BrianR
Pre-takeoff checklist
I have recently (as in, yesterday -- see Club vs Renting thread under Flight Following) joined a flying club which provides access to a nice 182. Obviously, with a 230 hp engine, I will need a high performance endorsement to fly it solo. For pilots with under 100 hrs PIC (which includes me, with about 55 PIC) the club's insurance carrier requires 10 hours dual (five hours if over 100 hours PIC). I could wait until I log another 45 hours before I tackle the 182, but I would really like access to it for the occasional longer cross country trip.
Perhaps I'm being presumptuous, but I doubt it will really require 10 hours to become proficient with a constant-speed prop and a slightly faster airplane than I'm used to flying. Of course, I realize there's more to it than that, but it got me wondering.
As a new(er) private pilot, I am undecided on instrument training. I figured I'd fly a bit, build some time, see what kind of flights I'm really undertaking, then decide in a year or two. And, cost is a factor, having just spent over $10k to get my private ticket.
But I got to thinking, if I have to log 10 hours with a CFI, would it make sense to combine the high performance endorsement and the 182 checkout with the beginnings of instrument training? From what I'm told, the initial part of instrument training is simply working on accuracy with holding altitude and headings, which I really can do on my own without paying a CFI $40 per hour. However, if it would make sense to combine the instruction, I'm all for multi-tasking. But if I then don't pursue the instrument training for a while, would a few hours of instruction now just be a waste of time, which would need to be repeated down the road anyway?
Perhaps I'm being presumptuous, but I doubt it will really require 10 hours to become proficient with a constant-speed prop and a slightly faster airplane than I'm used to flying. Of course, I realize there's more to it than that, but it got me wondering.
As a new(er) private pilot, I am undecided on instrument training. I figured I'd fly a bit, build some time, see what kind of flights I'm really undertaking, then decide in a year or two. And, cost is a factor, having just spent over $10k to get my private ticket.
But I got to thinking, if I have to log 10 hours with a CFI, would it make sense to combine the high performance endorsement and the 182 checkout with the beginnings of instrument training? From what I'm told, the initial part of instrument training is simply working on accuracy with holding altitude and headings, which I really can do on my own without paying a CFI $40 per hour. However, if it would make sense to combine the instruction, I'm all for multi-tasking. But if I then don't pursue the instrument training for a while, would a few hours of instruction now just be a waste of time, which would need to be repeated down the road anyway?