3-hours instrument for private reg

P

poadeleted20

Deleted
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
31,250
Anybody remember when the 3 hours of instrument time for PPL came in? I thought it went back to when I got my ticket, but I just ran into an IR trainee with 0.5 during PPL training, 0.2 on his PPL check in like '91, and zip/nada/nil since. Was that one of the additions in the 1997 Part 61 overhaul?
 
I don't remember when but it was in effect when I got my PP in 1996 so it was before the 97 revamp.
 
I had to do the 3 hrs for my PPL back in 1978 although that was a Cessna Pilot Center program and might have gone beyond the FAA mins.
 
I got curious so I looked at the 8710 for my PPL ticket back in 1981. It shows only 2.6 in instrument.
 
It was sometime between June 1982 and 1998

I had 2.4hrs instrument in June 1982 (2.4 hrs including 0.2 during the checkride)

The 3hr requirement is listed in 61.109 (3) of the 1998 FAR's.
 
Prior to the 3-hour requirement, was there a time requirement at all? Were instrument procedures just on a list of tasks to be tested?
 
No. No specific time required, just basic proficiency in checkride.

3 hours became the 'norm' (I think) in 141 prior to establishing this specific requirement under 61.
 
I dug up the final rule for 95-11 (The effective Aug 97 Part 61) rewrite. That's when it showed up in Part 61. The preamble also explicitly states that the training does not require an instrument rating.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
those 3 hours could be a life saver.
Click to expand...
I'm here to tell you it's not nearly enough. Should I ever have a student who is not immediately headed for an instrument rating, I'll be tacking on another couple hours or more. I'll even include some hood time during a cross-country.
 
I got my PPL in 1984 and I seem to remember 3 hours of instruments time as a requirement at that time. I'll have to check my log book.
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm here to tell you it's not nearly enough. Should I ever have a student who is not immediately headed for an instrument rating, I'll be tacking on another couple hours or more. I'll even include some hood time during a cross-country.
Click to expand...

I don't think you could add enough simulated instrument time to affect the VFR into IMC problem. For one thing, instrument skills atrophy rapidly without practice and even a pilot with 20 hours of practice IMC under his belt is going to be little or no better than one with the required 3 hrs once a few years of strictly VFR flying have passed.
 
lancefisher said:
I don't think you could add enough simulated instrument time to affect the VFR into IMC problem. For one thing, instrument skills atrophy rapidly without practice and even a pilot with 20 hours of practice IMC under his belt is going to be little or no better than one with the required 3 hrs once a few years of strictly VFR flying have passed.
Click to expand...
I agree with what your saying. Skills can and will atrophy. Where I'm coming from is a look at my own training so many years ago and what I've observed more recently.

It seems instrument training to primary students is done in several short periods only to accumulate the required three hours. Thus far, all that's done for most is recovery from unusual attitudes.

That's great to start with but I believe it should be followed with a longer period under the hood, perhaps within a planned cross-country to simulate inadvertent flight into IMC. That would simulate my own experience a couple decades ago.

While you can't make them an instrument pilot with that short amount of time, I do think you can give them deeper skills to better handle such an experience.
 
The biggest thing that you can teach a student is that if you ever punch in, the AI is the only thing you key in on first, your in the clouds, no sense looking out. Who ever your talking too, inform them of the EMERGENCY, and if not up with someone, get on 121.5 immediatly. After that take all calls from the tower, and scan your sector :)
 
I forget what I have I'll have to look. If you are a student at a 141 school can't you do some of that instrument work in a Sim or FTD.
 
AdamZ said:
I forget what I have I'll have to look. If you are a student at a 141 school can't you do some of that instrument work in a Sim or FTD.
Click to expand...
Under Part 61, you can get 2.5 of the 3.0 hours in a flight simulator or FTD (and I think the same is true for PC-ATD's under an exemption in AC 61-126, if the ATD is approved for it in its authorization letter) -- see 61.109(k). Under Part 141, it's whatever your TCO says. The TCO of the contractor with whom I worked at the university permitted half or 40% of requirements to be performed in our Frasca 141 FTD, I forget which.
 
I only had 1.7 after my checkride in 3/1996. Part 141.
 
I had 3.3 hr combined simulated and actual when I got my PPL in 79/80. If I remember correctly, the 3 hr requirement was in effect at that time. (Pt 61)

What suprises me is, given the FAA's penchant for kicking back any 8710 which has even a period or comma out of place, how could the total numbers not be added and rejected for lack of requirements? (if it was a requirement)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top