Single engine IFR rating in New Zealand

[pilot-nz]

Hey guys

I was wondering if someone could help me out with some ideas suggestions.
I am a ppl pilot in new zealand who has about 100 hours. I am about to start my CPL training and then move on to MEIR .
What has been suggested to me by one or two people is that I look at the possibility of doing a single engine IFR rating before I do my commercial and then follow on with a MEIR.I understand that you can not carry out air transport ops single engine , So what I would like some feedback on is whether this would be beneficial in anyway and would you recommend it for GA.thanks

[Sqwark2000]

pilot-nz,

I can, with some experience in this field, inform you that you can perform single-engine IFR ATO's, the only restriction on such operations is that you can not carry passengers for hire or reward.

As for doing a S/E IFR rating it has it's pro'& cons. Canterbury's International Academy & Air Academy Hastings both teach S/E IFR before MEIR and it works with reasonable successful for those involved. Hastings teach it between CPL & C-Cat, so that the PIC hours required for the C-Cat can be utilised to gain IFR experience and 50hrs on a plan. This is so they can then teach IFR when it becomes their turn.

Personally I did my inital IR Single Pilot M/E, & used it only once in a twin before the first currency expired. It was 3 yrs later that I renewed the rating, so..... I would suggest to you that a SEIR is a good idea as it something that can be maintained easier/ cheaper than a twin (if finance is a factor). Having said that though, to maintain a MEIR you only need to do the annual renewal in the twin, all IFR flying in between can be done in a single.

So you have to weigh up wether you want to get to grips with IFR flying as well as a new type of aircraft (multi), or do your initial IR in something similar to what you fly already and then you only have to concentrate on the the IFR stuff. Get comfortable with IFR and then upgrade to a twin later. The multi upgrade can be done as a renewal and not necessarily with an ASL examiner.

S2K

[splatgothebugs]

Personally it is what works best for you.

I would say you are wasting your money doing a S/E then doing the multi later, perhaps look at it this way...........................

Do your multi (single-pilot) then continue to hour build for your commercial doing single engine I.F.R. flights (in good wx with a safety pilot until you have the required skills).

This will help you out in the future as follows:

1. Looks good in the logbook to the flight examiner.
2. IFR is a new world of flying and the more you have before getting that first twin job or into an airline the better.
3. If you decide to become an instructor you are more employable than other C-Cats,why? see 4.
4. You have time on an IFR plan and therefore can move into instructing IFR sooner and transition to multi IFR instructor alot easier.
5. Will make you alot more aware of factors like the wind and wx come CPL flight test time.

There are some more but it will sound like I am ranting. The two possible downsides to this are.

1. You will require a larger amount money over a shorter time, hard on the pocket unless Helen pays for it.
2. It is a resonably big leap going from 100hrs tt to SPIFR flight test but I have seen it done.

Hope that helped....................
:ok:

Sorry if it just confused you more ;)

[Speeds high]

With only 100 hours i would imagine you are quite shy of the minimum requirements for the IR, doing the CPL first would put you much closer to these requirements without doubling up on training, ie having to do 50 hours x-country then having to do the CPL cross county syllibus later.

Also the IR training is an extension of the CPL training (if the whole programe is structed properly), so you will complete the basic IR skills as part of the CPL and again avoid doubling up.

Hey im no expert on the subject but to me the best course of action is one that has been time proven, so my advice would be go see someone who is in the position that you want and do what they did.

Also last time i checked the airlines were after Multi engine time, seems to me that SE instrument time could possibly be a waste.

I would think that economically it would be better off to follow the standard path, when early on money is time in the book, i think it best to put that money and time into what will get you that break into the industry

Dont take my ideas as gosspil, but just some food for thought

[flyboy-nz]

S2K, SGTB and Speeds High , thanks for the feed back it def puts things into perspective and gets me thinking alittle more. Wouldnt I be able to slash some of the hours required for my CPL by completeing an IFR rating first as it is total pic time itc so it would all add up

normally you do 50 hours cross country then about that again in handling for CPL right , but if i was to go and do Single Engine IFR first I would be able to cross credit some of those hours over wouldnt I towards the requirements for CPL?. I hope I'm making some sense. I was thinking towards the line of saving dollars and getting more experience also reducing my workload while training so that I come out with a better understanding of my training.
Thanks for any help

[flyby_kiwi]

I did it how splatgothebugs said;

Instead of doing it S/E then converting to M/E at a later stage I got my CPL and trained somewhere with a procedural simulator in which the entire IFR rating was done apart from the last 1/2 dozen cross-countries which were in the a/c. (M/E)

I didnt work out the costings but the sim was worth its weight in gold. It cost about the same as a S/E a/c but you didnt have pay ldg fees etc and as the sim could be set to put you wherever you need to be you didnt have to fly out to any nav aids. Most sims were therefore less than 1 hour long and could be done in any wx day or night.

Then did the multi rating which took about 6 or 7 hrs and then about 6 x-countries in the a/c at about 2 1/2 hours each.

You end up with about 20 - 25hrs multi at the end of it which if you eventually going down the airline road can only be better than S/E time.

I did it after CPL so that I easily had the mins but depending where you fly you may be better of doing it after a C-Cat if you were planning to eventually do so anyway as youll probably get a staff discount of somesort.

Its good fun when you eventually know what your doing but in offering my $0.02 do it it the twin and if possible do it somewhere with a sim.