2 days to IR!?

[flyersfan31]

Day 8 of PIC IR training complete. Checkride Sunday. My brain is swimming. Every morning I think "I've got it nailed, piece of cake" then I go out an make a few more mistakes. ARRRGGGGHH. Instructor is quite confident. I tend to be hard on myself, and I do think I've got most of it down (or at least enough for the checkride). If the PPL is a license to learn, then the IR must be a license to get a PhD, or at least a Masters. Mama mia, thank goodness wife and kids went away for the week! I'm so all-consumed by things instrument flying-related I don't think I'd notice them anyway. Here's hoping I join the fraternal order of instrument-rated pilots come this Sunday.....

 

[AdamZ]

Take it easy on yourself Andrew. Who is your CFII?
If you need a safety pilot when you get the IR on Sunday you know where to reach me

 

[Shipoke]

GOOD LUCK flyer, You'll do fine, Let us no how it goes.
Dave G

 

[flyingcheesehead]

If the PPL is a license to learn, then the IR must be a license to get a PhD, or at least a Masters.

Naah, it's a license to bash your head against a brick wall that you can't see.

 

[ScottM]

Naah, it's a license to bash your head against a brick wall that you can't see.

Gotta agree with that. The IR is a license to destroy any self confidence you might have and make you second guess becoming a pilot. There is so many mistakes to make with it that one can't possible always fly perfectly.

 

[flyersfan31]

Gotta agree with that. The IR is a license to destroy any self confidence you might have and make you second guess becoming a pilot. There is so many mistakes to make with it that one can't possible always fly perfectly.

Seriously, I found this very helpful. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

IR is in the bag. It was a grueling 10 days with PIC (no, not Ron Levy), but somehow the powers that be have deemed me worthy of the Instrument Rating. Just over a year ago I was still just dreaming, as I had since I was a kid, of becoming a pilot. Today I'm instrument rated, in my own plane no less. Still hasn't sunk in.

Time to go use the ticket before all that knowledge slips away.

 

[AdamZ]

Great job Andrew. Not much chance for actual this weekend. To gorgeous here. Who did you use as a DPE?

 

[Shipoke]

CONGRATS ANDREW, someday i'll join the ranks too.
Dave G.

 

[ScottM]

Seriously, I found this very helpful. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

IR is in the bag. It was a grueling 10 days with PIC (no, not Ron Levy), but somehow the powers that be have deemed me worthy of the Instrument Rating. Just over a year ago I was still just dreaming, as I had since I was a kid, of becoming a pilot. Today I'm instrument rated, in my own plane no less. Still hasn't sunk in.

Time to go use the ticket before all that knowledge slips away.

That is excellent. Now start you actual, real world training plan. Even after the certification I still was not comfortable taking off into the clag on my own. So I set up a plan to ease into the real thing.

I started by flying from resonable VFR condition to get on top and then back down where I would break out almost at the FAF. Then I started departing IFR and flying to VFR, after that I did the whole deal.

I went with other instrument pilots and CFI-Is to do this type of extra training.

But one more thing.

Go fly some VFR to make sure you can still do it. I found it hardest to just go back to looking out the window to fly the plane.

 

[AdamZ]

That is excellent. Now start you actual, real world training plan. Even after the certification I still was not comfortable taking off into the clag on my own. So I set up a plan to ease into the real thing.

I started by flying from resonable VFR condition to get on top and then back down where I would break out almost at the FAF. Then I started departing IFR and flying to VFR, after that I did the whole deal.

I went with other instrument pilots and CFI-Is to do this type of extra training.

But one more thing.

Go fly some VFR to make sure you can still do it. I found it hardest to just go back to looking out the window to fly the plane.

could not have said it better myself.

 

[flyersfan31]

Ain't it the truth?!!! I always thought people were crazy for saying the instrument/visual transition was challenging. How hard can it be? It really is a little discombobulating to all of a sudden find the runway and fly visual. My VFR pattern is all messed up, now that I'm used to bombing down a long final then slowing quickly instead of that nice, sedate downwind/base/final.

Paul Smith was the DPE. Great guy, really turns the checkride into a classroom session. Learned a lot from him in just a few hours.

Scott, your suggestions are helpful. I was just working through that this morning -- how do I get myself comfortable with my newly-legal flying rights. Sure, I'm allowed to go to minimums after 2hrs in actual. Not bloody likely!!! I spent about 1.5hrs in actual (driving rain, bouncy cumuli, pure white outside) and was damn glad I had a CFI next to me. I like your approach better.

Adam - you are definitely on the list for safety pilot. We'll have to trundle out to KLNS for food and IFR fun.

 

[ScottM]

BTW part of the reason I ended up getting my commercial pilot certificate was to get comfortable flying visually again. That was the hardest part that certificate.

 

[spiderweb]

Congratulations!