What is best Instrument Rating course?

stevenhmiller

stevenhmiller

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Steve's Archer
I got my PPL a month ago and now it's time to start working on getting my instrument rating. I started with the Sportys course for my PPL, but found it to be extremely boring and outdated (everyone dressed in 80's clothes and hair styles). I gave MzeroA.com ground school a try for a month and it got me past my written with a 92. But, I feel MzeroA is pretty expensive.

I'm a visual type of guy. I like videos that explain things, and hate the reading. I fall asleep if the presenter on the video is monotone (such as the weather guy on the Sportys PPL video), or if I have to do a lot of reading.

With the above in mind, has anyone with similar experience as mine, found anything for the instrument rating that holds your attention and makes it easier to grasp?
 
I've been watching the Sporty's IFR DVDs and have been quite pleased. Can't really say I care about the clothes or hair styles, sorry. It is a bit behind the times in that I've seen no mention of ADS-B. But there's plenty ofstuffa bout GPS navigation and WAAS, so its not that bad.
 
steingar said:
I've been watching the Sporty's IFR DVDs and have been quite pleased. Can't really say I care about the clothes or hair styles, sorry. It is a bit behind the times in that I've seen no mention of ADS-B. But there's plenty ofstuffa bout GPS navigation and WAAS, so its not that bad.
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I was simply implying the content was outdated, with my clothes and hairstyle comment.
 
If you are a visual learner...King is who I used for my IFR.

Content may seem out dated but remember the tests have barely changed over the decades!
 
I am using the Kings IFR course, basically because their PPL severed me very well. Talk about dated clothing etc. The best is when the age of the presenter changes mid video because they inserted an updated section in an old video rather than re-filming the entire thing. I think there are several videos where Martha gets older than younger at least 3 or 4 times in a 10 minute span. And yes, the original videos look very dated, while some are very current.

In reality however, the material has not changed much, so there is no reason for a massive overhaul.
 
I just read the Jepp IFR book, and started taking practice tests. When I scored over 90 on the tests, I took the main test. I answered ALL the questions on VORs (those quadrants!) and holds in the practice test database. That helped.
 
stevenhmiller said:
I got my PPL a month ago and now it's time to start working on getting my instrument rating. I started with the Sportys course for my PPL, but found it to be extremely boring and outdated (everyone dressed in 80's clothes and hair styles). I gave MzeroA.com ground school a try for a month and it got me past my written with a 92. But, I feel MzeroA is pretty expensive.

I'm a visual type of guy. I like videos that explain things, and hate the reading. I fall asleep if the presenter on the video is monotone (such as the weather guy on the Sportys PPL video), or if I have to do a lot of reading.

With the above in mind, has anyone with similar experience as mine, found anything for the instrument rating that holds your attention and makes it easier to grasp?
Click to expand...

ASA's Instrument Rating DVD course is $49.95. www.asa2fly.com.

Bob Gardner
 
I would go for the King's. Yes, their training material is expensive but in my opinion it is really worth it. Good luck!
 
I have just finished the Sportys IFR course and was actually fairly pleased with how up to date it is. It even mentions, has videos of and, to some extent encourages the use of, iPads and Foreflight and talks a fair bit about g1000 and glass.

Yes, a little boring, but there's a lot of information to present!
 
Kings for the win.

But if you JUST got your PPL I'd work on getting your VFR skills honed a bit more, get some real cross countries under your belt first.
 
Sportys because Dick Collins is the man!
 
stevenhmiller said:
....With the above in mind, has anyone with similar experience as mine, found anything for the instrument rating that holds your attention and makes it easier to grasp?
Click to expand...

Short answer, NO!

That being said, get the Gleim Instrument written Study Guide with the CD and start taking practice tests. Use the free books from the FAA (Instrument procedures Handbook, Instrument Flying Handbook, Aviation Weather, Aviation Weather Products.) , and have at it. There is no easy way. But, this'll get you through the written.

Use the ASA Instrument Pilot Oral Exam Guide to prep for the oral portion of the check-ride. Then, find a good CFI-I that uses a syllabus and a lesson plan. I think this is the best way to track your hands-on progress. (JMHO, YMMV, yada yada yada.....)
 
So far I've considered the Sporty's DVDs a very worthwhile investment. I can't even see how I would have grasped some of this without the visuals.
 
Sheppard Air is by far the best study guide for the IFR written. I tried Sporty's at first and got bored with it (even though it helped me with my private written). There's a lot of questions that the other companies don't have on the test and Sheppard Air constantly updates their database based on feedback from test takers. It's about $40 and worth the investment.
 
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