duration seconds: 3354

## Resource

Max talks with Josh Harnagel, COO of Redbird Flight, about a practical use-case that matters to almost every instrument pilot: logging IFR instrument currency and staying proficient in an FAA-approved simulator . Josh explains why many pilots buy Redbird's FAA-approved tabletop devices specifically for currency—especially to knock out the holding requirement—and why he likes shooting an approach in the simulator before flying it in the airplane. Max shares why he does the same thing before recurrent training, because simulator reps surface the "gotchas" that can spike workload in real IFR—like autopilot behavior on LNAV+V. Josh breaks down Redbird's product lineup, clarifies what's FAA approved versus "just a computer," and explains where Basic ATDs and Advanced ATDs fit in training. They also touch on Redbird GIFT (Guided Independent Flight Training), remote instruction possibilities, and why avionics emulation is hard (and expensive) to do with perfect fidelity. Then the episode pivots to a Redbird factory tour : outbound shipping and crating, assembly workflow, fabrication of honeycomb aluminum shells, wiring harness and switch panel build, PCB soldering and parts inventory, completions/testing, and even the cooling/vent system inside the sim—ending with why engineering and the shop are co-located for faster iteration and better quality. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed D…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/episodes/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/415-log-ifr-instrument-currency-in-an-faa-approved-simulator-redbird-factory-tour.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.