Flight training before written?

TexasAviation

TexasAviation

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TexasAviation
I've watched all the King Schools instrument rating videos and feel pretty overwhelmed about taking the written exam. It's like drinking from a firehose. I know I can do it, but I've got a whole lot of practice tests and more studying before I'm confident I have all the material down.

In the meantime, do you think it would be a good idea to start a little bit of IFR flight training? My original plan was to pass the written before I take any actual lessons from a CFII. That's what I did when getting my PPL (I had to pass the written before I was allowed to rent a plane from my flying club as a student pilot. Club rules.)

I've often told people I would have rather have done some flight lessons before taking the written because it would have made more sense. Things would have "clicked" more that way.

Does the same thing apply to getting your IR? I'm beginning to think I should take a few lessons so the written material carries more meaning for me.
 
No harm either way. I just wouldn't get too far in without the written done.

Yes seeing some of it in action will help it make sense. Actually to that end I suggest you take an actual go somewhere instrument flight with somebody or your instructor right at the start - not so much training as a demonstration - so you see the big picture before you start working on all the little pieces...


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Seen it done both ways, little if any difference.

Also don't neglect using flight sims for IFR training.
 
Flight sims can save you money and also give you training in recognizing and handling failures that is hard to do in a plane. But a good sim (or any sim) may not be available, and a sim is not a particularly good simulation of actual instrument flight - you won't get the experience of disorientation or the "leans" in any sim you are likely to have access to. There is no substitute for the real thing.

Definitely agree, no harm in getting some actual flight training done before taking the written, and seeing how the instruments work in an actual flight can help you when you work on those instrument interpretation questions.
 
A simulator without the benefit of an instructor is pretty useless for a new instrument pilot and indeed may be counter productive.
Taking the written is purely a formality. Most will like to get it out of the way early, but frankly, you don't NEED it until you're in the last few lessons prior to the ride.

Of course, this is from the man who took the written THREE TIMES and let it expire before getting around to doing the training in earnest.
 
Oh definitely agree - I assumed (and hoped it was clear from context) that the sim would be used as part of instruction. But I guess I should have said that explicitly.

And you have me beat @flyingron - I only let my written expire once. Not intentionally either - my first CFII broke his promise to find me a DPE before that happened, and my own last minute search turned up empty.
 
+1 on using qualified sim with your instructor. For the instrument rating it can be really valuable by letting you focus on the instrument flying specifically and really making training time productive.


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TexasAviation said:
I've watched all the King Schools instrument rating videos and feel pretty overwhelmed about taking the written exam. It's like drinking from a firehose. I know I can do it, but I've got a whole lot of practice tests and more studying before I'm confident I have all the material down.

In the meantime, do you think it would be a good idea to start a little bit of IFR flight training? My original plan was to pass the written before I take any actual lessons from a CFII. That's what I did when getting my PPL (I had to pass the written before I was allowed to rent a plane from my flying club as a student pilot. Club rules.)

I've often told people I would have rather have done some flight lessons before taking the written because it would have made more sense. Things would have "clicked" more that way.

Does the same thing apply to getting your IR? I'm beginning to think I should take a few lessons so the written material carries more meaning for me.
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A little bit of IFR training will not be a benefit.
 
I did both my Private Pilot and Instrument written test before starting the training. Personally I think it was a big advantage and allowed me to just focus on the flying aspect. If you have the written done already you can still review the Ground material and refresh yourself alongside the flying.
 
I started with the King videos for the instrument rating, but too much of it just wasn't clicking. What worked for me was putting the videos aside, going into the training with an instructor and after about 15 hours I had a good enough grasp that I comprehended the videos much more thoroughly and passed the written.

It wasn't just taking a few lessons to get the written out of the way, but a plan to integrate the videos with the lessons.
 
Either way is fine. Although you'll understand the material more thoroughly after some instrument flight training IMO but it isn't necessary.
 
Doesn't really matter, I would suggest doing the written about half way through, you have some actual experience to help you and at the same time you are not trying to get it out of the way while you are finishing up training to take your ride. But if you are asking if it is necessary to have done before your training, absolutely not.
 
If you're scoring in the 90s on practice tests, just go ahead and take the real thing.
 
Here's how IFR flight training helped me. My instructor would call me when conditions were near minimum IFR and we would go flying in true IFR conditions. It simply isn't the same as being under the hood.

I realized I didn't want to fly IFR and didn't pursue it any farther.

I was surprised that pilots can earn IFR with practically no IFR experence.
 
tinerj said:
Here's how IFR flight training helped me. My instructor would call me when conditions were near minimum IFR and we would go flying in true IFR conditions. It simply isn't the same as being under the hood.

I realized I didn't want to fly IFR and didn't pursue it any farther.

I was surprised that pilots can earn IFR with practically no IFR experence.
Click to expand...

The thing is you can get tremendous utility out of an instrument rating without ever flying an approach to less than 1000 feet.... you don't need to fly near minimums, which I agree, even after lots more experience, is a little scary, single pilot light plane IFR.


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Some people just aren't suited for IFR flight. My wife (also a pilot) was all gung ho for me getting my instrument rating, but she finds instrument flight, in reality, to be rather uncomfortable. There's no way she'll ever get the rating (other than as an academic process).

TimerJ's experience and my wife indicate that one should get some actual before investing a large effort in getting the rating. However, I'm not convinced other than the psychological effects of knowing you can't just rip off the foggles and give up, that there's a whole lot of benefit of flying in actual. On the other hand, being directed into a cumulus during your training can help you understand how turbulent even a small one could be let alone one with vertical development.
 
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Like others said, it can be done either way with success. I'm partial to getting a little head start with your ground study, start your flight training, then knock the written test out during the first third of your training. A good ground school program will cover all of your training, not just prep you for the written.
 
flyingron said:
TimerJ's experience and my wife indicate that one should get some actual before investing a large effort in getting the rating. However, I'm not convinced other than the psychological effects of knowing you can't just rip off the foggles and give up, that there's a whole lot of benefit of flying in actual.
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I think there's a lot of benefit to learning that it's not always easy to see the field at the end of an approach, even if you're out of the clouds, particularly when the visibility (not just the ceiling) is below VFR minimums. And that exiting the clouds, even if the vis underneath is good, is very different from just pulling off the foggles and seeing the runway in front of you. My first experience with being able to see the ground beneath me but having essentially zero forward visibility was a real eye-opener, so to speak.
 
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