How soon to start IFR training after PPL?

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skynewbie

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Folks,

I finished my PPL late last year and have been having fun flying places VFR. How soon should I start my instrument training once I have the 50 hours of PIC XC experience? I've heard different things on this.
 
No reason to wait if you don't want to. There is no requirement for any time before you start. There used to be a requirment of so many total hours before you were eligible to take the check ride, but the FAA did away with it because they felt it was more important for people to get the training than the experience flying around VFR on your own.
 
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Essentially when you feel ready or are starting to see the utility and need for the skills/privilege.
 
When you have the money to complete the course. And when you have the need.
 
Thanks guys,

Well due my budget right now, I will get another 20-30 hours VFR time as PIC and XC before starting the IFR training. That way I can focus on instruments and the study process. I will start reading the books now since I already have the IFR study materials and then when I start the training can quickly knock out the written exam.
 
Actually, training for your IFR starts during training for your PPL. If all you ever want to do is bang around on sunny Sundays then the bare mins in the PPl will do. If you aspire to actually launch when it's not so nice then continue into the soup to get the flight done, there there's a rating to allow that too.
 
It depends on your wants and needs. I got my private and then started my instrument a month or two later. I also knew my path was going places. It's worked well for me and I don't regret it at all.

If you don't plan on having a need to use it, then it comes down to whether you want to and have the finances, and also life situation. I did all my ratings when I was single, which was a good idea. Today with a family it just wouldn't happen. At the time when I did the ratings, I knew I'd need them for what I wanted to do, but I wasn't entirely sure what that would end up being. Part of me thought I'd get the ratings and then have them to use some day. that day came quicker than I expected, but if it hadn't, I'd still want to have the rating to use for family trips today.
 
Right now I don't have an urgent need to be instrument rated. It is a nice to have long term tool once I have my own plane and more hours. Same for commercial rating.
 
I finished my PPL in September and will get instrument rated. Hard part is time. I'm early 40's, 3 kids, wife in school to finish a few classes so she can take the CPA exam and I want to prioritize that so she can start making $$. :) It would be nearly impossible for me to be doing IFR training while she's going to night classes and I'm traveling for work when I'm not flying.

I thought about doing the accelerated training - do 5 days...take the weekend off and do 5 more days and get it done...but even that's a stretch for us. With 3 young boys and me not being around for 2 weeks...my house would look like an a-bomb went off by the time I got back.

I think the big things are time and money. It's probably going to take at least as long as the PPL and cost as much, if not more. So, being able to swing the $$'s to keep up the lessons so you're not wasting time/$$ flying an hour or two every other week and just barely moving forward in your training. To me, IFR has to be more regular than PPL and it took me 8 months to do that and I thought I was moving at a pretty good clip for what was going on in my life.

I don't require IFR now - sure, there's been a few trips I haven't been able to take because of weather...but I just don't fly. No harm done.
 
I started after almost 4 years after my PPL. Was slowly building experience and hours. I was grounded way too many times due to marginal weather or not sure how it is going to be which pushed me to start it. I need few more hours and will be ready to take my checkride. First thing I did was taking the written test. This really helped me because I new what to expect in the training.
 
If your main use of the PPL is tooling around the area you might have a hard time justifying the instrument rating and an even more difficult time keeping it current.

Staying proficient enough to launch into solid IMC on any given day will take way more than the minimum currency requirements, so expect to spend a fair amount of time under the hood to stay proficient even after you have the rating.

If you are starting to take more x-countries and need the utility during periods of IMC, the rating is the way to go.
 
Long term I do plan to get my IFR rating but need to watch my finances the first part of this year and budget since my sailing vacation and PPL training last year cost a lot of money and have to be on track to afford the added costs for the IFR rating.
 
One important point is that newly learned skills are quickly forgotten if not as quickly exercised. If you aren't going to do any IFR flying for some time after you pass the test, you're probably better off waiting until you will be able to exercise those new skills once you've achieved them.
 
I got my ppl in November and started IFR training earlier this month (partly because my CFI offered me free IFR ground instruction, but that's another story...). My major challenge is the aforementioned 50 hrs of PIC XC time requirement. But, barring that, I'd say start as soon as you feel comfortable with the finances and the time commitment. If nothing else, just starting IR training can provide you with some concepts that will make you a safer VFR pilot.
 
I agree. If the funds are there, don't dawdle or wait. Go for the rating while the mental learning gears are greasy. It is well worth it, and if nothing else it will help you learn to fly your aircraft with more precision while VFR.
 
Agree right now I am waiting on bonus money to fund it. Have almost 20 hours of PIC XC time already since PPL from last few months. Does the PIC XC time from PPL count toward the 50 hours or would I need 50 hours of PIC XC time after PPL checkride? The regs are not clear on this matter.
 
Once you have trimming down so the plane flies itself and you are flying along without thinking about flying.
 
skynewbie said:
Agree right now I am waiting on bonus money to fund it. Have almost 20 hours of PIC XC time already since PPL from last few months. Does the PIC XC time from PPL count toward the 50 hours or would I need 50 hours of PIC XC time after PPL checkride? The regs are not clear on this matter.
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Total time overall. You also get to include your simulated instrument time from your PPL training.
 
I started my instrument rating when I had about 25 hours of PIC X/C.

It worked out well. 25 hours gave me more experience flying to and landing at unfamiliar airports. I was able to get the remaining hours easily during my instrument training.
 
I'll be taking my checkride in feb, plan to start my IFR in march. Might take me a while, but having the knowledge for those "oh ****" moments will be worth it.
 
tehmightypirate said:
Total time overall.
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Correct -- your solo XC time from your Student Pilot days counts towards the 50 hours XC PIC time.

You also get to include your simulated instrument time from your PPL training.
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That counts towards the required 40 total instrument hours but not towards the required 15 hours of instrument flight training.
 
Thanks I think that I will get my 50 hours XC PIC done first and a mountain flying checkout before instrument rating.
 
skynewbie said:
Thanks I think that I will get my 50 hours XC PIC done first and a mountain flying checkout before instrument rating.
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Not a bad idea, however remember,there's no reason you can't combine instrument training with cross country flying. California is where an IR really does some good since it gets you through the marine layer.
 
I did my formal instrument training about five years after my private checkride. I got to build a lot of time and fly a few different airplanes. I also did a bunch of the required simulated instrument time without an instructor. You will likely need a lot more total time for the commercial certificate as well. I didn't see a need to rush through things and I wouldn't have done it any other way.
 
Right now due to budget, I'm going to knock out the XC time as PIC with VFR then get complex/high performance checkouts and then start IFR training.
 
skynewbie said:
Right now due to budget, I'm going to knock out the XC time as PIC with VFR then get complex/high performance checkouts and then start IFR training.
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Just curious, why do you want to get your complex/high performance? It will just be an uneccesary cost. Do your XC time in the cheapest plane either a 150 or 152 and build your time. Go on long flights and you'll be able to knock your time out quickly and save more money towards your instrument rating
 
jordane93 said:
Just curious, why do you want to get your complex/high performance? It will just be an uneccesary cost. Do your XC time in the cheapest plane either a 150 or 152 and build your time. Go on long flights and you'll be able to knock your time out quickly and save more money towards your instrument rating
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This. Get involved with Pilots-n-Paws flights and you'll quickly find lots of opportunities to do some XC flying.

And with the less expensive to rent slower airplanes, the extra 15 minutes it takes to get to your destination because you're cruising at 90KIAS will add up pretty quickly.
 
Agreed except that I'm too big to fit in a 150/152 so the cheapest plane that I'm flying is either the Cessna 172N or Piper Warrior aircraft that I rent.
 
skynewbie said:
Agreed except that I'm too big to fit in a 150/152 so the cheapest plane that I'm flying is either the Cessna 172N or Piper Warrior aircraft that I rent.
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Do your cross country flying in the plane you intend to do your IR in, that way you know all the foibles and equipment in that plane and are comfortable and confident flying it before you start in on instruments.
 
Henning said:
Do your cross country flying in the plane you intend to do your IR in, that way you know all the foibles and equipment in that plane and are comfortable and confident flying it before you start in on instruments.
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Ron sold me on this and the more I thought on it the more I agreed. No sense adding anything else stacked against you during the IFR.
 
True that's why I'm probably going to do my XC PIC and IR in the Piper Warrior unless I buy a plane. Renting for $120/hr is way cheaper than paying $150-180/hr on retract higher performance plane that would add more complexity to training on instruments.
 
skynewbie said:
True that's why I'm probably going to do my XC PIC and IR in the Piper Warrior unless I buy a plane. Renting for $120/hr is way cheaper than paying $150-180/hr on retract higher performance plane that would add more complexity to training on instruments.
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It wouldn't particularly add complexity, in some ways it's actually simpler to use a retract. It would add cost though. However, if the fast retract is what you are going to fly after you get done, and you're going to be loading passengers in it for IFR trips, it makes sense to spend the money and get proficient and train in it.
 
Found a place that rents Piper Arrow for $125/hr at KLVK which is what I'm paying to rent fixed gear Piper Archer at KPAO. Might make the 30 minute weekend drive to get checked out in it.

@Capnhenning, wow dude you are also quite the mariner! I love sailing and learned in the BVI over vacation. Was tons of fun.
 
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