Start studying IFR or wait?

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Wheels

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Wheels
I'm going thru a 141 program affiliated with a college. Next semester I will be taking my instrument courses. I plan on doing a lot of self study since I learn better that way than by sitting in a formal ground school class (I still have to take the ground school). My checkride for Private Pilot was scheduled for yesterday but the DPE cancelled and rescheduled for two weeks from now. My instructors keep telling me that my knowledge is better than the average private pilot candidate and I feel like I am very prepared for my oral when I get to take it. Should I go ahead and start studying for instrument now or should I wait until after my checkride?
 
Keep reviewing the ppl material. It's only a matter of two weeks till the ride. Then jump in to the IFR material. Use the ground school as a refresher.
 
Wait till after the checkride. There is always something private pilot related you could be studying.
 
Heck I'd get another 50-60hrs of blasting around VFR before I even started worrying about your IFR ticket. And keep it real VFR, paper chart and eyeballs.
 
James331 said:
Heck I'd get another 50-60hrs of blasting around VFR before I even started worrying about your IFR ticket. And keep it real VFR, paper chart and eyeballs.
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I could do that, but since my GI Bill is paying for my training I can fly more often by taking classes than just going out and renting a plane. As far as using a chart and eyeballs to navigate, I spent the last twenty years in the Navy navigating ships and teaching others how to do it. I'm proficient at piloting, Dead Reckoning, Celestial Navigation, and using electronics. I learned that it is important to keep proficient at all of the skills but not using all of the tools available to you, including electronics, is poor decision making.
 
Wheels said:
I could do that, but since my GI Bill is paying for my training I can fly more often by taking classes than just going out and renting a plane. As far as using a chart and eyeballs to navigate, I spent the last twenty years in the Navy navigating ships and teaching others how to do it. I'm proficient at piloting, Dead Reckoning, Celestial Navigation, and using electronics. I learned that it is important to keep proficient at all of the skills but not using all of the tools available to you, including electronics, is poor decision making.
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You haven't even earned your PPL yet, tone down the bravado, yeah navigating in the millitary on a ship has similarities, it also has some major differences.

The best pilots I've met spent a bit of time working on mastering VFR ops before going into IFR ops. Maybe learn the CPL maneuvers after your PPL (if you can) and work on those, gliders or spin training, sea rating, etc.

I've found mixing IFR and VFR with low time pilots, or mashing through VFR and IFR training with little to no space between produced poor IFR and VFR skills.

But maybe YMMV.
 
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