Thoughts on accelerated Instrument training

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Trcpilot

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I’m thinking about going to an accelerated instrument course in April! What are the Pros and Cons for the course?

also, would it be wise to start training in my home area first to have a decent grasp first or just focus on the ground school and have the knowledge ready to go before I get there?

Recommendations on accelerated ifr schools!


thoughts?
 
Consider it a topoff course; have your written and XC hours complete, along woth 15-20hrs of sim IMC. Be proficient on the radio, be able to maintain basic instrument ACS standards for heading/alritude/airspeed.

Pro is you may walk away with the temp certificate in hand.

Con is if you don’t how does the place handle retraining and rescheduling the DPE.
 
It depends on how you handle that intense, firehose kind of training. It’s not for everyone—some folks thrive, some don’t. If it’s a non-issue for you, the biggest hurdle comes after you pass your checkride. You have to immediately and as frequently as possible fly using the system or you will quickly forget what you learned.

There’s a ton of posts here on POA about this topic— just search on “accelerated IFR”. Here’s one to get you started https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/10-day-instrument.124160/#post-2872104
 
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Lots of threads here on this topic. Lots of people have strong opinions that it's a bad idea, leaves you less trained/prepared, etc., etc. But there are also lots of folks who have used that method to get their IRs and have been satisfied with the experience (I am one of them, and used PIC).

I read several IFR training books before engaging PIC to send an instructor (and of course I had the written completed, because that's a pre-req before PIC will come see you). I did the required "homework" (sim training and review) each night after the instructor left. I completed the course on time and passed my checkride 10 years ago, and I've flown almost everything except for local flights since then under IFR plans. It worked for me.
 
I’ve heard a lot of these programs are just that, a program or class that you take, and if you pick up all of the knowledge right away then you’ll pass. But it’s highly unlikely that someone could pass without plenty of training prior to. It’s a lot of work, and skipping through it, I think leaves people unprepared for the real world. I spent a lot of time on instrument training, I now have my instrument and commercial, and I still think I need more practice. So your situation may provide followup training or if you aren’t flying much, highly likely you’ll forget many things.
 
April would be a great month to try to do an accelerated IFR course. Lots of wind and turbulence.
 
Definitely need to be competent under the hood first. The accelerated classes are for teaching the system, not teaching you to fly.
 
Everything said so far is on point… especially the idea of it being a “top off” to prepare you to pass the exam.

Choice of provider is also very important as is the instructor you’re paired with. Best is an institution well known for the task. And one staffed with instructors who live and breathe teaching IFR and are passionate about teaching as a whole.

As an example. I used PIC for my instrument and it was very good. Later tried to use GATTS for my commercial and calling it a disastrous dumpster fire is being polite.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
Everything said so far is on point… especially the idea of it being a “top off” to prepare you to pass the exam.

Choice of provider is also very important as is the instructor you’re paired with. Best is an institution well known for the task. And one staffed with instructors who live and breathe teaching IFR and are passionate about teaching as a whole.

As an example. I used PIC for my instrument and it was very good. Later tried to use GATTS for my commercial and calling it a disastrous sumpter fire is being polite.
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The commercial certificate would be the easiest to complete accelerated. Surprised with your experiance.
 
Clip4 said:
The commercial certificate would be the easiest to complete accelerated. Surprised with your experiance.
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You woulda thunk…

DM your email and I’ll share the write up.

Silver lining of the experience was meeting @Matthew and @ja_user and enjoying dinner with them.
 
Trcpilot said:
I’m thinking about going to an accelerated instrument course in April! What are the Pros and Cons for the course?

also, would it be wise to start training in my home area first to have a decent grasp first or just focus on the ground school and have the knowledge ready to go before I get there?

Recommendations on accelerated ifr schools!


thoughts?
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I suggest you try www.accelerated-ifr.com if you haven't already done so. They can provide you the references you need directly. It's preferable to do the training in your home area where you might have the exam. Some of the pros are is very time efficient, you are continuously building on those skills, you have one instructor throughout, you're not likely to forget what you've learned between lessons. Bad part is, not everybody can take off consecutive days for training and some people find it difficult to concentrate getting easily distracted with business and family matters.
 
I did Professional Instrument Courses. It's not for everyone. First, forget the implication they put in some of their literature that you'll be able to do something else that week. I just booked the time off from work and I'm glad I did. It is sort of like drinking from a fire hose. Fortunately, I had been READING about instrument flying for years (and took and let expire the written three times). About halfway through the course, the instructor asked what I thought of the pacing. Why? I asked. He said I was the first student that he had that he thought he was holding back. I told him, I was solid on the book work, we just needed to fly. So that's what we did. I got a couple of days off for good behavior and did it in 8 days. The last day was mostly doing the simulated checkride and getting the paperwork ready for the ride.

Originally they were going to send me Ron "poadeleted" Levy, but he was busy the week I had off. After inquiring about my avionics, they sent me an instructor over from Tennesee who knew the Garmin 480 (and he took my autopilot manual home with him the first night so he could bone up on that). I was very happy (even saved some money because his daughter lived near where I kept the plane so he stayed with her and I didn't have to pay for his hotel).
 
Back in 2013 I did the American flyers 10day instrument course. Prerequisite was having the written done. I did sheppardair for that and had that knocked out in no time. Other than the written and what was required in the private I have no other instrument time and I didn’t study anything prior to going.

It was tough! Day one started and all days afterwords was the same. Class and sims for 4 hours, lunch for an hour, flying and debrief for another 4 hours. After that I had about 2 to 3 hours of homework most nights. By day 3 I was wondering why I was there but then magically day 4 it started to click, passed stage check and kept grinding. Day 6 was a catch my breath half day and relax. Then on to the finish line followed with day 10 check ride day.

Super intense but glad I did it that way. If I can do it anybody can. My recommendation is to go away and do it. Had I stayed home I would have had plenty of distractions.
 
I did Accelerated IFR and was very happy with it. I had about 10 hours of hood time prior to starting. It was very intense, don't think that you can do anything else during that time. No work, no home stuff, nothing. You'll never have the "ok, you've mastered this, now we move on to the next thing". Rather the instructor will just keep piling stuff on. You'll have a day where it all seems hopeless, then you power through and it all "clicks".

I can see for some people it not being very good, and for others really a good fit. Know your learning style.

I did GATTS and was happy with it, I think a few months before @AggieMike88 had his bad experience.
 
Is there anyone who has done both paths? Not sure how to compare/contrast one vs the other for you.

I opted against accelerated for IFR specifically, as it was a rating I intended to use often. My rationale was that I wanted to steep in the material and not rush anything.

Did I waste 3 or 4 weeks and a few grand by doing it longhand? no idea. :) It worked for me and my intended use case.

I used an accelerated course for my Comm and MEL, as I did not consider those terribly crucial to soak into for the rating -- since using either one in real life would mean some sort of checkout, training, or IOE on top of the base rating.

$0.02
 
asicer said:
Is there anyone with 2 instrument ratings?
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Exactly. I feel thoroughly unqualified to comment on one vs the other and have no idea what to do other than explain which door I chose and why.

I have no idea how that helps OP with his own choice :)
 
schmookeeg said:
Is there anyone who has done both paths? Not sure how to compare/contrast one vs the other for you.
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asicer said:
Is there anyone with 2 instrument ratings?
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I have considered a few times, that if I ever get back into flying enough to justify it and wanting to get current and proficient with instruments again, I might look into one of these accelerated type programs. I have been rusty for years... a very very long time since I was instrument proficient....
Even though I wouldn't be going for a formal check ride, I no doubt could benefit from just running through the entire soup to nuts syllabus ending in a more or less mock checkride. So maybe there's someone like me out there that has done both.....
 
Clip4 said:
Maybe, more than two.


61.5
8) Instrument ratings (on private and commercial pilot certificates only)—

(i) Instrument—Airplane.

(ii) Instrument—Helicopter.

(iii) Instrument—Powered-lift.
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Pinecone said:
Yes, plenty of people.

IA and IR. :D

FYI Instrument Airplane and Instrument Rotorcraft.
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Allow me to state it a little more clearly: Is there anyone here with 2 instrument ratings.
 
I passed the IR and CFI IR written tests. :D

I know at least two people with both Instrument ratings.
 
I made 4 runs at IR. I ran out of money twice. The next to last time I got signed off for the Checkride and the airplane broke before I could do it. Finally my wife said “Go to an intensive and get it done!” So I signed up with CRAFT out of Charleston, SC. My written (2nd, first expired) was set to expire at the end of March. I called them in Feb and explained. They scheduled with the DPE and then scheduled backwards from there. Got it done in a week. In a new to me DA-40NG with G-1000 avionics. All new to me. I was very happy with the experience. But as has been mentioned above, if you exclusively train this way you must immediately practice and continue afterwards or you’re likely to lose it all. You’ll have the rating to be sure but your proficiency with be gone in days or weeks.
 
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