Advice on study/training materials for IMC Rating

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Guys,
Quite soon, I hope to commence study for the IMC rating, (after which I hope to do the night 'rating').
I should like to ask what books and other study materials people have found most useful for this course, and what items of personal equipment have been found either necessary, desirable or proved particularly useful?
Broomstick.

[tmmorris]

I used the Trevor Thom volume, plus VOR, ADF and RMI, which is an excellent book at explaining the workings of the ADF/NDB and how to track. Plus something like MS Flight Sim is invaluable for learning how to interpret ADF indications, and generally practising procedures.

Tim

[IO540]

Id' put it slightly differently. TT Book 5 is the material which the CAA exam expects you to have studied. It's not really a good book, is confusing in many places, and contains a good number of errors. But, as I say, that's the required material.

MS FS2004 will have many hours too - well worth while.

The key thing about instrument flying is that the procedural learning is done on the ground. In the air, one merely polishes it. That's why a sim is very good.

But I think there are much better books on instrument flight, mostly FAA IR ones.

A lot depends whether the person is doing the IMCR to fly real IFR. If so, best to learn it properly. That also means digging out a good instructor - not many of them around for this subject.

There is a lot more to learn if flying IFR - getting weather is more complex, icing issues, etc. I did a few hours today at FL100, collecting a few mm of rime ice as usual, and could not help reflecting that many/most pilots (and instructors) will tell you that you will die if you pick up any ice on a normal plane... Somebody should do some "real IFR" ground school... whether there would be any takers I have no idea.

[wombat13]

RANT, RANT and some more RANT (simply beacuse the system will not allow me to write it once - message too short and us pilots are not supposed to be able to use one word when fifty will suffice).

GBP80 and the best money I have spent.

The Wombat

[High Wing Drifter]

Totally agree with Wombat,

RANT is a tutorial and simulator all wrapped up in one well designed, economical, thorough and complete package. Includes tutorials, exercises, complete radio and RNAV avionics simulations of various varieties including the venerable and ubiquitous king stack, etc, etc. Thom 5 is a pretty decent book for bed/bath/commute time if you ask me. I don't know what the errors are that IO540 is alluding too though.

MS Flight Sim. Hmmm. Frankly I gave up with this. It's like pressing bibbles on wallpaper. You spend more time trying to get the damn thing to work at a reasonable speed, downloading all sorts stuff to make it more 'realistic' and never really getting anywhere. If you have plenty of excess time on your hands feel free, otherwise I would suggest avoid.

[3FallinFlyer]

The IMC Confuser!! :) Well... It will get you through the exam anyway :hmm:

[Islander2]

I think you would find "Instrument Flying" by David Hoy rather useful, if you could lay your hands on a copy. It was a guide to the old CAA IR, published in its final form about ten years ago.

If memory serves me correct, David Hoy was CFI of Cabair at Denham, and a long-serving IR instructor.

Whilst the book is oriented towards passing the IR flight test rather than real-world IFR flying, it has a lot of useful, and succinct, information and tips that are equally applicable to the IMCR course and test.

When you have the rating, the following would be my three top 'study' recommendations to assist your progress towards a real-world IFR pilot:

1) The mine of information (and members' expertise) available through PPL/IR Europe, an organisation that's open to IMCR holders as well as those with an IR. IMHO, this is a must-join organisation for any serious IFR pilot in Europe, not only for the information source but also for the effective lobbying they are doing on our behalf.

2) Weather Flying by Robert N Buck.

3) IFR - A Structured Approach by John C Eckalbar.

[Islander2]

Oh, and my other twopenceworth! If at all possible, have the flying lessons with an instructor that has an IR or, better still, instructs for the IR.

[Rivet gun]

If I were doing my IMC course today, I would do it on a 'plane with one of those Garmin or Avidyne EFIS thingys. Widescreen horizon PFD and choice of navigation displays. Wouldn't it be a doddle?

[IO540]

I love gadgets more than most but doing an instrument rating with such avionics is a complete waste of time unless you are going to fly something pretty well identical (avionics-wise) yourself afterwards.

Especially as the way one uses an "advanced" GPS for SIDs/STARs/IAPs is very unit dependent, with more gotchas waiting to catch you out than most private pilots are going to discover in a year.

I had an option to do my IR in a Cesspit with a G1000 but turned it down. It would have taken an extra week to learn the avionics, which would be fun but very different to my KLN94/KMD550. And vastly more different than the spamcan most IMCR pilots are able to get their hands on.

The entry level for advanced avionics is around £200,000 and if that's your flying budget, that's great :O (it's true for some people)

The other thing is that when doing the IMCR skills test, the examiner will just stick a piece of paper over it. It's not in the syllabus. With the JAA IR you might get lucky and be allowed to use it briefly but that's it. The syllabus in this area is still mostly in the 1960s.

[Secret Squire]

To get through mine, I used a combination of the Thom book, IMC confuser, RANT, and my instructor's brain - I found the Thom book was pitched at a little too low a level, and so led to me skimming a lot of it... but couldn't compare it to any other books...

And the Confuser will get you through the exam, but not necessarily with a proper understanding of it all... so definatly use something in conjunction of it

Good Luck!

[tmmorris]

Agree BTW that the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook is excellent - did't come across this until after completing my IMCR but have learned a lot from it.

Tim

[DRJAD]

Did mine with these and nothing else :
Thom vol.5,
"Instrument Flying" by Monique Agazarian (very highly recommended),
and RANT.

I totally endorse the comments above about RANT, and I continue to use it in conjunction with actual flying in IMC to help to stay current and fluent in instrument flying. It's a splendid package. RANT provided, very clearly, all that was needed.

Coupled with a good instructor, the list above gave a swift and thorough view of the requirements.

[BroomstickPilot]

First of all, many thanks to one and all for the info. This is all valuable stuff.
However, I notice that no one has mentioned Oxford Air Training's IMC Rating CD ROM. Has anybody tried it? How useful is it?
Best regards,
Broomstick.

[DRJAD]

I have not seen that CD-ROM.

However, as a general principle, I do not like CBT.

Like classroom learning, it forces you to go at its pace, rather than your own. For that reason I prefer self-study from the texts. This need not be onerous if you have an aptitude for the subject.

[IO540]

A lot depends on what the pilot wants out of this.

If he/she wants to fly UK IFR for real then not only does this tend to imply aircraft ownership or part-ownership (because one cannot generally rent planes suitable or even legal for IFR) but also getting a real instructor who knows IFR. These are scarce on the PPL scene.

If he/she wants to get a Rating which enables him to enter cloud en route, on a very occassional basis (this seems a common reason why people do the IMCR) then one can do it much more easily. Personally I think this is not a useful approach however because being able to fly an instrument approach is the ultimate lifesaver, and this implies that the IMCR holder should be able to fly every approach plate.

[tmmorris]

because one cannot generally rent planes suitable or even legal for IFR

A bit of a sweeping statement, IO540. Maybe many are not really suitable for IFR, as so few have decent modern radios, for example, but most of these flights will be outside CAS so will be perfectly legal in your average flying school junkheap - remember that the legal requirements for IFR in IMC outside CAS are minimal (IIRC not even an AI is required).

Totally agree about the IMCR being useful only if you can fly an IAP, though - otherwise what happens when you enter cloud and then find there's no way out when you thought there was? Hence the usefulness of the FAA book (and the Instrument Procedures Handbook, which I also found very useful reading).

Tim

[FlyingForFun]

IO540 has mentioned, a couple of times, the difference between studying to pass the test, and studying to fly in real IMC.

Although I agree, it's worth noting that Broomstick is specifically asking about study material to help him through the IMC course. To answer his question: Trevor Thom book 5 (ignore the first section, but the second and third sections are very helpful), and the IMC Confuser.

Just as the PPL is a license to learn to fly, and the driving license is a license to learn to drive, and so many other qualifications in life are just a license to start learning, so is the IMC rating a license to learn to fly in IMC. Once Broomstick has obtained the rating, if he is serious about flying in real IMC, his education will begin. He should then be looking to fly in IMC within his personal limits, fly in IMC with more experienced pilots or instructors below his personal limits in order to expand those limits, and also increase the size of his bookshelf with some more advanced books. But one step at a time - let him get the rating first.

FFF
------------------

[IO540]

tmmorris

I like sweeping statements, but you knew that, really ;)

Personally I think being safe is a whole lot more important than being legal, especially if the illegality of something (e.g. being in IMC when supposedly under VFR) cannot ever be enforced. So, a capable plane is more important. There aren't many of these around for rent.

A lot of dubious stuff goes on in VMC, especially on the PPL training scene, but a lot changes once you get into IMC. You need more than just a good radio.

FlyingForFun

The phrase "license to learn" is widely used to conceal the fact that PPL-level training is actually pretty cr*p in many areas. The holder of the new license/rating is told it is only a license to learn, and the instructor promptly hides behind the nearest hill. The system doesn't come crashing down simply because most new PPL holders never go anywhere, IMHO.

Currency on type is nearly everything, so I would first sort out a decent plane which will be available to me afterwards, and a decent instructor (IR level and not an FATP hour builder). And allow for more than 15 hours. 25 is a lot more like it.

Also one needs to learn the correct use of GPS - only a masochist would fly in IMC the way it is taught in the IMCR. Especially if trying to avoid CAS (desirable, and generally possible in the UK) when many routes will not lie on VORs. This isn't in the syllabus, of course.

[funfly]

Having recently done my IMC, I found the varying radio layouts in different training aircraft the worst thing. When flying on instruments familiarity is vital and having to search around the panel for radios etc, even if an only slightly altered layout, is offputting.

[BroomstickPilot]

I have been reading the somewhat conflicting comments on my question and have decided that perhaps it might help if I said a little about my approach to this matter.

I have no illusions whatever about the IMCR. Bitter past experience with the JAA/CAA flight training regime has taught me that qualifying is one thing, competence in the thing in which one 'qualifies' quite another. However, if one does not qualify, then one has nothing. The essential thing is first qualify, but be under no illusions about what else is needed to become competent and then be prepared to pay whatever it will cost to get that also.

Hence, my approach is first of all to listen carefully to those who know, (such as IO54, ObsCop and tmmorris and FlyingForFun) and then form a plan. The first part of any plan, since JAA/CAA are involved, must always start with getting through the examinations and skill tests.

For this purpose, I have found a very competent career instructor at a very well regarded FTO. I am budgetting to allow for the cost of 30 hours flying just to get the IMCR.

After that, my plans are as yet fluid. One possibility is to look for a group with as good an aeroplane as I can afford to fly. Alternatively, I may start a group of my own. That remains to be decided. Hard to say just yet: that's for the future.

Broomstick.

[BroomstickPilot]

May I please say once again that I am so grateful for all the excellent replies you have all provided.

Many thanks to one and all,

Broomstick

[MyData]

Broomstick - I'm 3 hours into my course. Using a variety of materials:
- TT Book 5
- RANT (but an old version, must upgrade to the latest as it looks and works so much better)
- The Instrument Flight Manual (Kershner). It has a sub-title of 'The Instrument Rating and Beyond' and sometimes feels a little too advanced but is an easy read and has some useful pointers.
- The OAT Instrument Flying CBT. I like this a lot. It explains things visually and actively so it is easier to pick up some of the concepts rather than re-reading a page multiple times and still coming to the wrong conclusion ;-)
- MS Flight Simulator, but only for 'playing' through some scenarios. It is useful for tuning and working with nav aids in my locality so that I'm prepared to use them when doing it for real.
- IMC Confuser

[justinmg]

If you are training for instrument flying, then X-Plane is superior to MSFlight Sim. The aircraft handling and intrument realism are much better. When used with proper controls, and displays,etc., X-Plane is accredited by the FAA for logging hours. You can adjust the aircraft panel to match what you fly in reality. AT £25 it is one of the best purchases you can make (also worth considering the massive VFR addon for a few quid- just for fun).