IMC Dilema. Please help

[fonawah]

:confused: Hi everyone. I am about 4 hours into my IMC training and Im now having second thoughts. This is because my ultimate aim is fATPL. I am currently revising for module 1 of the Bristol Ground School Distance Learning course. I would like to get both modules done by the end of this year. I feel distracted from my ATPL studies as I have to also revise for the IMC written. Also I have not yet got the required hrs to commence CPL training.
I know the IMC is certainly not an IR but what I am doing in the IMC, I know I will be doing in much more detail(and lots more) when I do my IR.
So the question is, should I save my money and concentrate on getting the ATPL exams passed first time and perhaps hour build in between studies so that I am hopefully in a position to commence CPL training next year.
Due to work and family comitments, I cannot hourbuild abroad at this time.
Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
fonawah

[BigAl's]

Hi fonawah,

if it's any consulation, I am in the same sort of situation, although I have not started doing an IMC, I am thinking about it. As avid readers of this forum will testify too, I am trying to decide on not only ATPL DL, but also where to do a little light stateside hour building :rolleyes: !!

Personally, I think a key point from your question is the fact that you are intending to hourbuild entirely in the UK. Now, without wishing to get into the whole 'what is the IMC exactly for' debate, it may be of benefit bearing in mind our climate, to help you achieve your hours (how it may be of benefit is for each reader to decide :E ). As far as I can see, and from what I have been told it is a good intro to instrumenty type stuff.

How many hours in are you? It may be the case that - in the words of Mr. Magnusson - 'I've started so I'll finish'. Just depends.

Hope it all works out, regards, :ok:

Bigals

[High Wing Drifter]

My personal experience is that the IMC did not help with the IR much to be honest - with the possible exception of NDB holds which took me a while to perfect. Generally I found the challenge with the IR was the workload mainly brought on by the routes, complexity and speed of the aircraft which aren't really relevant to IMC in a PA28.

On that basis I would give the ATPLs priority where there is a conflict.

[olliew]

High Wing Drifter

I am honoured and humbled to be able to communicate with someone who has "perfected NDB Holds". Pray tell, how do you do it perfectly.....?

[Callsign Kilo]

If you are able to, I'd stick with it. I embarked on an IMC course after gaining my PPL and really enjoyed it. An IR it is not, however it makes you appreciate what is involved in instrument flying. I can say hand on heart that I felt it raised my confidence levels, alongside improving my RT and the accuracy of my flying. I am now doing my CPL and I feel that what I learned through the IMC has really came in useful during Instrument flying, Unusual Attitudes, using Navaids etc. So I say stick at it if you can! If anything it gets the head out of those nasty ATPL books and onto some really enjoyable flying.

[wbryce]

I done quite a chunk of a IMC course during hour building and stopped because I needed P1 time instead of the PUT to hit the magic CPL hour requirements. Every hour I spent PUT would be another hour I would need to buy for P1 etc etc...

It will help in a way, it should give a good insight to instrument flying but the IR is designed to teach people without prior IMC training.

[Northern Highflyer]

I did the IMC while studying for my ATPL exams / hour building, and found it very useful as a lead in to the IR. It also gave me something constructive to do with my hours rather than burning holes in the sky. It helped me with things like holding patterns, entries, timings, NDB and VOR tracking, reading the instruments correctly, unusual attitude recovery, how to read approach plates, to name a few. These were all things I didn't need to learn from scratch when I started the IR and meant I could concentrate more on other things, such as managing the extra speed/workload of a twin, single engine ops, airways and routes, increased RT, etc.

However, if you are finding it difficult to do all the study required then your ATPL exams are more important.

[chrisbl]

Stick with it, get the IMC rating, use it to get the FAA/IR (the training is counted towards the IR) knock off your hours in the US, the FAA/IR can reduce the taining required for the JAA/IR substantially once you have passed the ATPL and then knock off the multi cpl ir.

[wbryce]

Personally I wouldn't consider the FAA route. If your intending to go for a JAA license, then train under the JAA structure. The cost benefits are very little when you consider license conversion, air fares, living expenses etc etc...

[Flap up]

My advice would be to stick with your IMC rating. You will learn things that will help you with parts of your ATPLs and, in my experience, going flying a few times a week certainly helps to keep you motivated whilst ploughing through all those dry textbooks.
When you come to do your CPL you have to do a certain amount of instrument flying which is all covered in the IMC rating. When I taught CPL, those students who already had an IMC rating generally did better over all in the course because they were able to concentrate more on the other bits and pieces rather than tackling NDB tracking, VOR intercepts, unusual attitudes etc. from scratch.
Also once you've got your IMC rating, it should give you more confidence in your VFR flying when you are hour building and maybe help encourage you to fly further afield and to bigger airfields. The more exposure you get to ATC and busy airfields both in this country and abroad will help with your CPL/IR.
Hope that helps. All the best.