Want to get an instrument rating.

M

Michael Caliz

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
6
Display Name
Display name:
mmiikkeeyycc
I earned my ppl about 5 years ago and then needed to attend to my family and current real job.

I am ready to continue toward my instrument rating.

1. Do I need to get current again or can I start with the instrument training?

2. I live in Las Vegas and have some extra cash and time. What would be the best and efficient way/school to go/attend?

I can take time off work and even train in another state if this is the best/most efficient way.

Thanks.

Mikey
 
Last edited:
Either way you're paying for a cfii so start on the instrument rating. I may suggest reading up on what you'll be learning but enjoy.

No idea on the school question I did mine through my flying club
 
Yup...just tell them you haven’t flown for five years, and want to start on your instrument rating. You can do a flight review along the way, and your CFI can sign it off whenever he’s comfortable.
 
Michael Caliz said:
I earned my ppl about 5 years ago and then needed to attend to my family and current real job.

I am ready to continue toward my instrument rating.

1. Do I need to get current again or can I start with the instrument training?

2. I live in Las Vegas and have some extra cash and time. What would be the best and efficient way/school to go/attend?

I can take time off work and even train in another state if this is the best/most efficient way.

Thanks.

Mikey
Click to expand...
I quit flying for around 15 years. Had my PPL. Desire and time and opportunity came around. Took a few lessons to get current flight review signed off (probably 5-7 hours for me). Bought into a club (10 more hours with CFI for insurance) and immediately started on my IFR once signed off on 182. Recently passed that check ride and loving it. Never to late to get back in. The flying comes back quickly. You have advantage of seeing a gps in a plane likely only taking 5 years off. Managing the gps was some of the trickiest stuff for me.
 
Clip4 said:
If you don’t fly the airplane well visually you sure won’t fly it well on instruments.
Click to expand...

This is my biggest issue. I'm a little ashamed that I've only managed ~25 hours in the last 12 months. I stay legally current, but I'm almost certainly not proficient to a check ride level. Working on the IFR knowledge and making plans to get a few upgrades - some G1000 time and high performance endorsement. Having a reason, I should fly a lot more.
 
Clip4 said:
If you don’t fly the airplane well visually you sure won’t fly it well on instruments.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure whether this is intended to discourage you or not, but I wouldn't let it. You'll have some rust to work off, but I don't see any reason you can't do that all at the same time. A good CFI will see what you need to work on and get you back to speed wherever it is.
 
deyoung said:
I'm not sure whether this is intended to discourage you or not, but I wouldn't let it. You'll have some rust to work off, but I don't see any reason you can't do that all at the same time. A good CFI will see what you need to work on and get you back to speed wherever it is.
Click to expand...

Not meant to discourage at all, but jumping from inactivity directly to instrument training isn’t the best plan.
 
Clip4 said:
Not meant to discourage at all, but jumping from inactivity directly to instrument training isn’t the best plan.
Click to expand...

A good instructor will ease you into it. Visual basic maneuvers and refreshers to get you back to speed and then hood time starting with the same things you're comfortable with VFR and then on to approaches and such but that basic VFR/IFR time and maneuvers are what will bear fruit when you start having to multitask on approaches. I was 6 months out of my private when I started instrument and even going back and doing things I hadn't done since early in the private VFR then with the foggles was helpful.
 
Mikey

Consider your intentions for use of that instrument rating. Do you plan to start flying not only VFR but IFR routinely after having not even flown at all for 5 years? The IFR rating will make you a better, more educated and safer pilot who is more comfortable communicating with (and getting help from) ATC. If you are doing it for that benefit or because you intend to fly IFR routinely, then by all means go ahead. If you intend to be able to fly IFR in actual once every few years, you are asking for trouble.

To answer your question however, the most efficient (and some would argue best) would likely be one of the full immersion courses. Google ifr training in 10 days for a few results.
 
Pugs said:
A good instructor will ease you into it. Visual basic maneuvers and refreshers to get you back to speed and then hood time starting with the same things you're comfortable with VFR and then on to approaches and such but that basic VFR/IFR time and maneuvers are what will bear fruit when you start having to multitask on approaches. I was 6 months out of my private when I started instrument and even going back and doing things I hadn't done since early in the private VFR then with the foggles was helpful.
Click to expand...

I am addressing the student who hasn’t flown at all for a few years.
 
Getting an instrument rating is the smartest thing you can do to improve your personal safety of flight as a private pilot. You will need a bit of dual anyway to get a flight review done, and will have to tend to medical certification (Basic Med or 3rd class). As soon as you have your flight privileges restored, by all means start training. It will give you an excuse to fly while you are progressing toward your rating. Brush up your study skills, too. The IR is challenging, but quite doable if you are motivated.

You will benefit from IR training whether or not you intend to use it frequently. Staying current can be a challenge, but the more you use your IR skills, the better. If nothing else, an IR takes a great deal of stress out of flying MVFR, and gives you lots of options besides scud running or the dreaded VFR into IMC danger zone when things get iffy for VFR flight.
 
Michael Caliz said:
I earned my ppl about 5 years ago and then needed to attend to my family and current real job.

I am ready to continue toward my instrument rating.

1. Do I need to get current again or can I start with the instrument training?

2. I live in Las Vegas and have some extra cash and time. What would be the best and efficient way/school to go/attend?

I can take time off work and even train in another state if this is the best/most efficient way.

Thanks.

Mikey
Click to expand...

Do an accelerated course.
 
The reason I want an instrument rating is for a potential job.

The job is top secret, but I can say that it only requires an instrument rating.

I need to check for sure, but I believe it pays enough that any expense I incur will be recouped quickly.

I might start to fly more once I get my instrument rating. There are other opportunities if I get the commerical.

Thanks for the information. I have a couple of other questions, but I am going to post them in a
BrianNC said:
Do an accelerated course.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help. Definitely going accelerated.
 
saracelica said:
Either way you're paying for a cfii so start on the instrument rating. I may suggest reading up on what you'll be learning but enjoy.

No idea on the school question I did mine through my flying club
Click to expand...

I have already reloaded my flight sim software and started working in ifr situations.
 
Clip4 said:
If you don’t fly the airplane well visually you sure won’t fly it well on instruments.
Click to expand...
On my check ride my fe said I was safe, but to keep on my ifr skill. That was my weakest area. I had the minimum hood time, 3 hours. I can fly straight and level when I am vfr though.
 
A1Topgun said:
It's all about "Attitude Flying".
https://www.stilllearningtofly.org/how-to-fly-an-airplane/attitude-flying/
If you learned this flying VFR then IFR is a lot easier.
Don't worry about currency, it will come with the IFR training. But, you will still need a current medical and a Flight Review.
Click to expand...
I was pretty good at landing, I had around 300 touch and gos/full stops. I wanted to be good around airfields. I sometimes would just launch, fly 10 approaches, and land. Logging around a 1.0.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Either way, a good instructor will take him from where he is.
Click to expand...

Yes he will, but a student expecting to start instrument training without remedial training of basic visual skills is going to be very disappointed. They are also going to be disappointed if they believe their lay-off isn’t going to effect their progression during instrument training.
 
Clip4 said:
Yes he will, but a student expecting to start instrument training without remedial training of basic visual skills is going to be very disappointed. They are also going to be disappointed if they believe their lay-off isn’t going to effect their progression during instrument training.
Click to expand...
I don’t see that he’s expecting to solely work on instrument skills.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I don’t see that he’s expecting to solely work on instrument skills.
Click to expand...

I realize that, but from my experience is IR students who have been inactive pilots have an unrealistic expectation for progression. I credit some of that to PIC accelerated course marketing.
 
Clip4 said:
I realize that, but from my experience is IR students who have been inactive pilots have an unrealistic expectation for progression. I credit some of that to PIC accelerated course marketing.
Click to expand...

I already had my instrument rating when I quit flying in '06. Started back after 11 years in '17 and went right into getting my commercial after a flight review. After a few flights, even doing the commercial which is easier than the instrument, I decided I just needed to fly and get proficient. So I joined a flying club and just started flying regularly until I got proficient and confident again and then started back on the commercial, which I got in Sept. '18.
 
I'm in the same boat. Got my PPL in 1987 and didn't fly again for about 20 years. Started flying again 2007 and flew about 20 hours or so and had to stop again. Just recently started back and have flown 3 hours with a CFI to complete my BFR and get current. I really want to start on my IR as soon as can and was thinking about an accelerated course. What's been your experience with an accelerated course?
 
Your instrument check ride will get you current or do a flight review.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top