What do you guys think.

[B767PL]

Hi everyone. Im going to be starting my IFR training this summer.

For some reason though, im not looking to much forward too this.

To me, IFR = No visibility, being in contact/controlled by ATC all the time, ugly weather, and of course more $$$ spent on training.

Now I love being able to look outside while flying, I dont necassarily like to be in contact with ATC the whole time, I know you can do your IFR in simulated IMC but for some reason I always associate gloomy weather with it, I also associate lots of cross-country flights with it, and im really slow at planning and thats not my favorite part yet either since im not too proficient at it. So far I have been on/ done 5 cross-country flights, so I assume that with time it will get better.

I love to fly, and plan on continuing all my training and eventually hopefully becomming a CFI and starting my aviation career.

But me not looking forward to this whole IFR thing is making me doubt myself. I dont have my PPL yet, but should be getting it by mid-May.

How was your guys IFR training? Was it cloudy and gloomy? Did you enjoy all the cross - country trips? Did you look forward to it after getting your PPL? People I know are looking forward to it, but for some reason im not. I wanna change that. Maybe I have to actually do some IFR work to see what its really like. Thanks for all your help/advice/replies. Cheers!

[JackOffallTrades]

Its worth it mate.

Get your head down and learn the art.

When you look up and see a runway infront of you in thick fog you will feel satisfied. Your skills will have got you there when you could have not done so before.

Dont be so gloomy!

[You Gimboid]

Training in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) does not require you to have IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) - in fact there is usually a restriction on minimum visibility required for training.

You will probably be wearing some sort of headgear to restrict your visibility to the instruments in front of you. Navigation will be by radio aids and/or ATC headings and all approaches made using radio aids to minimums. The actual weather conditions on the day will more than likely be VMC.

There is nothing wrong with making IFR flights in unlimited visibility - it gives you the option to fly in marginal VFR conditions.

IFR flying is a great discipline. Sharpens your handling no end, and increases your capacity to fly, R/T work and understanding of ATC procedures. Look forward to it - it will be the making of you as a pilot.

[Piltdown Man]

IFR is a damn site easier than VFR - I wouldn't know how to do VFR now. None of this maps and looking out of the window stuff! Just flog along from beacon to another (time to station tells you how much rest you've got). Just stay away from ice!

[B767PL]

Thanks for all your replies guys. From what I've read everything seems much brighter. I guess I just really needed a different way of looking at it all. I came up with a few new ways and its working well. Thanks again for your help, things dont seem so cloudy and IMC anymore :D :ok:

[foxmoth]

Instrument procedures is also where computer sims come into there own, you can sit there and practice the procedures on a flight sim at "virtualy" no cost, not the same as flying but will save you £££ when you actually get into an aircraft.:ok:

[BEagle]

Interesting point about pre-flight practising. With the advent of PC simulators, I find that Microsoft yoof can cope quite well with flying a procedure he's practised lots of time on his PC.

But when it comes to flying a diverse radar vectored ILS under ATC instructions, they have little situational awareness and have difficulty flying, talking to ATC and following instructions at the same time. As someone brought up on radar to GCA approaches where such things were bread and butter, I found this quite surprising - so now my normal requirement on IMC Rating revalidations (if only 1 approach is needed) is a radar vectored ILS from wherever we happen to have ended up rather than the usual NDB/DME to ILS from the overhead.