IMC Whoohooooooooo
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: North of South
IMC Whoohooooooooo
Sorry to be blowing ones own trumpet but am happy as a pig in smelly stuff . Passed IMC yesterday and sat here on my own grinnning and no one to tell so thought I'd share the news whohoooooooooooooooooooooo
Why do it if it's not fun?
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 12
From: Bournemouth
Well done!!!
Remember, instrument flying skills are the ones which go rusty the quickest if you don't practice them. Use it or loose it..... and enjoy the new world it opens up to you!
FFF
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Remember, instrument flying skills are the ones which go rusty the quickest if you don't practice them. Use it or loose it..... and enjoy the new world it opens up to you!
FFF
----------------
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: North of South
Personally I found it all hard cos Im stupid 
I did it with a friend BPL. We both took two weeks off work and booked in two hours a day each . The idea was to fly an hour in the morning with one of us flying the other observing in the back , swapping over. Then after lunch doing it over again . This worked really well as with some parts of the IMC it really doesnt click until you see someone else doing it . Its a good learning aid .
We completed the course in 8 days and it took including test 16hrs 25 .We are finishing off with a night rating which should be done by monday .
As I said I am not the sharpest tool in the box and I did struggle with certain aspects , specifically ADF / NDB tracking it can be a real git to grasp and I did struggle with it at first . But as with most things it gets easier with practice . The groundschool side of things can be quite a brain drain , however I found the ground school a lot less complicated than trying to get your head round diagrams in the TT or JP books , they send your mind into a melt . It was a lot of flying and I do feel a bit brain smacked having done it in such a short space of time .
I found the flying side of it to be the easiest , and by that I mean the actual manipulation of the aircraft under IFR conditions . Whuch was the first part of the course . ADF/NDB as I said took some getting used to but VOR's , ILS's procedural and radar vectored I found to be more enjoyeable and slightly less challenging . Im not sure Im even still fully au-fait with ADF's .
The ground exam was a typical CAA affair , you see the question and immediately think hey I know the answer to that one , the answers are then phrased in such a way that you would think you dont know it at all . I found there to be a lot more VFR PPL stuff in there than I would have expected. But as with PPL I worked through the IMC confuser and every question in the exam could be found in the confuser in some guise .
Despite the obvious and often quite heatedly discussed merits or demerits of the IMC I think I am now a better safer and more relaxed pilot than I was . I have increased my knowledge and gained some new skills which I would not otherwise have had , which cant be a bad thing .
I wholeheartedly recommend doign this rating whether you intend to stay a PPL or at some stage upgrade to an IR It cannot do any harm and will make you better . In fact I would go so far as to say if you are content with a PPL then absolutely do this rating at some stage .
Only issue we had was having to change from a Warrior to a G1000 cessna 172 the day before the test. this was a little awkward but it came good. NB we were both very current on the G1000 it wasnt just sprung on us .
It was quite funny watching the examinre trying to cover up the various instruments for partial panel exercises it became quite creative .
All good stuff and very enjoyeable experience . I need to relax now and stop grinning
ADF's
VOR's
ILS's
Recovery from unusual attitudes
Brain at the end of the course
I did it with a friend BPL. We both took two weeks off work and booked in two hours a day each . The idea was to fly an hour in the morning with one of us flying the other observing in the back , swapping over. Then after lunch doing it over again . This worked really well as with some parts of the IMC it really doesnt click until you see someone else doing it . Its a good learning aid .
We completed the course in 8 days and it took including test 16hrs 25 .We are finishing off with a night rating which should be done by monday .
As I said I am not the sharpest tool in the box and I did struggle with certain aspects , specifically ADF / NDB tracking it can be a real git to grasp and I did struggle with it at first . But as with most things it gets easier with practice . The groundschool side of things can be quite a brain drain , however I found the ground school a lot less complicated than trying to get your head round diagrams in the TT or JP books , they send your mind into a melt . It was a lot of flying and I do feel a bit brain smacked having done it in such a short space of time .
I found the flying side of it to be the easiest , and by that I mean the actual manipulation of the aircraft under IFR conditions . Whuch was the first part of the course . ADF/NDB as I said took some getting used to but VOR's , ILS's procedural and radar vectored I found to be more enjoyeable and slightly less challenging . Im not sure Im even still fully au-fait with ADF's .
The ground exam was a typical CAA affair , you see the question and immediately think hey I know the answer to that one , the answers are then phrased in such a way that you would think you dont know it at all . I found there to be a lot more VFR PPL stuff in there than I would have expected. But as with PPL I worked through the IMC confuser and every question in the exam could be found in the confuser in some guise .
Despite the obvious and often quite heatedly discussed merits or demerits of the IMC I think I am now a better safer and more relaxed pilot than I was . I have increased my knowledge and gained some new skills which I would not otherwise have had , which cant be a bad thing .
I wholeheartedly recommend doign this rating whether you intend to stay a PPL or at some stage upgrade to an IR It cannot do any harm and will make you better . In fact I would go so far as to say if you are content with a PPL then absolutely do this rating at some stage .
Only issue we had was having to change from a Warrior to a G1000 cessna 172 the day before the test. this was a little awkward but it came good. NB we were both very current on the G1000 it wasnt just sprung on us .
It was quite funny watching the examinre trying to cover up the various instruments for partial panel exercises it became quite creative .
All good stuff and very enjoyeable experience . I need to relax now and stop grinning
ADF's
VOR's
ILS's
Recovery from unusual attitudes
Brain at the end of the course
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 407
Likes: 9
From: UK
Congratulations! Do remember that an IMC is really only a licence to kill yourself and of no other use, and real men get an IR. No, I don't believe that, but I thought I should say it before someone else does, I've read it so often on PPRUNE.
But again, congratulations. And advice to all of us proud IMC holders - keep in practice.
But again, congratulations. And advice to all of us proud IMC holders - keep in practice.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 927
Likes: 1
From: Sth Bucks UK
And this time I want no Thpencer Twaceys, no Wudolf the wed nose wein deer...........
Actually, congrats are in order MDP.
I really like flying in IMC, but as a leisure flyer I find it very difficult to keep current, so I would echo others' posts and say, "now you've got it, do try to use it as often as possible".
(Pot, kettle, black etc...)
Actually, congrats are in order MDP.
I really like flying in IMC, but as a leisure flyer I find it very difficult to keep current, so I would echo others' posts and say, "now you've got it, do try to use it as often as possible".
(Pot, kettle, black etc...)
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
From: EuroGA.org
OK, that will do, at a stretch 
I'd get some serious ground school on the glass cockpit one though. I know one pilot flying behind a G1000 who never had any training on it and has still not worked out all the nooks and crannies after several months, and he is far from stupid.
I see both have a decent autopilot - very important.
I'd get some serious ground school on the glass cockpit one though. I know one pilot flying behind a G1000 who never had any training on it and has still not worked out all the nooks and crannies after several months, and he is far from stupid.
I see both have a decent autopilot - very important.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: North of South
galley I fly for the group I think your thinking of but these two are the barton based aircraft , we have no G1000 at Bpool but we do have Hotel Whiskas which is a comparable Archer to the one pictured .
IO in our group the main man does the G1000 checkouts and wont sign you off till you are Au-Fait with all the systems you need to be as a VFR Pilot . Obviously the system is very advanced and has as you say all manner of nooks and crannies . I have about 40 hrs in it now and can operate it well enough , now I have the IMC I have lots more of the said nooks to play with and try to understand . It certainly wouldnt be adviseable to try flying it without the relevant differences training . Although someone with good experience of other garmin gps wouldnt have too much trouble. The group is also looking at putting together a proper classroom based groundschool course for new and existing members .On our private website we have the G1000 tutor and the simulator available to all users . If you have the latest flight sim you can also use it on there , albeit only about 80% of the functions .
It is a nice bit of kit though
IO in our group the main man does the G1000 checkouts and wont sign you off till you are Au-Fait with all the systems you need to be as a VFR Pilot . Obviously the system is very advanced and has as you say all manner of nooks and crannies . I have about 40 hrs in it now and can operate it well enough , now I have the IMC I have lots more of the said nooks to play with and try to understand . It certainly wouldnt be adviseable to try flying it without the relevant differences training . Although someone with good experience of other garmin gps wouldnt have too much trouble. The group is also looking at putting together a proper classroom based groundschool course for new and existing members .On our private website we have the G1000 tutor and the simulator available to all users . If you have the latest flight sim you can also use it on there , albeit only about 80% of the functions .
It is a nice bit of kit though
Blah Blah Blah
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 927
Likes: 0
From: Malmesbury VRP
MDP
You need to teach your instructor to land the 172 rather than ram it in to the floor....it saves the creasing of panels.....i mean fancy coming to the Isle of Man with a creased cessna!!! a shiny new Cessna at that!!!
You need to teach your instructor to land the 172 rather than ram it in to the floor....it saves the creasing of panels
.....i mean fancy coming to the Isle of Man with a creased cessna!!! a shiny new Cessna at that!!!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 831
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From: North of South
Hmmmmmm Your right Gary , Some jerkowitz also taxied the red archer into some taxiway markers at barton as well damaging the wheel spats , but I spose if you have a group aircraft someone eventually is going to prang one . Just pray it never happens to me
