a mixture of training got it done. i passed the written over a year ago at a weekend 'pass the test' seminar. then did some training and some real studing over the next few months.. cfi time in the plane was sporadic at best. then went to an accellerated school. i did three days and had some personal issues so I had to go home.
then over the next 4 months did some more sporadic training in the plane and some self study at home. this past week I went back to the school and finished up.. checkride today and I got my IFR ticket.
ps.
In hindsight... I really think the 3 days of intense school, then some soak time with supplemental training and then 4 more days - 4 months later was the perfect combo.
You didn't ask for advice, but this is very much a use it or lose it rating. I've known several pilots who got their rating then never file IFR because they are intimidated by the system. They soon become essentially unable to use the rating they worked so hard for. I file IFR even on good VFR days just so I feel comfortable when I do get in weather.
I will second Ken's notion of use it or lose it. But I'd go one further and urge you to seek out days where there's a high-enough ceiling to let you get practice in IMC, but low enough that you've got a back-door safety zone in case things get weird.
I recently went out for my first bit of dedicated IMC training as a solo pilot, i.e. IMC with only little ol' me on board. I hadn't been in IMC for several months and that first climb into the ceiling was a real eye opener. I was amazed at how quickly I lost control by not steadfastly keeping an eye on all the gauges. You don't realize how much your subconscious relies on outside visual stimulus until it goes away.
I agree with the two above, you really do lose it, if you dont use it.
A technique i used during my IFR training was microsoft flight simulator 2004, the old cheap one, with the Yoke stick.
I used it mainly for holding pattern practice. There is a top down map that marks where you have been, so you can see how clean the "race track" of your flight path looks like.
At that time, i was pretty proficient at almost any holding pattern. Using the marker trails in MSFlight Sim, i challenged myself by making various flower designs over a VOR and over intersections.
MS Flight Sim is also good at practicing IFR Partial panel, as you can disable certain instruments. During the middle of my checkride, i was put on partial panel, and finished the rest of the test partial panel. We all forgot since i was flying so well.
I have even heard of some people who get blistering drunk, then fly approaches and patterns in the flight sim! I guess its to simulate disorientation! hahah.
I setup the weather in the flight sim to be the worst possible. That forced me to constantly apply minor corrections to maintain my heading and altitude. After a few hours of flying like this, and you stop thinking about what you should be doing, and just do it. Like riding a bike, like breathing.. its automatic.
Congrats on your IFR ticket!
my instructor told me, "Now that you have it, dont think you are Super Man! Practice, practice, practice.."
