Anyone have a Pirep on PIC accelerated IFR?

Loveair

Loveair

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Loveair
what the title says? I am scheduled to do accelerated IFR with them this weekend. Just wondering what to expect?
 
This image is a good descriptor

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Be ready to learn.
Have your daily/nightly reading lessons completed and understood before the next ground session.
Pay close attention during the ground sessions
Eat properly (no over eating or heavy sleep inducing food) and get good rest at night.
During flight training, continuously work on performing the maneuvers to PTS standards.

It will be intense, but if you are properly prepared, it will be worth it.
 
LOL! Thanks I think! How many hours a day does he work with you?
 
I did an accelerated IR at American Flyers, 10 days to be exact. The fire hose picture is soooo right! I had 4 hours classroom, 4 hours flying, and 3 hours of homework, everyday for 10 days. It was very tough, very, but I wouldn't have done it any other way. If I can finish it you will be fine. Day 3 I was contemplating dropping out, but by day 5 to 6 it all started clicking. Be prepared and be focused, you got this! and most of all have fun!!!!!
 
Wow, that sounds brutal. I took my time, part 61, and had a blast doing it. Took 6 months, though.
 
Loveair said:
LOL! Thanks I think! How many hours a day does he work with you?
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We met at 8:00am, ready for day and eaten breakfast. Lunch was around 12:30-1:15, afternoon work until 5:45. Dinner, then evening review. Back in room at 8:00 with 2-3 hours of home work. Bedtime. Repeat.

One or two days were all ground school and some sim work.

Flight days were 3 hops of 1h45 min each, with break for lunch. And we flew even when it was IMC. I think I logged about 3-4 hours actual.

This way of obtaining your IFR works, but it is intense. And you might make a plan with the instructor and Donn H @ PIC to tack on an extra day or two to the schedule. I wish I had since we had a day when we couldn't fly and it really monkeyed the planned schedule.

(and for those that know him, my instructor was Ron Levy (aka Cap'n Ron) )
 
I just finished up my instrument rating 8 days ago. I did it part 61, not in an accelerated course. That said, I did mine while working, and did it over the course of 50 or so days. It worked well for me. If you like to consume yourself with a topic, I'm sure it will work well for you. For me, more than 3 hours at a time was enough. If the accelerated courses limit your training to less than 3 hours at a time, I would ha e no reservations about it.
 
MSUDavid said:
If the accelerated courses limit your training to less than 3 hours at a time, I would ha e no reservations about it.
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Ron was pretty good at monitoring my learning progress and advising a break as needed. By extension, I would trust the other PIC instructors to exercise the same skil.
 
Did the PIC program and the firehose image is accurate!

Block EVERYTHING else out of your life for those 10 days...literally everything and everyone otherwise you will regret it. I did my PPL accelerated as well so I knew a bit of what I was in for.

We were out the door 8am sharp for the coffee shop, quick bite and review of flightplan and objectives for that day then off to the airport . We would fly to a different area every day...then pick an airport for lunch and gas, then back in the air for an afternoon session. Once back from the airport...about 2 hours or so of ground work, break for dinner about 7-7:30p, back home for about 1-2 hours of homework...sleep and do again. It will...and should...consume every waking moment of those 10 days.

Some days were more ground work and SIM time, but the total hours for the overall day were the same. I too was lucky to get a fair amount of actual time during my training.

I had a small work crisis pop up during those 10 days and as small as it was it dang near derailed me having to devote some time and mental energy to that as well as the PIC Program.

For me, it was perfect and the way I like to operate as that is also how I work in real life. Don't expect a 9-5 work schedule the ability to check out and go have a life after work...ain't gonna happen for those 10 days.
 
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Thanks for all the input. I didn't clarify. I am doing the thee day finish up course. I have all my hours, long X country, written test etc. I just don't feel I am sharp enough to stay within the check ride passing tolerances. Plus more training/practice is never a bad thing. Three days training with the check ride on the fourth.
 
I did the PIC thing. It occupies your time fully (don't believe the advertising that suggests you could do something else with your time not spent learning that week). I even got a couple of days off for good behavior. My instructor says that of all the people he's trained, I was the only person that he thought he was actually holding back. But that's likely because:

1. I was very adept already with my plane and it's IFR avionics.
2. I had been through the IFR ground school several times (I had passed the test several times and let the time run out on the exam credit).
3. I've been reading and studying just about all aspects of IFR flight for years prior to starting the course.
 
OK. Finished up with PIC last night. It was 11:30. By the time he signed me off and got all the paper work finished. The fire hose to the face is fairly accurate. I signed up for three days. Took five. The first day was kind of discouraging. We had to get all the paper work done on me and the plane. Then some sim work and some flying time. We did zero on instrument flying. Every thing was about speed control, pitch control, learning the plane etc. I say it was frustrating but looking back was probably the most important lesson to prepare me for what was coming. He couldn't get a check ride scheduled as they were all booked up. So it may be a week or so for that. I highly recommend this. I am ten times the pilot I was. I would go and fly to minimums any where with confidence. I am not going to do that. But I am confident I could. I'm to tired to do anything right now!
 
Im not so sure most pilots would want to go at that high rate of training. It's not a contest to see how short you can make the training. But, whatever works. The IFR rating is the hardest one out there.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Im not so sure most pilots would want to go at that high rate of training. It's not a contest to see how short you can make the training. But, whatever works. The IFR rating is the hardest one out there.
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Yes, whatever works. I chose the PIC route when my work schedule allowed me to carve out a 2-week break, but would have consistently interrupted/interfered in any attempt to do a "traditional" fly 2-3 times a week approach.
 
Yes, whatever works. I don't know if either route alone would have worked for me. I did both. If you read my post above. I did the 6 month fly when you can train with the instructor, when he's available, etc. I had all the required hours, long X country, etc. But I still did not feel confident in my ability's. Much less confident to pass the check ride. This five days of intense training. Brought it all together and made everything click! It does require a lot of self motivation. And complete submersion. Not for everyone.
 
@Loveair; Happy to hear you had a good experience.

Where did you train and who was your instructor? And which one of the sims did you use?
 
Loveair. I'm out of KBHM as well. Did they come to you or are they already located in the area? Just wondering how that all works as I may look into it as well. I may just go the conventional route as I only have to have it done before December when my insurance policy renews!!
 
Pic is able to do either. I was told of someone based at KADS, but elected to have Capt.Ron fly in.
 
mulligan said:
Loveair. I'm out of KBHM as well. Did they come to you or are they already located in the area? Just wondering how that all works as I may look into it as well. I may just go the conventional route as I only have to have it done before December when my insurance policy renews!!
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They came to me. They shipped the sim to the house Fed-Ex. And the instructor is from the Huntsville area. I had to pay for his hotel.
 
Yep, while it's probably gone up for inflation, the course was $5000 for me (though they refunded the days I didn't use) plus I had to put up the instructor. I was lucky in that his daughter lives just a few miles from the CJR airport so other than the days we were doing book/simulator work at my house up near IAD, he just stayed with her.
 
I read this thread as I was deciding about a finish up course. I chose PIC and unfortunately it was not the best.

The instructor drove in from WV. I paid for his hotel. We were to work 5 days, only worked 3. Total flight time in those 3 days was 7 hours. No sim time.

I found out that many DPEs won't examine a PIC student. They are reluctant due to a history of poor performances in the past. I passed my check ride but still had some troubles with entering holds. (Only did 1 hold with the instructor while he was here.)

Additionally my logbooks were not up to the standard of the DPE making my test extend over two days. A quick look from the instructor would have saved me that time.

Not to be all negative, I will say that my instructor was knowledgeable and able to competently teach all aspects of the IFR training. What I learned, I learned well.

For those of you in the KBHM area, PM me. I can help you with some resources.


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So what your saying, your instructor was excellent in the aspects he was SUPPOSED to do. It's not the instructor's job to make sure your aircraft is airworthy. I didn't have any problem finding a DPE when I did the PIC class and they have a 90% first time (and 99% second time) pass rate.
 
Sounds like a few might have used their "finish up" option. After 1.5 years (and 70+ hours), I gave up on the 1-2 a week at night thing. I have all the xcountries and such done. I'm hoping I'm close enough to being ready that the "up to 5 days" I'm paying for won't be as bad as the firehose pic.

Anyone have any experience with the finish up course specifically?
 
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