Best IFR ground school?

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Seminole Pilot

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fsudelt
I got my PPL 6 years ago and used King Schools at the time for ground. If I'm a visual person is that probably still best option now for IFR ground school? Also when I did my PPL I did ground first, passed test, then started flying. Do most stick with that routine for IFR training? I already have 50+ XC hours but I know I'll need I think it's 40 hours under the hood between practice and with an instructor? I've been putting this off for a few years and have decided it's time to suck it up and get it done! I'm thinking of getting into a larger plane (currently fly a 182 and looking at going to a 6 seater) and doing longer XC trips so in my mind having IFR is a nice safety valve for the longer trips.
 
Yep. I got the King’s school get it all kit and passed the written then went on to get the lessons. Did it in a G1000 C172. Anything more than that is overkill. I highly recommend the G1000 by the way. If you can find one with a GFC700 AutoPilot you will have a blast and feel like a 737 pilot while doing it.
 
I did PPL "Fly first -> written as a capstone."

I started IR "Written first (passed) -> go fly/learn it." Almost finished in 2 yrs but work got in the way. Still haven't retaken to written.

My advice is to wait before starting the clock. Take the written when you have around half the required training.
 
Thanks. I plan on knocking this out pretty fast if possible. Owning a business my work schedule is flexible. I got my PPL done in 2 months. Hoping to see if I could do IFR in a few months at most if possible. The current plane I fly is a 182 with 2 Garmin 430’s & a Garmin GMX200. There also is a auto pilot with heading & alt hold (older unit though- Century 2000).
 
There is plenty of online material to help provide some of the basics of what you are about to be learning. Just remember that this is more background and orientation material versus real training that needs to be obtained with a CFII

At your current point in the process, here some low or no cost activities that might help you....
  1. Go through @dtuuri's www.avclicks.com program. This is a free ground school slide presentation that can begin loading the important concepts into the memory receptacle between your ears.
  2. Download and begin reading the Instrument Flying Handbook and the Instrument Procedures Handbook from the FAA. Use an app well known for handling/reading/marking up PDF's such as GoodReader will help.
  3. Find some local IFR rated pilots and ask to accompany them on some flights where they file and fly "in the system".
    • Ask them to provide you with an appropriate pre flight briefing about what they did to be ready for the flight and what they are about to do in the flight (aka how they briefed and prepared for the flight, discuss weather decision making, what/how they filed their flight plan, etc). Also ask them to talk during the flight about what they are doing specific to IFR flying. Items such use of the GPS, radio calls, selecting/briefing/executing the approach, etc.
    • Observing the flight with someone experienced with IFR protocols can really help with establishing the context of what you are learning. I did that with several folks before my IFR training and it really helped.
  4. Additional textbooks to consider (in no particular order)

Things that you can do right now in your current flying
  1. As often as possible, utilize Flight Following. This will help you practice your radio communication skills
  2. Listen to a Clearance Delivery frequency on LiveATC. This will help you understand the flow of information contained in an IFR clearance. Also useful to practice writing down and reading back.
  3. Tighten up on maintaining course and altitude. ACS standards are +/- 10° and 100-feet. Try to do 5° and 50 feet.
  4. Dive deeper into your panel mounted GPS system and start learning the buttons and knobs that pertain to IFR flight.
    • How do you load an arrival/approach?
    • How do you activate it?
    • How do you execute a missed approach?
    • How do you "fix" it should you load and activate one particular approach, then ATC makes a change during the heat of the battle
  5. If you have an autopilot
    • What modes are available to you that help with IFR flight and learn how to activate and switch between them.
  6. Get better preflight weather briefings. If you are not already doing so, frequently call 800WXBRIEF and speak to a briefer.
 
To answer your "Which ground school?" question
  • I watched the King Videos for context and additional details
  • I used Sheppard Air to prep for the written (the accompany memory aid sheet was awesome! over 50% of my questions where answered from that)
  • I read Bob Gardner's book
  • I flew with a few IFR pilots.
  • I did flight training with Ron Levy of PIC and a local instructor.
 
Use King schools for learning and Gleim for practicing exams.
Use xplane and take out a pilotedge.net for practing ifr flying.
job done.
 
sonopoa said:
Use King schools for learning and Gleim for practicing exams.
Use xplane and take out a pilotedge.net for practing ifr flying.
job done.
Click to expand...

Appreciate it. Thinking I'll probably go this route. I also have a good friend of mine that is a UPS pilot and he has offered to start shooting approaches with me to get some practice in before doing my actual IFR training with an instructor.
 
sonopoa said:
Use King schools for learning and Gleim for practicing exams.
Click to expand...

Did the same for my private and instrument. Sheppard Air for my commercial because I did the others back in the day and that was cheaper. You could buy the King courses used on Ebay and resell then. Just did the commercial last year and no way I was gonna spend that on a new King course.
 
I used the Sportys' course. The draw to it was the videos and the fact that it issues a written test endorsement after completion and two >80% practice exams.
I liked it. I did my PPL with the Cessna online (King-driven, but not fully King) course and regret it. I ended up picking up ASA Prepware and just cramming questions until I was consistently passing. Unless they're really made headway, the Cessna course is poorly designed for the modern internet. The app failed to sync with the site a few times, it was just a mess.
Another alternative is Sheppard Air for the written. You are all but guaranteed to pass in the 90s if you follow their method. The downside is that their method is a whole lot less about learning the material and more about learning how to pass the test. If you're highly driven and can commit to learning the material another way, I'd say Sheppard Air for the official pass grade and something like Sportys' or King Schools to actually learn the material.
 
I used the King Schools kit for my first and refresh passes at learning the material for the IFR written. I didn't feel it was enough and also picked up the Sporty's IFR kit which I feel gave a bigger picture beyond just the written and highly useful for me. I supplemented all of that with a variety of books that Mike has already mentioned above. I was really nervous to take my written but in the end I scored in the 90's and a few points higher on the IGI written I took immediately afterwards on the same day so I could add instrument to my advanced ground instructor certificate. I then ran into issues getting started with training in the plane, then a CFII medical issue forced me to pick up another CFII and in the end I managed to squeak through with my IFR about 8 days before my written expired the end of July 2018. Good luck and get studying and flying!
 
AggieMike88 said:
At your current point in the process, here some low or no cost activities that might help you....
  1. Find some local IFR rated pilots and ask to accompany them on some flights where they file and fly "in the system".
    • Ask them to provide you with an appropriate pre flight briefing about what they did to be ready for the flight and what they are about to do in the flight (aka how they briefed and prepared for the flight, discuss weather decision making, what/how they filed their flight plan, etc). Also ask them to talk during the flight about what they are doing specific to IFR flying. Items such use of the GPS, radio calls, selecting/briefing/executing the approach, etc.
    • Observing the flight with someone experienced with IFR protocols can really help with establishing the context of what you are learning. I did that with several folks before my IFR training and it really helped.
Click to expand...

upload_2019-2-6_7-38-48.png

I offered my services as a safety pilot and a free cheeseburger if aplicable to fly with some IFR pilots working on their currency and flew some actual too... and this helped me understand the material a lot better...
 
I did a combination of King and Gold Method. I thought it was a good combination for me. The Kings are an acquired taste, but in reality it is a good course.

I liked the Gold Method for actual test preparation.

I took the written before I began lessons. Fly 2-3 times per week if you can. And make sure your CFI goes out of his way to get you as much IMC time as possible.
 
Depends on what your goals are for performance on the test. I got two questions wrong using the King course. If you want to do better then maybe you need to look at the other courses....:rolleyes:
 
I used Aviation Seminars which was good enough prep to get a 92 on the test. For me a great, condensed way to come up the learning curve.
 
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