Going to UPT. Need instrument training..

[piperdriver99]

upt

hello all,

im also going to upt. I got in with a guard unit. Just wondering the approximate time that i will be going. started the whole process about 2 years ago. The slot is from this past oct to this coming oct. . Also, could a guard unit drop its upts slots? dont know thanks.

go bulldogs

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

I'm currently a T-37 IP. Our last class washed out only one student for flying deficiencies. He was a guard guy with 1600 hours, ATP, CFII. He could not get through the first block of training. The previous class had a guy with 2200 hours, ATP, etc. and I took him on a cross-country. He could not fly an ILS, he could not navigate from point to point. He sucked, but he sounded pretty cool on the radios. The posts above stressing attitude, chairflying and the ability to fly an overhead pattern, execute checklists etc.. are right on the mark. Spend your money on VFR flying, kick ass immediately out of the gates and you'll naturally do well in other areas. PS, CHAIRFLY, CHAIRFLY, CHAIRFLY.....TRIM, TRIM, TRIM!!!!!

 

[Mud Eagle]

My personal experience in UPT was that learning instruments in the classroom while simultaneously trying to fly the 2400 block in Tweets was the hardest part.

I feel like if I'd had some basic instrument training prior to UPT, I wouldn't have spent so much time wondering "what the heck is this whole Procedure Turn thing?" while I should have been reading 3-3 and chair-flying my spin and acro profiles. At the time I remember thinking that studying instruments and contact flying seemed diametric opposites, so I was constantly sacrificing studying and understanding one in favor of the other. An instrument ground school would have been money well spent for me, as would have a few hours of instrument flying.

While the guys above seem to think that wouldn't have helped much, I think that the disciplined flying required of instrument training and the ability to gain SA simply through nav instrument use is valuable for a guy who's only ever flown a 172 and gotten his PPL.

Now, that said, I also differ with guys above in that I think spending money on acro training is a waste. Nobody that I know of has washed out of UPT because they couldn't fly a chandelle or cloverleaf. Besides, flying acro in a Pitts, Decathlon, or what have you, is going to be different from a stick-and-rudder standpoint than the Tweet or the Texan II.

Instrument flying, on the other hand, is going to teach you to cross-check instruments to maintain (relatively) precise headings, altitudes, and airspeeds, regardless of what you fly or what "concept" of teaching is used (ref Albie's explanation above). Agreed that you will never fly an NDB or GPS in UPT, but at least you'll understand what an instrument approach is, what components it's made from, and how to read an approach plate -- all things that are common to instrument flying, regardless if you're flying a VOR, TACAN, ILS, Localizer, or what have you.

 

[OPIE01]

What a good discussion

To the guy who started this thread. "EVERYBODY IS RIGHT." I'm sure that helps you a lot.

My advice is: Buy the MICROSOFT Flight SIM or Get some SIM time at the FBO. Pay for some INST ground training, but only fly it in the SIM. The Sims are very realistic and don't cost a lot.
Ask the Guard if you can use the money they would normal spend a guy for IFT(Intro to Flying Training), since you have a PPL already, see if they will give you some money for some acro and spin training. I know they have to pay for some Flying time if it has been more than 6 months from when you get your PPL and when you start UPT.

I only had the Inst training I recieve in Army helo pilot school, 5 years before I started UPT. As has been brought up before, It wasn't a perfect carry over but I at least knew how to Spell ILS and VOR. And by the Way "T-6s fly GPS Approaches", they are easier than VORs.

As many said before, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. But having some experience in everything, ie inst, Spins, might not carry over exaclty but it does expose you to the enviornment.

Spent the money on some Sim time and some ACRO, and try to fly with some young pilots in your Guard Squadron in a C-150 and pick thier brain.

By the way I was a T-37 IP and am now a T-6 IP at Moody.