Instrument Rating Preparation

[mumbo]

I am hoping to start my Instrument rating in January and would like any advice on back ground reading and practicle flying exercises to help me hit the ground running on day one.
P.P.P&P.P a .P.P.

" :ooh:

[Hufty]

You could read the Trevor Thom Instrument book (number 5 I think) and mess about with some basic tracking on your computer which will help. However you'll have 50/55 hours during your IR to get the hang of it which is quite a long time.....

Good luck!

[mumbo]

Many thanks Hufty. Any one know of any other books worth a look?:ooh:

[spudskier]

Well hi! It's great you're doing this, it's a huge step and probably the hardest one from what everyone tells me! I'm about 2 months away from my instrument written and checkride.

I'll tell you the best tool I had after I understood the basics and regulations... Microsoft Flight Simulator. I know the tactile feel isn't there, but the approaches are exact, the instrumentation is there and so is a crappy version of ATC. Get plates and enroute charts and use those with the game. Best of all, the hours you spend on it are free :) not like a flight training device with instructor. DON'T use it as a primary tool, just use it for practice, put in real winds, try different things with the approaches and holds. goto odd places around the world and do approaches and holds there.

most of all, GET TO KNOW WEATHER! and weather products. NOAA has great books, as does the FAA. Jepesson has some, but I don't like them as much, they don't get specific enough. Any of these books can be found on sportys website (sportys.com)

just be ready for a lot of hard work and studying.

ASK QUESTIONS!!! don't let ANYTHING go or put anything off, if you don't understand something or sort-of understand something, ask and make sure you understand it!!! I'm going through the training right now...


MAKE SURE your instructor isn't just making you recite back regulations and operations on how to do things... make sure he's giving you complex situations to think about...


for instance, you've just taken off from your home airport bound for one 100 miles away, you've been cleared to a fix just outside the destination for holding and you lose your radios, what do you do and with the given weather did you have to file an alternate, etc...

you get the point... make him/her give you situations (verbally) to work with. anyone can site back regulations saying "you need to file an alternate if wx is less than 2000' & 3miles or there is no instrument approach" but it takes someone who understands the material to be able to use it in a real life situation... i.e.

----------------------
with the following TAF predictions, do you need an alternate if the intended destination has an instrument approach and you're arriving at 1000z?

(ficticious, do not use)
FM2200 16004KT P6SM VCSH BKN035 OVC060
FM0300 13007KT 5SM -SHRA BKN005 OVC010
FM1000 15010KT P6SM VCSH BKN050

[boeingbus2002]

RANT - a useful tool to get your head around what the needles will do in the hold, procedure etc. It has various tutorials to give you a heads up on the principles too. Theres more, but a search will show you its been discussed loads already. It was written by a CAA examiner too! :ok:

Morse code - Not a requirement to learn anymore, but try to have a better appreciation of it. Learn the idents of the navaids you may use on training/test. Incidently RANT has a Morse tutor too, with a "dummies guide" to learning a few key letters. (F, Q, C, D, etc) :8

When you start flying, get the airborne checks nailed. If you can rattle them off it will increase yr brain capacity to do other things.
:cool:

If you can think about the aircraft and setting up navaids properly it will save you a lot of bother. Your instructor should explain this. Keeping thinking whats next!! Good luck

[airkoen]

Highly recommended: CockPIT: Pilot Training Software.

It comes with a pilot training manual explaining the theory. The software includes a simulator, interactive exercises and a weight and balance and navlog calculator.

It's really great and saved me a lot a flying time and money!

www.cockpittraining.com

:ok:

[DB6]

The best book I have read on the subject is Instrument Flying by David Hoy.
The ISBN is 1-85310-48706 but I'm not sure that it's still in print.
RANT, as mentioned, is very good. There's a demo on this website (http://www.oddsoft.co.uk) in downloads

[mumbo]

Thanks to all.
Mumbo

May the wind at your back never be your own.

[Julian]

I would reccommend the Jeppesen Book 'Commercial & Instrument Flight Manual'

Yes it is aimed at the FAA student but with records to instrument procedures, approaches, etc it is very well laid out and the information presented can be used in JAA land. Lots ofnice pretty pictures as well for when your brain overloads on the reading bit .. :}

[JeroenC]

Does anybody know if there is a freeware tool available on the net to practise Morse?

Tnx in advance

[DiverDriver]

Mumbo/JeroenC. Try this piece of software downloadable for free. From memory it also has a built in morse tutor. Regards DD

Duh! forgot the link here. Here ya go
http://airlines.afriqonline.com/download.htm