Good book for IMC training

[Supermattt]

Hi all,

I'm about to start IMC. Any suggestions of a good book to help me along?

Cheers
Matt

[Gertrude the Wombat]

The usual answer is Trevor Thom book 5.

[DaveW]

That and "The IMC Confuser" for the ground exam got me through.

[Armchairflyer]

Found"Instrument Flying" by Richard Taylor a very recommendable read.

[Jude098]

There's a good book by Phil Mathews

[Mickey Kaye]

Are any of the book any good?

Now the IMC has at least another 5 years to run what are the chance of Jeremy Pratt bringing a book out?

[Mach Jump]

Hi Mattt. All the above are good books, but none were writen especially for the IMC. The only book writen for the IMC was 'The IMC Rating' by Birch and Bramson. Out of print now, and a bit old fashioned, but they can be found on ebay for just a few pounds. Hope you are right Mickey, and JP will produce a new one specially for the IMC.

MJ

[A and C]

There was a very good book written by Monique Agazarian called Instrument flying and the background to the instrument and IMC ratings.

If you can find a copy it is full of practical advice and well worth the time taken to read.

[mad_jock]

A good training course for any instrument flying is a Computer program called "rant"

Oddsoft Limited, producers of the Radio Aids Navigation Tutor (RANT XL) - an invaluable tool for instrument pilots (http://www.oddsoft.co.uk/newst0.html)

Its more interactive than reading a book.

[Lagentium]

I used the Oxford Aviation CD-ROM when trying to get everything into my mind and understand the theories behind it all, although the blokes voice on it nearly sent me to sleep a few times!

Cheers, Jim:ok:

[tmmorris]

'VOR, ADF and RMI' is a bit old but it's the book which finally got me to understand ADF tracking.

[gemma10]

That and "The IMC Confuser" for the ground exam got me through.

I thought the IMC confuser was out of print and no longer avaiable

[riverrock83]

Indeed - I only managed to get a copy of the confuser by pleading with other forumites (on a different forum for flyers).
No luck on amazon, Waterstones cancelled my order after 3 weeks, wasn't anything on ebay, tried lots of other online book stores, nothing in aviation shops.

I presume it was out of print as people believe it was coming to an end, although I've heard rumours about some sort of dispute.

[markpodbery]

Hello all,

Just to give you a very good option here, Freedom Aviation are a flying school based out of Kemble 3x PA28-161 and 2x PA28-161 over at Oaksey Park (EGTW). The aircraft are highly maintained.
They teach the PPL and also the full IMC Rating.

The instructors are superb and they are a very professional outfit.

Over at Oaksey they have a classroom where they teach the ground-school for the PPL Sylabus and also what you are after the IMC Rating.

Each subject is basically a day course with the exam at the end. Rates are very good.

You can find them over at Freedom Aviation - Flying Club Training Learn to Fly PPL IMC and Night rating and Aircraft Leasing (http://www.freedomaviation.co.uk), you will also find them on facebook and twitter.

Just to clear this one up I am just a member with Freedom and nothing more than that!

I hope this helps.

Thanks

Mark

[B47]

If you have an iPad, take a look at the Rod Machado series - great for radio nav stuff. There are also lots of cheap apps for things like hold entries, VOR/NDB simulators, etc. Search for 'IFR' in the App store.

But, before you finish your IMCR, the most important advice is to plan a couple of decent trips with your instructor, to the point where you are then happy to go places in IMC, within minima of course, by yourself. The biggest IMCR myth is that it is only a 'get you down when you get caught out' rating. If you don't do some real world trips in solid IMC (clouds, not a hood!) with your instructor, you'll never dare do them by yourself afterwards. That means no currency and you won't believe how difficult it then is to use your rating in emergency. Fly IMC at least every six weeks, practice ILSs alone, otherwise there's no point in the rating. Don't become one of those with the IMCR that only do it for their renewal - pointless and potentially dangerous.

[Howard Long]

Another vote for Rant. Pays for itself many times over compared to trying to nail the concepts in the air, especially if you're a bit old and crusty like me.

[Supermattt]

Thank you everyone, some really useful stuff here.

I've only just seen all these replies, I must edit my notification settings!

Thanks again
Matt :)

[Local Variation]

Good luck in finding the 'gate'. :}

[GipsyMagpie]

If you are stuck, I have a copy of the IMC confuser around somewhere and it's AFE produced equivalent. Personally I got hold of a copy of an old AP3456 from a crusty RAF bloke, but rant is definitely good.

[BackPacker]

The FAA brought out two books on instrument flying as well. They're not specific to the UK IMC of course, but they cover both the theory and practice quite well. And they're a free download from the FAA website.

Aviation Handbooks & Manuals (http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/)

[thing]

I used the Trevor Thom, did me OK.

I'll also second what B47 says. Even if it's a nice day there's nothing wrong with flying the odd IFR trip either, keeps your mind ticking over in instrument mode even if you're not actually on the dials.

I'm amazed that no one has been along yet to tell you it's a waste of time and you should be navigating by lodestone 'cos real pilots don't need IMC ratings, they just do it by smelling which way up they are. Probably in a taildragger that they can land in a 50kt crosswind just using their knees on the stick.