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  #11  
Old 09-06-2018, 06:19 PM
RFazio RFazio is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: LI, NY
Posts: 409
Default My Vote is Aviation Seminars

I tried all the home courses, and felt like I was getting nowhere. I signed up for Aviation Seminars and was pleseantly surprised. Passed my test first time 87%. I now have my instrument rating, and I got it in my RV-6. I just found that for me sitting in a classroom type environment works. Also the instructor had a lot of little tips and tricks to help with the test. I am also going for my Commercial and CFI. I took the Aviation Seminars courses and passed the written for both.
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  #12  
Old 09-06-2018, 07:25 PM
ajay ajay is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 88
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Bob,

When you say the Gleim book are you referring to this book?

http://www.gleim.com/products/produc...edge-Test-book

Curious why you mix it this way, why not use the Gleim online ground school? Have you cracked a secret formula?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketbob View Post
Read the Gleim book chapter introductions, then do Sheppard Air. I scored over 90% on all writtens I've taken using these methods, and most were done in short timeframes, week to two weeks start to finish.

Pass the tests, the "why" will come with real-world experience.
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  #13  
Old 09-06-2018, 07:47 PM
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flytoday flytoday is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 405
Default Flying on a schedule? Non-professional IFR?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul 5r4 View Post
Glad to see this thread! I'm VFR only but have recently been thinking about an IFR ticket. Hope others chime in with their experience! Watching with interest!!!
Earned my IFR rating in 1985, now VFR only. Retired, no schedule!

Clearly getting an IFR ticket is a great accomplishment, and would likely enhance a pilot?s skills and safety.

I?d be interested to know how often non-professional pilots hand-fly IFR approaches in an RV down to 400? to 500? above the runway. And how often the non-professional pilot actually launches into weather that will require an IFR approach at the destination, with a forecast including moderately challenging weather.

My experience and opinion, it?s challenging for a pleasure-only pilot to fly IFR often enough to safely hand-fly approaches, particularly in moderate rain, or night, or .... However VAF threads describe the common autopilot features that will fly coupled, hands-off approaches. Do you want to count on Otto? Maybe so.

I tell prospective and new VFR pilots that they need to fly at least an hour a month to stay reasonably safe. I?d recommend non-professional IFR pilots shoot at least two approaches in actual IFR weather every month if safe hand-flying in real IFR, to keep a schedule, is their desired skill level.

Before investing in IFR I?d talk to local IFR-rated private pilots and find out how they actually use that rating. Calibrate your expectations.

If the IFR rating is to occasionally punch through a cloud layer less practice might be acceptable.

Carl
..
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  #14  
Old 09-06-2018, 08:02 PM
ajay ajay is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmohr View Post
I am using Gold Method for my instrument ground. This was developed by Russell Still. You can find it at https://www.goldmethod.com
Gene,

Sounds like they have a machine learning algorithm to help you learn. What's your impression so far? Can you report Pro's and Con's?

ajay
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  #15  
Old 09-06-2018, 08:17 PM
ajay ajay is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RFazio View Post
I tried all the home courses, and felt like I was getting nowhere. I signed up for Aviation Seminars and was pleseantly surprised. Passed my test first time 87%. I now have my instrument rating, and I got it in my RV-6. I just found that for me sitting in a classroom type environment works. Also the instructor had a lot of little tips and tricks to help with the test. I am also going for my Commercial and CFI. I took the Aviation Seminars courses and passed the written for both.
Richard,

The Aviation seminars are simply over a 2 day weekend? Eight hours each day? And that is all you needed to prepare and pass the written? Sounds too easy...

ajay
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  #16  
Old 09-07-2018, 04:40 AM
RFazio RFazio is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: LI, NY
Posts: 409
Default Yes

The first day was 8am to 6 pm, The second day was 8am to 4 pm if I remember correctly. I took it at Waterbury Oxford, OXC. It was the same for the commercial. And yes it was well worth it. I have sent a few friends there later and they agreed. One was for his private pilot test, and another for his IFR. You do get online books to read and when your done with the course you take their online practice tests. You take the practice tests and see how you are doing right away. They recommend getting at least an 85 on the practice tests, then go take it for real.
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  #17  
Old 09-07-2018, 06:02 AM
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BrianDC BrianDC is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 267
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flytoday View Post

I?d be interested to know how often non-professional pilots hand-fly IFR approaches in an RV down to 400? to 500? above the runway. And how often the non-professional pilot actually launches into weather that will require an IFR approach at the destination, with a forecast including moderately challenging weather.

My experience and opinion, it?s challenging for a pleasure-only pilot to fly IFR often enough to safely hand-fly approaches, particularly in moderate rain, or night, or .... However VAF threads describe the common autopilot features that will fly coupled, hands-off approaches. Do you want to count on Otto? Maybe so.


..
Carl, totally agree with your observations. In my case I wanted to be a safer pilot and be able to fly "in the system". I have 0 intentions in flying hard IMC or flying approaches to minimums in my RV but do plan to maintain my IFR rating.

As much as I look forward to finishing up my build and having all the bells and whistles (auto-pilot, coupled approaches, etc), as you said you should not count on it and you should be prepared to hand-fly.

Who knows, my opinion may change over time, but just because I can do something doesn't always mean I should, right?
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  #18  
Old 09-07-2018, 09:15 AM
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bhassel bhassel is offline
 
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Posts: 963
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How long do you have between passing the written and get your ticket do you have before the written expires?

Thanks,

Bob
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  #19  
Old 09-07-2018, 09:30 AM
Aluminum Aluminum is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 278
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flytoday View Post
Earned my IFR rating in 1985, now VFR only. Retired, no schedule!
Getting there, yay!


Quote:
Originally Posted by flytoday View Post
My experience and opinion, it?s challenging for a pleasure-only pilot to fly IFR often enough to safely hand-fly approaches, particularly in moderate rain, or night, or .... However VAF threads describe the common autopilot features that will fly coupled, hands-off approaches. Do you want to count on Otto? Maybe so.

I tell prospective and new VFR pilots that they need to fly at least an hour a month to stay reasonably safe. I?d recommend non-professional IFR pilots shoot at least two approaches in actual IFR weather every month if safe hand-flying in real IFR, to keep a schedule, is their desired skill level.

Before investing in IFR I?d talk to local IFR-rated private pilots and find out how they actually use that rating. Calibrate your expectations.

If the IFR rating is to occasionally punch through a cloud layer less practice might be acceptable.
Carl, my thoughts exactly up until a year ago. I got my VFR ticket back in '97, and would abandon thoughts of progressing to IFR after re-doing the cost/benefit analysis and realizing it's just not in the cards to remain current and proficient as a weekend warrior.

Several new developments made me change my mind, so I'm about to take my IFR checkride in a few weeks (wish me luck).

First, piston-single flying has changed a whole lot since the days of "ADF INOP" clunkers I trained in. The situational awareness afforded by Dynon/Garmin glass is just a whole different world, and BRS changes the risk equation of night/icing/rain quite dramatically, much more so than a second engine.

Second, after puttering around VFR in my little ultralight for a hundred hours, I really really wanted that IFR ticket on enough occasions to make it annoying. West coast has frequent marine layer and smoke from fires, perfect conditions for gentlemen's IFR.

Third, the rules were changed to allow maintaining currency in simulator alone. The club I frequent has an approved sim, and grants an hour a month of free sim time to paying members. So, for six hundred bucks a year I can now stay current and reasonably proficient without touching a real cloud.

Fourth, life is short. Just do it.


To answer the OP's query: my path was self-study from ASA books, then used Gleim's online test prep tool ($65) for a few weeks to cram for the test.

The written is valid for a couple of years.
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  #20  
Old 09-07-2018, 11:22 AM
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Dugaru Dugaru is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Richmond VA, USA
Posts: 456
Default

Great questions and observations.

I do a fair amount of traveling in my RV-9A under what I think of as "gentleman's IFR" conditions. I don't mind a forecast that requires an approach at the destination. But I'm generally looking for 1000-foot ceiling there, with stable or improving weather, and decent ceilings en route. If there is convection about, I need to be visual.

I don't usually get to fly two actual approaches a month. I do train to be able to shoot approaches in actual to minimums by hand, but I try very hard to avoid ending up in that situation.

I also consider a working two-axis autopilot to be required equipment before launching single-pilot IFR.

Following these guidelines, my dispatch rate is still pretty good, although it ticks downward in winter when the potential for icing is much higher.

I have not flown other RVs. So I can only assume that the -9 is slightly better than the other two-seat RVs for instrument flying by hand. Maybe not. In any event, the -9 is not a totally ideal platform for single pilot hard IFR, owing to its light weight and relatively high performance. In particular, maintaining a precise altitude at cruise speed in cumulus in the -9 by hand is doable, but requires real effort. The good news is that the -9 flies slowly like a charm, so you can always slow down if ATC permits.



Quote:
Originally Posted by flytoday View Post
Earned my IFR rating in 1985, now VFR only. Retired, no schedule!

Clearly getting an IFR ticket is a great accomplishment, and would likely enhance a pilot?s skills and safety.

I?d be interested to know how often non-professional pilots hand-fly IFR approaches in an RV down to 400? to 500? above the runway. And how often the non-professional pilot actually launches into weather that will require an IFR approach at the destination, with a forecast including moderately challenging weather.

My experience and opinion, it?s challenging for a pleasure-only pilot to fly IFR often enough to safely hand-fly approaches, particularly in moderate rain, or night, or .... However VAF threads describe the common autopilot features that will fly coupled, hands-off approaches. Do you want to count on Otto? Maybe so.

I tell prospective and new VFR pilots that they need to fly at least an hour a month to stay reasonably safe. I?d recommend non-professional IFR pilots shoot at least two approaches in actual IFR weather every month if safe hand-flying in real IFR, to keep a schedule, is their desired skill level.

Before investing in IFR I?d talk to local IFR-rated private pilots and find out how they actually use that rating. Calibrate your expectations.

If the IFR rating is to occasionally punch through a cloud layer less practice might be acceptable.

Carl
..
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