IFR Training
 

Hello,

I will get my CPL licence at the end of the month and I am now taking IFR groundschool. There is a huge amount of stuff to know but it's doable. What I am concerned about is applying all that knowledge in the cockpit. I was in a Simulator yesterday to see a demonstration of a VOR hold and I was wondering how the guy was thinking fast enough to determine instantly wether it was a Parralel, Offset or Direct entry, hold the altitude, airspeed, headings, compensate for the winds, maintaining a perfect 1 min leg inbound, etc...

I was really impressed and I walked out of there asking myself if I could do it. I would like to know how you guys got started with IFR. Are there any good softwares to practice or is Flight Simulator good enough?

Thanks!

simulator is great help, all you need is FS2004 or FSX, nothing special and I used also holding pattern computer during IFR training ;)

thanks acuba!

I'd also say, it isn't as hard as it looks. It is a challenge but is do-able. Of course you don't know how to do it yet, you haven't been trained and it isn't a natural concept. Relax, learn how to fly the plane well in your CPL training and then you can focus on the instrument stuff which will slot into place. The IR is a long course and there is plenty of time to develop.

thanks a lot TheBeak :ok:

I'd suggest you buy Rant

Just a bit of advice re the "holding computer", I have heard that an examiner would be rather under whelmed if a candidate were to try using one during skills test.

I guess what you do once you've passed is up to you, but certainly don't rely on it. As for using it in the airlines I'm not too sure where they stand.

With regard to your original question, with the right training and attitude you have the same chance as everyone else. It's not easy per se, but it's manageable for an "average" pilot, whatever that is ;-)

Good luck

Camel Toe
"Over Macho Grande?"

Dannyc, thanks for the software!

Camel Toe, thanks for the advices :ok:

Hi there,

I used the Rant trainer and found it an excellent tool for tracking beacons and holding. It is also good for spatial awareness, knowing where you are in relation to where the needles are pointing.

I would highly recommend this to anyone starting their IR, it definitely helped me.

M.

One further thing....whilst not really advice as an aide memoire...
try and think back to the very first time you ever sat in a light aircraft. Try and think to the mixture of terror/awe/excitement/fun that you felt as you're instructor got you airborne. Try and remember that you probably thought "I'll never be able to do this". Try to remember how it felt to step up to a twin or complex..

ALL of these things are/were challenges, that seemed mountainous the first time, they were presented to you/us all. But, you work at it, you practice, you get better bit by bit by bit and now? You probably wouldn't think twice about going and flying the SEP you did your basic training in.

The IR is a challenge. It's possibly the steepest of the lot. BUT. Thousands of people before you have gone through it and successfully completed it. You'll be fine....Just remember Mountains are there to be scaled...and when you do, the sense of accomplishment is huge!