I had a buddy that spent like $4000 to go and get his IFR ticket done in a 4 or 5 day class, test, checkride deal somewhere near Orlando. Me, I took a bit more than a year using my local friends. For me, I think the regular thing is better because I can cram and learn anything for a test... but might not remember much a short while down the road. I also took the chance to wait for actual conditions and trained in that. I liked it better than foggles. I had time to do daytime actual, nighttime actual, rainy, windy, bumpy... REAL.
Seems most training people get is to go out and do approaches. In the real world the most common thing is to get amendments to your filed plan. So... you have to fly the plane and find the new clearance waypoints on the Low Altitude Chart... then re-set your equipment. I have a 530W and finding some of the goofy named GPS intersections on the charts can be fun... They will usually give you a vector and then suggest to go to "whatever" intersection "when able". File direct and take what you get...
I passed my written almost a year before my checkride.
It is really up to you.
Have fun and good luck with however you pursue it.
As Don said, any approach can work. I think it depends on how you intend to use it. If you're going to immediately go out and do a lot of IFR after getting your rating, then the quick approach may be best because you're going to be reinforcing that learning soon after you finish.
However, like cramming for anything, short term memory goes away quickly, so if you're not going to use it a lot right away, the longer approach may be better as you get more time between flights to reinforce what you've learned and get it into the deeper database that is your brain.
Those are my thoughts as a long-term physical educator (diving, skiing, karate, but not flying...yet!).
I took roughly six months to get my instrument rating. I couldn't fly every day - I had to do it on the weekends. But, it was mostly during the Winter, when conditions were mostly IFR. In fact, I had more actual IFR time than simulated. There were days when I didn't even need to wear a hood at all. And I got exposed to a lot of "real world" IFR planning and flight issues.
That was invaluable to me, and I think the experience has literally saved my ass more than once for it. I agree with Jeff that if you are able to rack up a bunch of IFR time after you get your rating, that's fine, but personally I think that if you're overloaded with information for a short period of time, it's just not going to sink in. There is no reason why you can't do it in two or three months if you just allocate your weekends and maybe a day or two during the week as well. Obviously that's tough if you're working, but it's the same as if you're taking a college course.
I know your goal is to be prepped for your June trip to the Bay Area. Start now - the weather is perfect.
I'm using the "King IFR DVD's" now as I did for my private. I spend an hour or two each evening going through the course/taking the tests on my lap top. I've only flow 3.5 hrs of IFR lessons so far, but I'll hopefully be done by June. I know a couple of guys that took the cram course for private...full pvt in 3 weeks. I still wouldn't fly with them...they fly like their training...forgot most of the important stuff, but do know how to start it up and rip out of town.
After spending several years picking away at the rating, with everyday life getting in the way, I took the plunge and went to GATTS in Kansas.
You spend all of your time one-on-one with an instructor. It's pretty intense, but I got to spend the entire week concentrating on the flying and learning and was able to ignore the phone, bills, cranky wife and such.
I felt very prepared for the check ride (including the oral) and did not feel like I was cramming for a test. The company is interested in putting out folks who can operate in the system safely.
Your mileage may vary, but it really worked for me.
I finished my IFR in Dec after 3 months of work. I tried to fly 3-4x/wk and most flights were 1-2 hrs and concentrated on skills and approaches. I found it pretty intense and challenging...especially "mastering" the GNS430w etc. As a doc I'm pretty used to cramming and even over 3mo it seemed like a lot of work.
I used both the King and Sporty's courses. The sportys is more documentary/lesson orientated while the King concentrates on the info needed to pass the test and answer questions. I think I got more out of the King course and would recomend it. I know I wouldn't have done as well on the test with just the Sportys, but both together really help to reinforce.
I've had a few friends struggle over the years to get it all done and ended up finishing with a 5-10 day course and this has worked well. I have a hard time believing that you can come with a blank slate and be an IFR pilot 10d later. I would certainly try to get the written done and some lessons first.
I went through the King course (written) first, took/passed the test, then started my flight training...didn't have a minute of instrument flight time prior to taking the written.
I then used American Flyers, used my own plane, and worked with them in advance to 'book' 10 straight days of training (a Friday through a Sunday, thereby requiring only 6 days of vacation). The 10th day was my checkout. Passed with no issues. This all happened one year ago this month - have flown around 25 actual IMC since.
One piece of advice - fly in real clouds/low vis as much as possible during training. No fault of American Flyers or mine, I just happened to pick 10 consecutive crystal clear days for training -- couldn't find a cloud (in January no less). The first time I flew in real clouds/low vis was after I'd secured my rating. They (AF) 'begged' me to go up with them on my first few 'real' cloud flights after I got my rating. Alas I didn't follow their advice, and I'm here to confirm that there is a HUGE difference in hood vs. cloud flying. Don't experience that alone...it can be scary. I was arrogant enough to think that spatial disorientation wasn't going to be a big issue for me. Wrong, wrong, wrong... :)
Upside- you'll love having this rating. It (should) make you safer, smarter, etc...as long as you don't allow it to lure you into foul weather you shouldn't be in irrespective of your rating (e.g. Tstorms, ice)
Cameron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd secured my rating. They (AF) 'begged' me to
> go up with them on my first few 'real' cloud
> flights after I got my rating. Alas I didn't
> follow their advice, and I'm here to confirm that
> there is a HUGE difference in hood vs. cloud
> flying. Don't experience that alone...it can be
> scary. I was arrogant enough to think that
> spatial disorientation wasn't going to be a big
Well good for them, and you're absolutely right. And the other thing is don't use the GPS as a crutch during your training. It's easy enough to pick up the skill later, and different models differ in operation anyway. You will find a night and day difference between a GPS and no GPS in actual IMC. It's like having that co-pilot that you don't have when flying solo IFR.
Cameron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went through the King course (written) first,
> took/passed the test, then started my flight
> training...didn't have a minute of instrument
> flight time prior to taking the written.
>
> I then used American Flyers, used my own plane,
> and worked with them in advance to 'book' 10
> straight days of training (a Friday through a
> Sunday, thereby requiring only 6 days of
> vacation). The 10th day was my checkout. Passed
> with no issues. This all happened one year ago
> this month - have flown around 25 actual IMC
> since.
>
> One piece of advice - fly in real clouds/low vis
> as much as possible during training. No fault of
> American Flyers or mine, I just happened to pick
> 10 consecutive crystal clear days for training --
> couldn't find a cloud (in January no less). The
> first time I flew in real clouds/low vis was after
> I'd secured my rating. They (AF) 'begged' me to
> go up with them on my first few 'real' cloud
> flights after I got my rating. Alas I didn't
> follow their advice, and I'm here to confirm that
> there is a HUGE difference in hood vs. cloud
> flying. Don't experience that alone...it can be
> scary. I was arrogant enough to think that
> spatial disorientation wasn't going to be a big
> issue for me. Wrong, wrong, wrong... :)
>
> Upside- you'll love having this rating. It
> (should) make you safer, smarter, etc...as long as
> you don't allow it to lure you into foul weather
> you shouldn't be in irrespective of your rating
> (e.g. Tstorms, ice)
>
> Good luck!
> Cameron
Cameron-
Congrats on the rating. After chipping away at it myself for the last few years I know it's a real achievement for the non-career 'adult-learner' pilot.
You're the first I've come across that used AF for the IR.
I'm pleasantly surprised that they let you use your own airplane. Did they just bill you for instructional hours? How about sim; was it split up or was it all in the airplane?
I have some (sporadic) training already, and need about 20Hrs to meet the FAA requirements {maybe a bit more in reality :) } My perception is that AF is going to be significantly more expensive than using the local flight school (at $50/hr) but would like to be proven wrong.
Appreciate any other particulars of your experience.
