Instrument training - prereqs?

Matthew said:
So - trying to sum this up:

Read as much as possible (FAA Instrument Flying Handbook, FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, others).

Get additional XC time (FF as much as possible) - how much? How much hood time? (I can't remember what I currently have.)

Get to know the airplane (handling, trim, instruments, controls, altitude/heading/power control.)

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This is to meant just to build a base for starting IR training, not to become self-taught.

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Edit: I just looked at GATTS (Manhattan, KS) to see what their prereqs are:

  • Pilots must have a current BFR and medical.
  • Pilots must have flown a minimum of 5 hours in the past 6 months or 15 hours in the past year
  • Pilots must have the instrument written passed upon arrival.
  • Pilots must have a minimum of 10 hours of instrument time logged before starting the course.
  • Minimal 40 hours of Pilot In Command Cross Country time are required to start training.
If someone were to use a local CFII, this seems like a decent head-start?
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Forget the hood for now, don't use the hood until you are with the CFII, don't create bad habits because you didn't know better...
 
There are a lot of good responses in this thread. My 2 cents, I'd say get comfortable with the radio and the a/c (power settings, holding alt/heading, etc). A/c control has to be ingrained/automatic so you devote mental capacity to other things.

I'd add the following to the list of worthwhile things to read:

- IFR Mag
- IFR Refresher Mag
- Aviation Mentor Blog by John Ewing, http://aviationmentor.blogspot.com (he posts too many pics IMO, but also has good commentary on instrument procedures).
 
Matthew said:
Edit: I just looked at GATTS (Manhattan, KS) to see what their prereqs are:

  • Pilots must have a current BFR and medical.
  • Pilots must have flown a minimum of 5 hours in the past 6 months or 15 hours in the past year
  • Pilots must have the instrument written passed upon arrival.
  • Pilots must have a minimum of 10 hours of instrument time logged before starting the course.
  • Minimal 40 hours of Pilot In Command Cross Country time are required to start training.
If someone were to use a local CFII, this seems like a decent head-start?
Click to expand...
That's their pre-req's for their 7-day course. PIC's pre-req's for the 10-day course are 45 XC PIC, written passed, and current medical. We'll get everything else (including the flight review, if necessary) during the course. Of course, there is no guarantee of completion in 10 days -- if you lack basic proficiency, it's not going to happen in 10 days, but the instructor involved should be able to tell you that pretty fast so you can decide whether to continue with extra days as needed or terminate and get a refund for the remaining days. We also automatically add four days if you haven't passed the written, and two days for ME aircraft.

However, as discussed above, I strongly discourage trying to build instrument time with a safety pilot prior to the training course -- all you are likely to do is build bad habits which have to be broken during the training, and that can add time to the program. I'd rather have someone with nothing but the PP-required 3 hours than someone who spent 7 hours the month prior to the IR course trying to teach themselves basic instruments.
 
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Ron Levy said:
That's their pre-req's for their 7-day course. PIC's pre-req's for the 10-day course are 45 XC PIC, written passed, and current medical. We'll get everything else (including the flight review, if necessary) during the course. Of course, there is no guarantee of completion in 10 days -- if you lack basic proficiency, it's not going to happen in 10 days, but the instructor involved should be able to tell you that pretty fast so you can decide whether to continue with extra days as needed or terminate and get a refund for the remaining days. We also automatically add four days if you haven't passed the written, and two days for ME aircraft.

However, as discussed above, I strongly discourage trying to build instrument time with a safety pilot prior to the training course -- all you are likely to do is build bad habits which have to be broken during the training, and that can add time to the program. I'd rather have someone with nothing but the PP-required 3 hours than someone who spent 7 hours the month prior to the IR course trying to teach themselves basic instruments.
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So most accelerated programs require a pilot to have started a IFR course somewhere to get the 10 hours instrument before enrolling?
 
My game plan on the IR rating is to knock out the XC and written first then get some basic hood time in the basics and finish up with an intense 10 day program.
 
skynewbie said:
My game plan on the IR rating is to knock out the XC and written first then get some basic hood time in the basics and finish up with an intense 10 day program.
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If you would like to do your completion with Professional Instrument Courses (PIC -- my outfit), I urge you to get that basic instrument work with an instructor familiar with the material on basic control-and-performance attitude instrument flying in either Peter Dogan's Instrument Flight Training Manual or the USAF Instrument Flight Manual (AFM 11-217). That will make the rest of the training go much better.

Can't speak to the methods GATTS teaches.
 
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