PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Instrument Rating prior to CPL?
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Old 28th Jan 2017, 16:29
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cavok_flyer
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: FL060
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It is a different way to fly...

I have ~250 hrs PPL and I have to say that the first hours of really learning/doing standard rate turns with the extra bonus of descending and climbing was a real challenge. Now, it really becomes easier the more you do it. And since your eyes are all the time on the instruments, once you have the a/c trimed, you really have very little input to control your altitude.

Also, practice holdings, VORs, and NDBs on your computer or iPad. I thought I could could do them from PPL, but I was give a rude awakening on the first VOR lesson.

I am still working on my cockpit orgainization since this school insists upon using only paper charts, no iPads, etc for approach plates, checklists etc., which is still a problem for me since all my "private" VFR flying is entirely based on a/c GPS and iPad; no paper in the cockpit for the last 2 years. But I think I have a solution, now. It all takes time and my instructor said from the very first lesson that once I start to get task saturated, say so and he'll fly until my head gets clear. No pilot was born with the ability to fly IFR perfectly from the get-go; that is why there is 50 hours of flying and hopefully you have an instructor that respects the fact that you are LEARNING and not on front line OPS.
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