Adam Weiss
Pre-takeoff checklist
I just passed my written and have about 10 hours dual (although 4 of it is 15 years old). I feel like I have a long, long, long way to go. Like maybe 50+ hours might be needed. Curious how long it took others.
How many hours of dual IFR before your checkride?
- Thread starter Adam Weiss
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labbadabba
Pattern Altitude
Looking at my logbook, at the time of my checkride, I had 38.2 hours dual hood/actual/simulator and 4.3 hours with a safety pilot.
I had a CFII who put me through the ringer in an approved simulator and took me up in actual a few times. Once you have the procedural stuff figured out, the flying part comes pretty quickly.
I had a CFII who put me through the ringer in an approved simulator and took me up in actual a few times. Once you have the procedural stuff figured out, the flying part comes pretty quickly.
olasek
Pattern Altitude
It was 33-38, don't recall exact number, too many years. I think these days you can spend some of these hours in an approved simulator.
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
Right at 40, all instruction, no safety pilot time.
Probably around 50-60 for me.
mtuomi
En-Route
15.0
Adam Weiss
Pre-takeoff checklist
So did you do the remaining 25 hours (for the required 40 instrument/simulated) with a safety pilot?
I guess what I was more interested in was how many instrument/simulated hours before the checkride...
Adam Weiss
Pre-takeoff checklist
Is the requirement different for part 141?
mtuomi
En-Route
Yep flew those with a safety pilot. Did my checkride at pretty much 40.0 instrument time.
tsts4
Pattern Altitude
Yes. 35 total vs 40 for part 61.
Too much work to get a number and too many years ago to recall 
But very little of mine was with a safety pilot. I really only recall one flight, which was arranged by my CFII. Smart guy.
But very little of mine was with a safety pilot. I really only recall one flight, which was arranged by my CFII. Smart guy.
23.5. The rest with a safety pilot.
Mistake Not...
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Mistake Not...
Disagree. I have almost 70 hours of dual and still don't have the rating. I fired my instructor.
I've gone into why in other threads, but no... the flying does not come easily in all cases. If it did for you, awesome. But going in with this expectation can be very frustrating if it turns out to be different.
For example, my instructor taught techniques that are probably fine once you're experienced, but require a level of skill above the PTS. (PTS does not require both constant rate and constant airspeed climbs / descents, for example). Mine did. Wasted a lot of time on stuff like that. Also, for a variety of reasons, a bad scan developed while under the guidance of an instructor that it took me a long time to figure out and fix in a sim on my own (completely opposite of the conventional wisdom on this board).
I think the figures on this board, while probably true, are also probably on the low end. I would like to know the average time taken by all instrument pilots. Mine will be even higher before I'm done, because I'm sure when I resume training I will have lost some ground.
Larry in TN
En-Route
In training for the instrument rating you must learn to control the airplane solely by reference instruments as well as how to fly instrument procedures and interact within the ATC system. IMO, many instructors move past the first step too quickly. If you are still struggling to operate the airplane precisely by instruments you will have a difficult time learning the instrument procedures and ATC system.
The previous comment on constant rate and constant airspeed climbs/descents is an example. IMO, those exercises help you to learn how to control the aircraft even if they aren't specifically required or tested. Steep turns under the hood are similar. If you can do them accurately then a standard rate turn will seem much easier. Once the aircraft control skills are mastered the approaches and ATC will come quickly.
Find a CFII who successfully recommends instrument students on a regular basis. If he is regularly successful with other instrument students there's a very good chance that he'll be successful with you, too.
The previous comment on constant rate and constant airspeed climbs/descents is an example. IMO, those exercises help you to learn how to control the aircraft even if they aren't specifically required or tested. Steep turns under the hood are similar. If you can do them accurately then a standard rate turn will seem much easier. Once the aircraft control skills are mastered the approaches and ATC will come quickly.
Find a CFII who successfully recommends instrument students on a regular basis. If he is regularly successful with other instrument students there's a very good chance that he'll be successful with you, too.
tsts4
Pattern Altitude
It takes as long as it takes. However, the anecdotal evidence from similar threads here and on other forums suggests that, unlike for Private Pilot where the avg number of hours most pilots have when they take their check ride is significantly higher than the minimum required, that most (but certainly not all) achieve the IR close to the min hours required.
DesertNomad
Pattern Altitude
46, of which 26 with a CFII and 20 with a safety pilot, plus some sim time and a few more hours from my PPL training.
coma24
Line Up and Wait
That should've been the title of the poll, the current form is a very different question as it ignores safety pilot time or time in a sim. I did a bunch of flying with safety pilots, plus 10 hours with the BATD. The rest was with instructor in the airplane. Finished with 40.2 instrument (about 0.5 was actual, rest was simulated)
Your poll makes no sense. 40 hours isn't the minimum instruction time, it's the minimum instrument time.
I had:
37.4 Simulated Instrument
3.2 Actual Instrument
10.0 Flight Trainer time
23 hours Instrument Instruction
(there may be few hours more of instrument instruction time picked up over the years prior, but nothing on a real instrument instruction curriculum other than the above.
I had:
37.4 Simulated Instrument
3.2 Actual Instrument
10.0 Flight Trainer time
23 hours Instrument Instruction
(there may be few hours more of instrument instruction time picked up over the years prior, but nothing on a real instrument instruction curriculum other than the above.
Harold Rutila
Pre-takeoff checklist
There are so many considerations to take into account before this question can be answered. Here are some of the factors that I discuss with prospective students:
- Recency of experience flying airplanes
- Type of airplane being used for IFR training
- Willingness to study IFH, IPH, AIM, 14 CFR, and charts on your own time
- Ability to fly and study regularly without frequent interruptions in the schedule
- Willingness to use a reputable at-home study program that goes beyond preparing you for a written test
- Use of an at-home simulator, preferably with a Pilotedge subscription
- Recency of experience flying airplanes
- Type of airplane being used for IFR training
- Willingness to study IFH, IPH, AIM, 14 CFR, and charts on your own time
- Ability to fly and study regularly without frequent interruptions in the schedule
- Willingness to use a reputable at-home study program that goes beyond preparing you for a written test
- Use of an at-home simulator, preferably with a Pilotedge subscription
EppyGA
Touchdown! Greaser!
Logbook says I had 40.6 Dual Rcvd. Did a bunch of apprioaches with a safety pilot, didn't bother adding that up.