Accelerated IFR Course

TimRF79

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Tim
Which accelerated IFR courses have a DPE lined up?

I know a lot of them advertise that you get your check ride after the course, but we all know scheduling a DPE right now can be 4-8 weeks.

Any accelerated IFR courses that I definitely should stay away from?
 
I did a 10 day IFR course at American flyers in Addison. On the 10th day was the checkride. Was very tough and the roughest 10 days of my life but I did it. Got a good bit of IMC as well. That was back in 2013.
 
Livingston Aviation in Waterloo, IA.

www.livingstonaviation.com

Edit to clarify:
I highly recommend Livingston Aviation and they handle the DPE scheduling to make sure you're able to take the checkride once training is completed. (I missed the portion of the original post asking if there were any places to stay away from and just wanted to make sure my endorsement of them was clear.)
 
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I used CRAFT in Charleston, SC. There are at least 3 DPEs in the area. When you pay the initial installment, they book the checkride. I started on Saturday and took my check ride the following Sunday (6 days). Barry Emerson was my instructor and I would recommend both CRAFT and Barry. I also logged 4+ hours of actual.
 
Which accelerated IFR courses have a DPE lined up?
Since you're in Houston, I suggest you check in with Pat Brown (the You Can Fly Ambassador for Texas) and see what suggestions he might have. He is based at KIWS, West Houston.
 
Something else on the accelerated courses is to be ready for the "drink from the fire hose" level of activity. Have your written done and be well into your studies for the oral exam.

Some ground school will be part of the syllabus, but if you go in cold, you'll be behind the curve and could struggle.


Also, while some programs advertise "in 10 days", it's better to schedule and book for 12 or 14 days. Hopefully you won't need it. But better to have it booked in case weather or maintenance creates a delay in training once you get started.
 
Scott Best @SbestCFII , he is a member of PoA. A co-worker and I both earned our ratings with him in 7 days and were very happy with our decisions.
The DPE also complimented me on my knowledge and skill level that I gained during the training with Scott.
Quite intensive but very efficient and well structured.
 
As a recent IFR rated guy who didn't go to an accelerated course (but should have).

1) Have the written done but don't dwell on it there is a lot of stuff on it you are likely to never see again. (remember 70% is passing, I got a 92%, DPE says I overstudied)

2) Any good course is going to have a waiting list. Fly as much simulated as you can prior. I don't have a lot of local med current pilot friends to fly as a safety pilot but there is a tremendous amount of learning to be done VFR and flying approaches, holding etc. such that the first time you try it is not under the foggles with an instructor. I went into it with 5 hours of sim IFR from my private and took the practical with 40 sim and 3 actual.

3) When doing it make it clear to work you are not available. I did mine in 4 months while working (more than) full time leading a new program at work. Nothing like shutting the phone off to go flying and coming back to 10 voicemails and 50- e-mails. I tried to fly 2-3 times a week. I should have practiced and gone to an accelerated school and left my phone and laptop at home. It was stressful. My wife found it more so. :eek:
 
I used CRAFT in Charleston, SC. There are at least 3 DPEs in the area. When you pay the initial installment, they book the checkride. I started on Saturday and took my check ride the following Sunday (6 days). Barry Emerson was my instructor and I would recommend both CRAFT and Barry. I also logged 4+ hours of actual.
That's a pretty creative name for the course. :)
 
Scott Best @SbestCFII , he is a member of PoA. A co-worker and I both earned our ratings with him in 7 days and were very happy with our decisions.
The DPE also complimented me on my knowledge and skill level that I gained during the training with Scott.
Quite intensive but very efficient and well structured.

And he mostly uses one DPE I believe that is always scheduled for him on the 7th of each month as he starts his 7 day on the first of every month.
 
Another +1 For Livingston. @WannFly amd i both used them for overnight hangar and fuel last winter. I think I fell in love with gal working that night she is awesome :) First time I've ever been given a brand new crew car overnight and no fee. Also couldn't believe how cheap hotel was and great location for dinner.

More on topic, the next morning I was asking more about the place. I noticed they have a small room with bed for students that might be on a budget. I left there thinking it would be an awesome place to fly down to and do a multi engine or complex.
 
My PIC instructor had already located the DPE for me. He wasn't familiar with him, but we made an "intelligence" run over to the DPE's airport. We met with the DPE with the ruse to get the W&B parameters, etc.. The DPE said he looked forward to flying in the Navion and gave me the XC to plan out. We also decided to do every approach at the DPE's airport several times so I'd be really familiar with them (and that was good since those are the approaches we flew).
 
Livingston is good, but usually booked solid a few months out. Riggin in Madison, SD is another good one here in the midwest and DPEs are available.
 
Thanks all for the input.
I got my written (92%) done last October.
Started with a local CFII and that was not progressing as it should.
Currently at:
45.2 PIC X-country (total x-country 65.5)
26.3 Instrument hours (3.4 dual instructions)
Total time 139.3 hours
 
Started with a local CFII and that was not progressing as it should.

I feel like you should qualify this statement a bit more... Particularly given how few instrument hours you have with an instructor especially since you have 20+ instrument hours without an instructor. There's no telling what you learned in your 20 hours without an instructor and with only 3.4 hours of dual you have already determined that you are not progressing as you should? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you mean the instructor isn't as available as you would like which is hindering progress but it also sounds like it could be unrealistic expectation.
 
I feel like you should qualify this statement a bit more... Particularly given how few instrument hours you have with an instructor especially since you have 20+ instrument hours without an instructor. There's no telling what you learned in your 20 hours without an instructor and with only 3.4 hours of dual you have already determined that you are not progressing as you should? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you mean the instructor isn't as available as you would like which is hindering progress but it also sounds like it could be unrealistic expectation.

Of those 3.4 hours dual, how many of them were during primary training too?!?

I agree, it might be a bit early to be deciding that progress isn’t what it should be. Instrument training is more of a marathon than a sprint.
 
Let me be clear: I am not painting my CFII in a bad light.
I have decided for myself, that I rather spend the extra $$$ and get the IFR training done in 10 days than spend ~12 weeks on it, flying 3 hours once a week Saturday.
For that I want a place that specializes in getting people taken care off in 10ish days.
 
Accelerated training does have its uses/place but fwiw, I find its not all its cracked up to be. Its possible to beat the brain into submission and get it to cooperate but to retain the knowledge usually requires some time off to digest and incorporate over a bit more of an elongated period. While I hear what you're saying about not wanting to take 12 weeks flying once a week, any reason why you cant take 3-4 weeks flying 2, 3 or even 4 times a week?

1 or 2 days on followed by 1 or 2 days off to me is probably the best schedule you can have. Its flexible, it allows you to work through it and it can be completed mostly during the day (and for instrument training, you can actually get a whole bunch of night flying in which can actually improve your instrument flying).
 
Any experience with AFIT?
Any thought on Sim time vs plane time?
 
Sim can be a valuable tool when done right. Especially learning and practicing procedures new to you such as holds, intercepts, and approaches. Then once you have the basics drilled in your noggin, you go do them for real.
 
Years ago I worked as an instructor for the company that is today American Flyers.

Most students usually arrived with no prior IFR experience, the instrument written completed, and at least the minimum flight experience required. 10 to 14 days later they left with an instrument rating. Training was 8 hours per day; 4 hours in the simulator, then lunch, followed by 4 hours in the airplane. The program was very professional, very structured and incredibly effective. I taught there for about 2 years and never had a student fail a check ride, in fact, check ride busts were extremely rare. DPEs were scheduled soon after your arrival and were never an issue.

Students were very well prepared before the check ride, and in fact had already flown a much harder practice check ride prior to the real one. Students are coached and orally tested constantly throughout each day. It was intensive and very manageable, but your attention must be 100% on learning for 16 hours per day, every day, no time for outside distractions! You will have homework most evenings.

These schools are very good at what they do. They are indeed expensive, but often cheaper than other methods because no time is wasted and no knowledge lost between sessions. It’s not for everyone, but if you are serious about getting an instrument rating and the confidence to use it immediately, this is the way to get it done.
 
Let me be clear: I am not painting my CFII in a bad light.
I have decided for myself, that I rather spend the extra $$$ and get the IFR training done in 10 days than spend ~12 weeks on it, flying 3 hours once a week Saturday.
For that I want a place that specializes in getting people taken care off in 10ish days.

Done it yet?
 
After getting pricing and quotes I was ready to go to Amercian Flyers in Houston.
Via E-mail they noted they have DPE's ready lined up, when I sign up.
At my initial visit the CFII told me that it is a challenge finding DPE's and wait time is 6-8 weeks.

This and the fact that the hourly rate for a K94 equiped plane was ~$250 caused me to rejoin the local flying club and fly 3 times a week with a CFII in a nicely equiped 172.
Should be ready for checkride within a week.
 
After getting pricing and quotes I was ready to go to Amercian Flyers in Houston.
Via E-mail they noted they have DPE's ready lined up, when I sign up.
At my initial visit the CFII told me that it is a challenge finding DPE's and wait time is 6-8 weeks.

This and the fact that the hourly rate for a K94 equiped plane was ~$250 caused me to rejoin the local flying club and fly 3 times a week with a CFII in a nicely equiped 172.
Should be ready for checkride within a week.

Cool. As long as you get it done. Keep us updated when taking the checkride.

You've still done it in about a month though, correct?
 
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