Any tips for a pilot starting instrument?

For me -
IFR is as hard and long as the PPL.

I took a year off and flew VFR, got my 50 hour XCountry requirement out of the way, had some fun.

Nine months after I got my ppl, I started my IFR written prep - took the test in Jan, started flying in Feb.
 
For me, IR was much easier than private. Other than developing the scan, no real new motor learning required. Learn the rules and how to follow the procedures.

This is a type of training where the sim on the computer can really help. Set the turbulence to moderate to force you to divide between making corrections and managing the other tasks.

Agree with others on really knowing the GPS if you will be using one. Garmin has good simulators. I just worked through every example in the pilot’s guide on the simulator. No expensive flight time required.
 
Captain Sweet T said:
New pilot here. 75hrs or so. Does it make any sense to begin Ifr yet? I bought the King videos just to get a sense of what it was all about. Is studying for the written the first thing you should do?
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I think flying and learning the ground go hand in hand.
 
BTW - No one universal answer. Take these ideas - but find what works for you.
 
David Anthony said:
I’m currently 18 and I (as of today) have started instrument training. I got to experience real IMC and couldn’t be more excited to get this rating. Just as a general conversation…does anyone have any tips that could benefit me as I go along?
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Congrats! You have a fun adventure ahead of you.

If your scan is good, your flying will be precise. If your scan is inconsistent, or you let yourself get distracted easily, your flying will be sloppy. If you have any problems at all holding altitude or heading while hand-flying, go back and practice your scan (even just on a consumer desktop sim), and the problem will most-likely resolve itself.
 
I agree with most everybody else —go ahead and start working in your instrument rating. I took the written first just to get it out of the way. That worked out well for me because not wanting to retake the written pushed me to get the checkride done almost two years later. I was working 50 plus hours a week and traveling a lot plus raising two kids. Kept me pretty busy!
 
Captain Sweet T said:
New pilot here. 75hrs or so. Does it make any sense to begin Ifr yet? I bought the King videos just to get a sense of what it was all about. Is studying for the written the first thing you should do?
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I started my instrument training at maybe 60 hours. I took my instrument check ride with less than a hundred and ten hours
 
You got 50 hours of X country and 40 hours of simulated/hood, plus the 3 hour test prep, etc all packed into 50 hours?

Back to the thread topic - lots of options. Consider your level of energy, finances, CFII and plane availability, and your time availability.

Congrats on going for the Instrument-it is a huge step in being that much better.
 
WDD said:
You got 50 hours of X country and 40 hours of simulated/hood, plus the 3 hour test prep, etc all packed into 50 hours?

Back to the thread topic - lots of options. Consider your level of energy, finances, CFII and plane availability, and your time availability.

Congrats on going for the Instrument-it is a huge step in being that much better.
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I pulled my logbook
I had 70.6 hours when I took my first instrument lesson. Prior to that lesson:
I had 7.6 hours of PIC XC time that I used from private solo and 30.6 PIC XC time total at that point.
I logged another 15.8 hours of PIC XC that was part of instrument training and 3.6 hours of PIC XC that wasn't instrument training.
By luck I hit 50.0 on the dot (Good thing for that go around on my long IR XC where we almost took out 2 deer)
For the instrument/hood/actual, I counted 3.4 hours from the private, and an additional 10.3 of FTD time.
During the 15.8 XC I logged 12.7 worth of hood and actual and 26.5 overall

When I took the IR check-ride I had 106.9 TT 50.0 PIC XC and 40.2 hood/FTD/actual time.

So in that 36.3 hours I did 26.5 instrument and 19.4 PIC XC, with 32.7 being dual received.
 
Captain Sweet T said:
New pilot here. 75hrs or so. Does it make any sense to begin Ifr yet? I bought the King videos just to get a sense of what it was all about. Is studying for the written the first thing you should do?
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Sure. I started in right away after getting PPL.
EdFred said:
I pulled my logbook
I had 70.6 hours when I took my first instrument lesson. Prior to that lesson:
I had 7.6 hours of PIC XC time that I used from private solo and 30.6 PIC XC time total at that point.
I logged another 15.8 hours of PIC XC that was part of instrument training and 3.6 hours of PIC XC that wasn't instrument training.
By luck I hit 50.0 on the dot (Good thing for that go around on my long IR XC where we almost took out 2 deer)
For the instrument/hood/actual, I counted 3.4 hours from the private, and an additional 10.3 of FTD time.
During the 15.8 XC I logged 12.7 worth of hood and actual and 26.5 overall

When I took the IR check-ride I had 106.9 TT 50.0 PIC XC and 40.2 hood/FTD/actual time.

So in that 36.3 hours I did 26.5 instrument and 19.4 PIC XC, with 32.7 being dual received.
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You need to work on your Flight planning skills. You wasted .2 hours:D
 
luvflyin said:
Sure. I started in right away after getting PPL.


You need to work on your Flight planning skills. You wasted .2 hours:D
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I know!! I could have had the foggles off for 12 more mins. the funny thing is we hadn't been keeping track of hours my CFI I just said hey you're ready to be signed off let's add em up.

We triple checked the math on the X C because we didn't want me to be just short when the check Ride game
 
I got mine in the summer, when the mid-day thermals started kicking up, but before they developed into thunderstorms. Holding altitude was a constant challenge. This made my scan and control of the aircraft develop faster, and gave me more confidence as training progressed. Just push through it and try to fly 3 times a week. Personally, this was the most fun I had training. It's very exacting and detail oriented. Kind of like a video game.
 
luvflyin said:
Sure. I started in right away after getting PPL.


You need to work on your Flight planning skills. You wasted .2 hours:D
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My instrument instructor had followed the conventions at his former school where they logged all the flight time as simulated instrument on the flights with primarily foggles on. So we schedule the checkride thinking I have something like 44 simulated.

After talking with the DPE the night before he discovers the DPE does not like this as the takeoffs are without foggles in almost all cases. He wants us to make a correction for it. After figuring out how many flights and making a logbook entry for the overall correction, I took my instrument checkride also with 40.2 hours of simulated instrument time. Close one I was sweating on for a bit.

As is often the case it was all simulated time here in AZ.
 
If possible, stick to one plane for your IFR training, and learn all of its systems forwards, backwards, sideways. Particularly nav radios, gps, autopilot and their coupling. The last thing you want to do is fail a checkride because you made a mistake in using the systems. If you fly with a tablet, make sure you can fly without it, too.
 
Albany Tom said:
If you fly with a tablet, make sure you can fly without it, too.
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I also had a backup smartphone for my checkride. Wasn't thinking. Didn't have it cued up with my iPad (both sync to my GNX 375). When my iPad "failed" (by the hand of the examiner), I used my 375 to get the info I needed... but it would have been a whole lot easier to pull up the info on my iPhone.

Note - review AC 120-76D regarding EFB screen size minimum requirements. The iPhone wouldn't cut it as "primary" (my choice of phrase), but when you're in an emergency, who cares?
 
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