I'm (finally) instrument rated!

[minitour]

Now, I'll give you a bit of advice that I've given to all of my instrument students over the years: Go out and buy 2 books, "Instrument Flying" by Taylor and "Weather Flying" by Buck. Those two books, if you read them, will be worth at least 500 hours of actual instrument experience to you. Go get them and read them through cover to cover two or three times and take notes.

'Sled

I agree 1 BILLLLLLLION percent...Excellent books and really opens your eyes!

-mini

 

[NYCPilot]

That goes for knowing the "FAA Instrument Flying Handbook" inside and out as well. It's FAA, but its got a lot of information that I think gets glossed over by most.

Ditto on the "Instrument Flying" by Buck. I've read that one twice. I did buy "Weather Flying," but never got around to reading it.

While we're (or I am) on the subject of book recommendations, one that any serious pilot should have and read is "Flying High Performance Singles and Twins" by John C. Eckalbar. INCREDIBLY informative book in my opinion. This book is an essential piece of information if you want to be more knowledgeable beyond the basic Private Pilot knowledge. It is definitely required reading if you intend on flying part 135 twins or any high performance complex machine. This guy covers a lot of ground, and if you’re a math wonk, you’ll love it even more as he provides mathematical formulas for everything he discusses.

 

[johnpeace]

We all start out “green”, but as we gain more experience, hopefully, we become “seasoned”.

Fantastic. Yeah, I have had the chance to observe in my training that if I were doing this in real life, down to minimums every day...I'd probably kill myself. I flew one GPS approach where I forgot to suspend when I hit the IAF and somehow flew to the MAP before starting my descent, thinking I was established inbound at the FAF. Ooops. My CFII let me go visual a few miles short of the imagined MAP and a few hundred feet above MDA. There was no airport. There were towers directly in front of me. If it were real, I would have flown into them.

It scared me.

Those 2 books you mentioned, I already have and have read both of them. I concur, they are FANTASTIC. You should add Rod Machado's instrument pilot survival guide (silly, but FULL of tons of great info) to your list of reccomended books.

After he filled out my new certificate, I asked the DE to give me some advice on getting my feet wet with weather flying. We both acknowledged that being new to IFR makes decision making WAY harder than it's been as a VFR only pilot.

His advice was almost exactly what I have thought I would do for myself to build experience:
1. Make some XC trips with VMC at departure, VMC at destination and a little bit of high, easily escaped IMC enroute.
2. Gradually ease into departing into slightly lower weather, encountering some IMC enroute and having VMC at the destination.
3. From there, as I get more comfortable, gradually ease into flying approaches in actual at the destination, but breaking out way, way early (like, at the FAF I should be able to cancel).
4. From there, as comfort grows, gradually start flying approaches in lower weather. Very conservatively.

Sounded more or less like exactly what I had planned on.

The other thing we talked about was thunderstorms and how these crappy performing little cessnas don't give you a lot of options for escaping. It's imperative to be able to avoid them, so if they're out there and you can't get on top of the coluds to SEE where the cells are...don't fly. Always have either in flight weather radar or visual contact with the cells. Center vectors will get you killed.

 

[jknight8907]

If one goes and takes the CFII written shortly after the IFR ride, is there a time limit that they have to finish the whole CFII bit in? Or does the written score last 'forever'?

 

[joe_pilot]

My CFII let me go visual a few miles short of the imagined MAP and a few hundred feet above MDA. There was no airport. There were towers directly in front of me. If it were real, I would have flown into them.

It scared me.

Sounds like a great instructor. I'll bet you will never forget that.

John, Congrats on passing the checkride. I agree in philosophy with everyone here, but I just want to add: Go have fun! Instrument flying is a blast. Do more than stay current though, stay PROFICIENT.

Good luck on the commercial. BTW, if you're going to get your CFI, here's a study tip: Study for the CFI written, then add in the two commercial weather chapters on weather (products and meteorology). Its harder up front, but will save time in the long run as it will get you ready for both tests with less net studying. This is just to get you past these writtens so you can focus on the ratings. Feel free to PM if you have questions.

 

[joe_pilot]

If one goes and takes the CFII written shortly after the IFR ride, is there a time limit that they have to finish the whole CFII bit in? Or does the written score last 'forever'?

FAA written exams are good for 24 months following receipt of a passing grade. The exception is the ATP. If an applicant has been working in a part 121 environment and then wishes to take the ATP practical with the 121 outfit they were working for, a waiver can be issued.

 

[johnpeace]

Sounds like a great instructor. I'll bet you will never forget that.

You have no idea. That flight was with Johnny Carter, retired DAL captain who started flying probably in the 40s or 50s. He's a national treasure. Doesn't CFI full time at all but just helps out at our school to have something fun to do in retirement. He's so good I have made it a point to buy him lunch whenever he'll let me and fly with him absolutely as much as possible while he's still flying. The man is a complete treasure trove of practical aviation knowledge and best practices.

Thanks for the study tips.

 

[joe_pilot]

congrats! i got my private on monday, and have my second and third lessons today for my instrument. good luck w/ the commercial!

Congrats!!

Your avitar is still heinous, though.