IMC instructor rating - a good idea

[Bob Fleming]

does anybody out there recommend it? is there enough demand to meet the £1000+ outlay...

having just become unrestricted it is very tempting, but i'm wondering if it's a wise investment.

do you often convince your current students onto an IMC straight after ppl?

any comments would be appreciated..

:8

[GT]

I've always thought that the more you can instruct for the more experience you'll get, the more employable you will be and the more hours you'll get. If you can afford it do it. Personally, I don't convince my students to do the IMC rating right after their PPL.

Regards, GT.

[aces low]

Rating improves your own understanding of IF, and can prove to keep you on the ball even when not getting real IMC to hone your skills. Is it worth a grand? So far I have done about 40 hours training, but do not get any extra payment above normal PPL rate...so it has not paid off financially. But would recommend it as keeping progressing as an instructor.

Do I recommend it to my students? Only the good ones who you know will not struggle with the mental dexterity for ADF tracking etc...and can fly an aeroplane on height and track without devoting their entire brain to the task.

[Keygrip]

aces - the idea of ADF tracking could well be introduced to the VFR guy as well.

Start them off doing radio navigation under VFR - it doesn't HAVE to be done in instrument conditions (save that for later - once they HAVE the mental dexterity). They can even log it P1 if they have their PPL - and that will make you very popular (even if you are being paid for your time).

Get them to buy a copy of RANT and they won't even have to hold height (height?? - altitude) and track until they have 100% "sussed" the concept.

Not forgetting, of course, that radio tracking is part of the PPL training (and test).

[Bob Fleming]

does that mean you can't log the time yourself as your student would be P1. (although you would be paid for it). isn't it still p u/t as the student is under tuition doing radio nav although they already have a PPL.


cheers

[Keygrip]

Bob - I would say that the answer lies in the integrity of the individual instructor.

If the "student" is a licensed pilot and is current on class, medical etc. then there is nothing to stop somebody riding along as a passenger.

If that passenger just happens to fully understand (does anybody :D ) the workings of the ADF then there is nothing to stop them passing on that knowledge....maybe with an intercept or tracking excercise or two.

If the pilot is NOT logging that flight as training specifically towards a particular licence or rating then they do not NEED to log it as Pu/t.

It really depends if the instructor is hour building at the expense of the "student" or is genuinely interested in helping the inexperienced pilot to progress.

If somebody wants to get paid - which is not unrealistic considering the cost of gaining their ratings - then charge them for good groundschool, and it should take away any aerial work argument of having a qualified flight instructor on board.

BTW - NO, you would not be able to log it as well. That's what I mean about the "hour building instructor".

[Snakecharmer]

The idea of 'convincing' students to do the IMC is abhorrent and strikes at the heart of much that is wrong with GA today - inexperienced instructors 'milking' their studes for their own benefit.

Why not get the IMC instructor ticket because you feel you have something to offer? Why not suggest to recent studes that they should get some real solo experience - making their own mistakes - before they decide which, if any, of the post-PPL training opportunities they wish to take; eg. IMC, multi, night, tailwheel, aerobatics, air racing.... the list goes on... but how much experience do you have of any of these?!

[DB6]

Bob, yes it's a good ticket to have. You can instruct in weather that will stop PPL instruction, you get a better understanding of IF and become more familiar with the nuances of procedural flying and you will be a better IF pilot yourself. In addition, if your eventual goal is commercial aviation you will be much more current when it comes to a sim ride. You are normally paid more for IMC instruction as well, aces low has got a raw deal there.
As for convincing PPLs to do it, I have found that is not an issue as most people, once they have flown Ma & Pa and mates around for a few weekends and missed a few flights due to crap weather, want to do it anyway. So no, don't try to convince people unless they are a bit mad and keep trogging off into the crud with their PPLs anyway.
Keygrip, don't quite follow your train of thought there. Instructors are paid poorly enough (in the UK anyway) without becoming a charity. It's not a question of integrity, if a chap hires a plane he pays the solo rate so no pay for the instructor. If he's training for the IMC rating he has to log the hours as Pu/t anyway so I don't really see where the aerial work question comes in. At the school where I instruct there is no charge for groundschool so he's getting a good deal anyway.
Snakecharmer, think you may be overreacting a bit there. I didn't read that into Bob Fleming's question and I don't see much 'milking' going on. Students aren't stupid and can make up their own minds. You could argue that it is better to get people to do their IMC ratings to keep them in aviation and not join the ranks of the lapsed PPLs - which is much worse for GA than any inexperienced instructors could ever be.
Does that help, Bob ? :}

[iflyhigh]

I've found teaching I.M.C. an extremely useful skill to have both personally and for the students. You will find the annual I.R. renewal far less daunting and almost all P.P.L's really improve their general hands on flying skills as a result, even when V.F.R.The important thing is to encourage people to simply go out and enjoy flying for fun for a good few hours before they start this,for a low hours pilot,very demanding course.Remember you could be earning when the non I.F.instructors cant!

[Bob Fleming]

very helpful thanks - i shall shake the piggy bank to see what's in it.:oh:

[Ray Ban]

Snakecharmer,

Your initial statement seems to indicate you've got some problem with inexperienced instructors. Weren't you once inexperienced or did you start with 1000 hrs? Btw, what you say strikes me as being total crap - there are much much bigger issues in GA to be concerned about!

[Snakecharmer]

Ray Ban,

Difficult to respond to such an unemotive and well-considered question!