IMC Recommendations Sought

[bobcox]

I am a 50-year old, male, low (80) hours ppl license holder and can really only afford to maintain my license by flying every

2nd year.

Rather than bimbling about for 12-hours in my local area to attain my CofE, I considered this year I should use my "flying

fund" to undertake an IMC course (especially as so many people have recently fought to keep it). I am looking to complete my

training before the end of July this year.

The prime motivator for this decision is the expectation of becoming a safer, more accurate pilot.

Minimum resources dictate I try to get the best return from my investment.

My internet research thus far has proved a little disapointing. I see quite a difference in price between various

establishments and I guess I'm niggled by the old adage "you only get what you pay for". I do however accept that cheaper may

simply reflect the laws of supply and demand and location may be a significant factor in price.

After giving it further thought, I have come to the conclusion that my choice of training establishment should first and

foremost reflect the quality of instruction.

I have come up with the following wish list:

1. I would prefer a mature (not necessarily by age) instructor, passionate about his/her subject (possibly ex-RAF) with

demonstrable experience of teaching the IMC syllabus.
2. I would like to maintain the same instructor for the duration of the course.
3. I would prefer to undertake a condensed course (1 or 2-weeks?).

I would be grateful to receive any recommendations (based on personal experience) of any Instructors (& hence schools) in the

UK that you feel would best fit my requirements.

I am located in the West Midlands but am prepared to travel for the right match.

[Squawk 2650]

Hi there,

Well worth a look at Old Sarum it’s a great club. Personally I think the IMC rating is really valuable, did I hear a whisper they might be getting rid of it? If you have a spare bit of cash at the end of it a night rating is also good fun, although probably the wrong time of year now with the lighter evenings. If you do start the IMC I found microsoft flight sim a really useful tool to practice flying approaches etc.

If you have some spare time pop down there and have a look around, good luck with it.

S
:cool:

[bigfoot01]

I was in a similar hours position to you and I did my IMC. It is a great course, but I wish I'd done more local bimbling first. The skills you use are very different, and now I have done it, I do feels as though I need to brush up on basics stuff. If you're super confident, fair enough though!

[DX Wombat]

If you are in the Midlands go to Herefordshire Aero Club (http://www.aeroclub.co.uk)at Shobdon. Join the club and syndicate and you become eligible to do it at just the normal PPL (non-syndicate) hire rate currently £112.95/hr for the Archer and £85.75/hr for the C152. They definitely have mature FIs. If you have, or can borrow, a caravan Shobdon has it's own small, clean site costing £9.50/ night (including electric hook-up) or £7.50 without. I'm biased. :) I'm a member of HAC and make a round trip of almost 400 miles to get there. It's a friendly, pretty airfield with a good cafeteria, (so you won't need to cook) a bar for when you have finished flying so you won't even need to worry about how you are going to get home you can just stagger / crawl etc back to your caravan. :D It's also situated in Herefordshire's Cider Country. :ok: There are no prizes for guessing who is doing her IMC there at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it. :E
If you want to know more just send me an email or pm but please be prepared to wait a day or two for a reply as my internet access is limited when I'm away from home.

[Shunter]

The prerequisites for teaching instrument flying are such that you're very unlikely to find many hour-builders who are approved to teach it. Most of them will be long gone to the airlines before reaching that point in their instruction.

That at least means your choice will almost certainly be between career instructors who are far more likely to meet your criteria than you might expect.

[SkyCamMK]

Just a thought or two, but can you not make friends with share owners or other pilots and fly one leg each so halving your costs? I suggest that it would be wise to buy book 5 and the IMC video and get a simulator for I/F (I could possibly help if you cannot locate the free IMC Trainer software called Proflight by Aviatrix on the web). Next, get a copy of IMC confuser and enjoy learning before spending and take your time. Remember also that you can take a flight test instead of flying for 12 hours and save some money with only a short refresher if needed. I am an IMC instructor and find that until or unless much of the ground school is completed that flying can be wasteful. You can learn and practice IMC skills on a PC or in VMC under VFR given a few pointers. Surely there is someone in your locality or club that has at least some interest in your development? I train IMC mostly in autumn/winter to get more realistic training and will not be around this summer but would be interested to hear if you are considering any of my suggestions. Also, get a copy of the AOPA syllabus to guide your study, it is available widely. I will be away from this computer for 1 week but will check in next sunday to see if you have made progress. Shobdon was a great place the times I visited it too (first back in the mid-eighties then late nineties!!).

[Pianorak]

I could possibly help if you cannot locate the free IMC Trainer software called Proflight by Aviatrix on the web

I too would be very interested. Unfortunately this link (http://forums.jetcareers.com/190655-post1.html) does not seem to work.

[IO540]

MS FS2004 is perfectly good for IMC training.

Get a cheap joystick - it is the procedures only that need learning.

And don't go flying until you can do everything right on the ground. Under the hood, the workload is high and one doesn't learn much new stuff up there. Flying is for polishing/consolidation.

[DX Wombat]

Further to my previous post, HAC has its own static caravan which should be available to rent. I don't have the prices but I'm sure you could get them if you gave Matthew a call at the club.

[A and C]

BAFC is not going to be the cheapest option but will be one of the best.

They meet all your instructor requirments and have a very well maintaned fleet. Added to this is a transparent pricing structure that will give no unplesent suprizes when it comes to paying the bill. (unlike some of the other places in the area)

[HuskyDog]

I would warmly recommend James Peplow at Shobdon, training on a well equipped modern Warrior. He took me through a long lapsed IMC renewal in a few days of quite intensive flying.

[JohnR]

I did my IMC three years ago at SWFS at Wellesbourne. A friendly and professional club with an ex commercial pilot for the IMC training. Can tailor the timing to what you want and not a club geared to commercial training. Excellent quality and I renewed my IMC there last time. Thoroughly recommend this one.

[DX Wombat]

Husky, they ALL do IMC training - Dennis (CFI) James, Nick, Al and all have been doing it for years with good results. :ok: Have you just been down there doing your renewal over the past week or two?