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Steve888
1st Jun 2009, 06:42
Having recently passed my CPL, I'm looking to continue on with my MECIR.

However, my contract at my current job lasts until the end of the year and so am considering doing the MECIR part time (ie. once or twice a week, along with study at home most nights).

I'm hoping to get some thoughts on other people's experience about whether this is a good idea, or if it's better to wait until the beginning of next year and do the rating full time.

Thanks

startingout
1st Jun 2009, 07:02
I'm just about to finish my MECIR after a long 4 months full time.... with 30hrs all up of flight time required for it I am only flying once or twice a week. You should be fine, the extra flying for work will help keep skills up and aslong as it is vmc you would be able to practice using some aids without a hood on. I'd say go for it and get it done before it gets to late and work takes up to much of your time.

SO:ok:

MakeItHappenCaptain
1st Jun 2009, 07:05
Put the money away and hit it in one go.
Take too long between flights and you spend too much time remenbering what you forgot from last time.
Currency of flying will minimise the cost.
Remember it is competency based, not just 40 hrs and here's your rating.:ok:

morno
1st Jun 2009, 08:14
Startingout, it took you 4 months full time!!!!???? :eek:

How does that work?

When I did my MECIR about 6 years ago, it took me 4 weeks. And I didn't come out with a ****ty rating either. It was to a good standard, and even took extra hours.

How can your school justify you only flying twice a week, and call it full time?

morno

startingout
1st Jun 2009, 08:23
dont ask..... When you have money pre-paid and you realize that maybe this should have been completed already it's a little hard to get out... And this isn't down to me being slack/crap, i've done as much as humanly possible, sometimes in aviation things just take a while... something i learnt doing my CPL here. SO :ok:

PlankBlender
1st Jun 2009, 08:28
I've just gone through the process as a relatively low hour pilot, and I'd actually recommend to not do it full time, because although you might get there a bit quicker and easier, the learning curve goes both ways and if you don't go straight from the test into a job where you fly IFR all the time, you'll forget things very quickly which will make it dangerous when you actually need the skills..

With a slower pace of learning, yes you'll do the odd two steps forward one step back, but your brain will have more time between sessions to absorb and process, and it'll stick a bit better for the long run.

I'll give you an example from my learning the dreaded NDB navigation: Initially, I thought I had it quite quickly as I was in the sim all the time, and then I had a family-imposed interruption to deal with, and when I came back, it turned out my understanding had been mechanical and not very deep at all. Not so after the second and third interruption (yup, took me a while..), it had actually sunk in properly...

Enjoy the process, it's a huge step to take, but lots of fun! :ok:

Angle of Attack
1st Jun 2009, 08:31
Hey Steve,
It really depends how motivated you are. Once or twice a week is pretty full time anyway. I would reccomend to get the IREX out of the way before you start, it can be easily self studied. Also it gives you some pretty good information that you can apply once you start the flying phase. I did all the initial sims once I got my PPL, and even a couple of flights. Then nothing for 2 years then completed my MEIR after my CPL, only needed one sim for the instructor to check my competency. I found I didnt really forget much its just a matter of getting your scan back up to speed, having said that I was 5 years from start to CPL MEIR so I was used to part time flying! ^^ gl with it anyway!

hole.digger
1st Jun 2009, 12:38
Did the MECIR part time with FTA at Archerfield. DON'T BOTHER!
6 months and an attempted $20,000 bill later i came away with high blood pressure and a self studied "i think i can, i think i can" endorsement.
i didn't pay, but i will never get the time back.
Get the money together and study full time.
Don't pay in advance.
Assume unrequested (is that a word) 'revision' briefings as the instructors failure- not your expense.
Check out the aircraft before you decide on the provider. Has it got all the instruments required? Has it got pleanty of MR time? Any ADs due?
Buy crap from fast food vendors, not flight training providers!

jongray
2nd Jun 2009, 16:20
Warning to all who may venture through FTA/AV8's doors.

DO NOT PAY UPFRONT, DO NOT PAY UPFRONT!

I am experiencing the rough end of the pineapple through misleading and deceptive conduct from the above. If you are considering this mob, be wary of their pressure tactics and so called contracts.

Do not be fooled by their airline like appearance, go visit the smaller schools in the area and PAY AS YOU GO. Remember, if you are unhappy with FTA/AV8's service and your money is in their bank, you too will get the royal end of a pineapple! In these shady economic times, money is your friend and don't give it to these fake w###kers!

Back to work, raising funds for more training; Kondoz, Afghanistan:ok:

Lasiorhinus
3rd Jun 2009, 01:24
It doesnt matter where you go for training,

DO NOT PAY UPFRONT!!

ForkTailedDrKiller
3rd Jun 2009, 01:42
Once or twice a week is pretty full time anyway

NO!

Once or twice a day is full-time!

Time was that 3 -4 weeks was considered a reasonable time in which to complete an initial multi rating and MECIR (provided that you had knocked over morse code and the IREX).

Dr :8

Jabawocky
3rd Jun 2009, 03:07
Morse Code :eek: Holy ... .... .. -
Showing your age forky...... but if you can read this you must have been young enough at the time :}

Ex FSO GRIFFO
3rd Jun 2009, 05:43
Why the 'capital T' Jabba??:}

Jabawocky
3rd Jun 2009, 07:52
Could not get the lower case one to work! :ok:

Lasiorhinus
3rd Jun 2009, 23:20
Here's one for you, Jaba.. _

Lasiorhinus
3rd Jun 2009, 23:46
i've done as much as humanly possible, sometimes in aviation things just take a while... something i learnt doing my CPL here. SO :ok:

startingout, if you're doing your training where it sounds like you're doing your training, then its not aviation that takes a while - its your flying school.

Four months is NOT appropriate for a full-time instrument rating. Four weeks is. If you're not flying at least once a day, it is not full time. If you're not able to keep up flying daily, thats your decision, not the flying school's decision.

Jabawocky
4th Jun 2009, 00:50
Its below the line..........try harder! ;)

Lasiorhinus
4th Jun 2009, 01:12
_ - — – ̄ ̄ ̅

Take your pick :ok:

startingout
4th Jun 2009, 01:15
Depends on where you think I am, I prefer to say I live in melbourne just train elsewhere in the state. To late now to complain, but as a warning to others, get the timetables of the flight schools, see their plan, and ask other students their attitude, even if something great/perceived to be great is offered look at both sides of the picture before making your decision as the truth is always stretched to ensure that you choose their company to spend your money.
As said earlier, Go for it, Im doing mine Part Time :bored: and am getting by. Well worth being paid whilst you train, hours are gold when you are wanting to get where you want to in this industry.

SO :ok:

Fonz121
4th Jun 2009, 07:27
got to agree that fulltime is best. Saves money and is a better learning process.

717tech
4th Jun 2009, 07:52
Full time is the way to do it. Save up the money and then go for it.
But as others have stated, don’t pay up front. Make sure you sit them down and tell them exactly what you want and the time you have.

I was assured mine would be completed in 3-4 weeks, through no fault of my own I finally got the rating after 6 weeks. Basically they were too laid back and not used to 3rd party work, and naturally the aircraft went in for its 100 hrly. Training was to a good standard though.

PlankBlender
4th Jun 2009, 10:38
Fonz121, can you elaborate why you think that doing it full time

is a better learning process.

:confused:

It might get you through the check flight quicker and cheaper, but could lead to a seriously shortened life span :eek: especially for a low hour pilot who doesn't go straight from the MECIR training to a job where you drive IFR all the time... because as you compress the learning process, you also decrease retention :8

ReverseFlight
4th Jun 2009, 12:02
I know it's a bit of a cliche to say that a pilot's licence is a licence to learn but this can't be more true in the case of an IR, whether full- or part-time. Your initial forms the basis for future renewals.:ok:

morno
4th Jun 2009, 12:10
PlankBender,
I did my MECIR full time, and I know many others who also have. We're all still living, after quite a few renewals, and working in roles which we fly IFR every day.

Very few of us went straight into an IFR job after doing our MECIR.

I'd encourage anyone to do their MECIR in one hit. The learning process is made a bit easier by the constant learning.

However, I'd also encourage anyone with a fresh rating, to step into the IFR world (once you have it), very slowly. Don't make the first time you go IFR, a day where you're dodging weather and everything is down at the minima's.

morno

Fonz121
4th Jun 2009, 12:29
Hey mate,

Just my opinion but its like anything I guess. Take learning another language for example. If you do one lesson every week or whatever then its nowhere near as beneficial as doing it everyday for 4 weeks. Same goes for the MECIR I believe. A lot of students find it hard enough to remember how to conduct ADF intercepts after 3 solid days of doing them. I can only imagine having large gaps in between lessons in the learning stage would make it even more difficult to get your head around them.

Like I said though, just my opinion.

inthesoup
4th Jun 2009, 12:35
Did mine at Ad-Astral a few years back. For the first half of the rating, which was mostly on the sim, i was only doing 1 lesson a week, even once a fortnight sometimes. All whilst employed fulltime as a pilot. It didn't hurt, especially prior to each new sim lesson I went on microsoft flight sim to revise on procedures and scan.

Once we were in the aircraft, then tried to fly every second to third day so as i didn't overload my poor alcoholic affected brain too much. Used off days to review prevoius flights and prepare for the next.

Even now everytime a renewal comes up I just jump on the good old flight sim to brush off the cobwebs. Just come prepared

Cheers
Inthesoup