Starting IFR training...
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Challenged
Pattern Altitude
I'm in the middle of training right now and I'm really enjoying it. I just got my first bit of actual last week and it was a great experience. I don't really have any eye opening hints for you, but just have fun with it; I can already feel it making me a better pilot.
Artiom
Pre-takeoff checklist
I'm starting on Thanksgiving week. Preparing for written now. Hopefully will take written on weekend or next Monday.
DutchessFlier
Line Up and Wait
I just finished and did the checkride two weeks ago. What everyone else will say to you is true: I'm a much better pilot than I was before, the capabilities available to me are much broader than they were, as are the potential risks. I took the part 61 route, over a span of about 12 months, my personal preference on that issue, and I had (actually have) an awesome and demanding instructor. Be sure you are comfortable with the instruction you receive and don't hesitate to speak out if not. Get as much time in actual IMC as you can, which may be harder as the cold weather sets in. It is a great rating to have, have fun with the training!
I was also lucky to be able to fly my checkride with Doug Stewart..another amazing experience.
I was also lucky to be able to fly my checkride with Doug Stewart..another amazing experience.
Rob Schaffer
Cleared for Takeoff
I was nervous as well for my first training flight, even though I flew often with the CFII for flight school checkouts, the information was what I was nervous about.
We flew under the hood and did some refresher tracking VOR's, turns, etc. Then we tuned to a VOR intersection on the chart and intercepted that point so I could see how to find those intersections. That happened to be a point on an approach she planned to introduce me to, so after doing a lap around a hold (to me it felt just like practicing standard rate turns since I didn't yet understand what I was doing) we began a decent following the LOC approach. I just kept the needle where it needed to be and the decent rate she told me, and then she said, ok,... good time to look outside. and Wow! there was the runway!! It was a great feeling to know that those charts really work in getting you down
we flew VFR back to the home base, and I made a nice landing. Then that got me going on the ground school / home study more than before, cause now I felt it in the plane and realized how it all came together. We de-briefed the plate that she had me fly, and I went home.
Next lesson, we briefed the plate, and this time I was to id the intersection and enter the hold (we ground schooled about the entry types and such ahead of time) and we flew that approach twice.
I found that my tolerance for concentrated under the hood training was about 30 minutes, then it became 45,.. then and hour,... you will know when you are falling behind the airplane, say something to the instructor. While it is good to push yourself, the IR is pretty demanding and you need to work up your limits.
Have fun! Its Awesome!
We flew under the hood and did some refresher tracking VOR's, turns, etc. Then we tuned to a VOR intersection on the chart and intercepted that point so I could see how to find those intersections. That happened to be a point on an approach she planned to introduce me to, so after doing a lap around a hold (to me it felt just like practicing standard rate turns since I didn't yet understand what I was doing) we began a decent following the LOC approach. I just kept the needle where it needed to be and the decent rate she told me, and then she said, ok,... good time to look outside. and Wow! there was the runway!! It was a great feeling to know that those charts really work in getting you down
we flew VFR back to the home base, and I made a nice landing. Then that got me going on the ground school / home study more than before, cause now I felt it in the plane and realized how it all came together. We de-briefed the plate that she had me fly, and I went home.
Next lesson, we briefed the plate, and this time I was to id the intersection and enter the hold (we ground schooled about the entry types and such ahead of time) and we flew that approach twice.
I found that my tolerance for concentrated under the hood training was about 30 minutes, then it became 45,.. then and hour,... you will know when you are falling behind the airplane, say something to the instructor. While it is good to push yourself, the IR is pretty demanding and you need to work up your limits.
Have fun! Its Awesome!
EppyGA
Touchdown! Greaser!
I've been flying two - four times a week trying to get this done. If you have an iPhone or iPad I recommend Cloudahoy so you can review and see what you did later. This was my flight yesterday.
http://cloudahoy.com/cgi-bin/fltShare.cgi?share=19CrH3dO2AtNNlooFLq6S
http://cloudahoy.com/cgi-bin/fltShare.cgi?share=19CrH3dO2AtNNlooFLq6S
rpadula
En-Route
The first few times you fly with the foggles, you may find yourself wondering if you know how to fly a plane at all! It can be humbling, but ultimately the IR makes you a more precise pilot.
write-stuff
En-Route
Here's an article which will give you a few pointers:
http://www.faa-ground-school.com/ArticleShow.aspx?id=2050
http://www.faa-ground-school.com/ArticleShow.aspx?id=2050
spiderweb
Final Approach
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Ben
My tip is this: work hard and ENJOY! There are very few humans on this earth who can truly understand the accomplishment you will feel when you get your rating!
Ghery
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Ghery Pettit
Amen to that. The IR is not easy, but it is a great accomplishment when you pass the ride.
dmspilot
Final Approach
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http://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Manual...7904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320995977&sr=8-1
I used this book and liked it. There is a review claiming that it basically is the same as the FAA publications...I don't agree at all except maybe for the Weather theory chapter. It offers the theory as well as a decent amount of practical advice.
Speaking of which, you can of course download the FAA pubs for free, though I did not find them all that great. Not as good as the FAA materials aimed at student pilots.
I also used the Jeppesen Instrument/Commercial manual and did not like it. Thankfully sold it on e-bay for about what I paid for it. There was a lot of fluff and filler.
For the written, exams4pilots.org. For the oral, see my signature for a study aid...it's not comprehensive but contains what I deemed to be the key items.
I used this book and liked it. There is a review claiming that it basically is the same as the FAA publications...I don't agree at all except maybe for the Weather theory chapter. It offers the theory as well as a decent amount of practical advice.
Speaking of which, you can of course download the FAA pubs for free, though I did not find them all that great. Not as good as the FAA materials aimed at student pilots.
I also used the Jeppesen Instrument/Commercial manual and did not like it. Thankfully sold it on e-bay for about what I paid for it. There was a lot of fluff and filler.
For the written, exams4pilots.org. For the oral, see my signature for a study aid...it's not comprehensive but contains what I deemed to be the key items.
Flying h4x0r
Pre-Flight
It's easy to get burned out. Space out some of your required VFR cross country inbetween. It's really refreshing!
gil_mor
Pre-takeoff checklist
Some good advice here.
Here's another - Get yourself a flight simulator.
Use it to review last lesson, and later on in your training, once you know what to do and just need practice - try new IAP to challenge yourself.
Don't teach yourself bad habits by flying the simulator before you know what you are doing.
Remember:
Flying IFR is 50% flying the plane, an 90% mental!
The simulator will help you in "Thinking ahead of the plane".
I'm taking my written in less then a week, and hope to be done with the IR by the end of the month, need only 3 hours before the check ride.
Good luck!
Here's another - Get yourself a flight simulator.
Use it to review last lesson, and later on in your training, once you know what to do and just need practice - try new IAP to challenge yourself.
Don't teach yourself bad habits by flying the simulator before you know what you are doing.
Remember:
Flying IFR is 50% flying the plane, an 90% mental!
The simulator will help you in "Thinking ahead of the plane".
I'm taking my written in less then a week, and hope to be done with the IR by the end of the month, need only 3 hours before the check ride.
Good luck!
gil_mor
Pre-takeoff checklist
I used exams4pilots for my PPL, its somewhat lacking for the IFR, there are a lot of new questions (ice).
Its not bad, but its not complete.
I also like Webexams, but I wouldn't say its complete either.
DavidWhite
Final Approach
I'm pretty sure if foggles had been around they would have been outlawed by the geneva convention
Last edited:
mrindian
Pre-Flight
Hi I'm new to the board and just got my license on 9/23. And I purchased a little C150 to obtain my IFR ticket.
Today I just finished my first IFR training flight.
1.4 exhausting hours.
When we were coming in for a landing and I was able to raise my hood, I all of a sudden noticed my hand was tired.
Instead of two fingers on the controls, I had a death grip on them for the past 1.3hrs!
Didn't even notice that grip until it was all over.
In training for my pilot's license it was only a few minutes under the hood at a time, 3hr total.
Now with 1.4hr in one stretch.... wow.... big difference. And just learning the importance of the scan, I would become fixated on one instrument. At one point I asked the instructor if it was winds or me that was causing our altitude to porpoise 200ft. He calmly stated it was me.
By the end of the flight I was doing better for keeping altitude and headings. At first I would hit our heading, then while stabilizing our altitude I would be 10deg off our heading to the right (always the right).
He mentioned another flight like this and it will get easier.
I'll keep everyone updated!
Overall it was a fun day. My wife asked me if I enjoyed the view and my flight since it was a nice evening.
I replied what view, I only looked at the inside of the airplane except on t/o and landing....
Gary
Today I just finished my first IFR training flight.
1.4 exhausting hours.
When we were coming in for a landing and I was able to raise my hood, I all of a sudden noticed my hand was tired.
Instead of two fingers on the controls, I had a death grip on them for the past 1.3hrs!
Didn't even notice that grip until it was all over.
In training for my pilot's license it was only a few minutes under the hood at a time, 3hr total.
Now with 1.4hr in one stretch.... wow.... big difference. And just learning the importance of the scan, I would become fixated on one instrument. At one point I asked the instructor if it was winds or me that was causing our altitude to porpoise 200ft. He calmly stated it was me.
By the end of the flight I was doing better for keeping altitude and headings. At first I would hit our heading, then while stabilizing our altitude I would be 10deg off our heading to the right (always the right).
He mentioned another flight like this and it will get easier.
I'll keep everyone updated!
Overall it was a fun day. My wife asked me if I enjoyed the view and my flight since it was a nice evening.
I replied what view, I only looked at the inside of the airplane except on t/o and landing....
Gary
Ghery
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2005
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Olympia, Washington
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Display name:
Ghery Pettit
+1 They are indeed an instrument of torture. I'd much rather fly in actual.
Hi I'm new to the board and just got my license on 9/23. And I purchased a little C150 to obtain my IFR ticket.
Today I just finished my first IFR training flight.
1.4 exhausting hours.
When we were coming in for a landing and I was able to raise my hood, I all of a sudden noticed my hand was tired.
Instead of two fingers on the controls, I had a death grip on them for the past 1.3hrs!
Didn't even notice that grip until it was all over.
In training for my pilot's license it was only a few minutes under the hood at a time, 3hr total.
Now with 1.4hr in one stretch.... wow.... big difference. And just learning the importance of the scan, I would become fixated on one instrument. At one point I asked the instructor if it was winds or me that was causing our altitude to porpoise 200ft. He calmly stated it was me.
By the end of the flight I was doing better for keeping altitude and headings. At first I would hit our heading, then while stabilizing our altitude I would be 10deg off our heading to the right (always the right).
He mentioned another flight like this and it will get easier.
I'll keep everyone updated!
Overall it was a fun day. My wife asked me if I enjoyed the view and my flight since it was a nice evening.
I replied what view, I only looked at the inside of the airplane except on t/o and landing....
Gary
Welcome to POA, Gary!