Preparation for IR - RantXL?
 

Hi. For preparation and practice through the IR rating, is RantXL the best help available and is it necessary to purchase for £100 or is there freely available software that is almost as good?

Rant xl is freely available though it costs you about £100.

Each copy has an activation code so you can't borrow your mates.

I bought it and to be honest, hardly ever used it for my IR.

Spent more time using flight sim instead as it is more realistic for instrument flying. The only thing it was handy for was showing the dip, that flight sim doesn't do.
:)

Actually, Rant is very good for developing situational awareness, and it allows you to concentrate only on the navigation equipment you are trying to understand, without the distraction of flying the aircraft, so I would recommend it. I used to be an IR instructor, so I can advise that with experience on my side.

RANT is great!
 

I couldn't agree more with Dr Eckener. A product that I didn't try but like the sound of is never get lost (www.nevergetlost.at).

With RANT it is very easy to lose focus without someone to tell you where to start or what you are trying to achieve! A worthy product, nonetheless.

:):):):) It got me through my IR. :):):):)

Seconded.
After years of IR renewals on the 757, RANT got me through a PA28 renewal and then an IR(H) on the EC135. It simplifies the flying of the aircraft and frees up capacity to understand the needles and interpret them properly.:ok:

Also in preperation for the IR and have found RANT XL to be very useful.
It allows you get the fundamentals right before going anywhere near a very expensive twin-engined aeroplane. It has a series of tutorials on such things as instruments (HSI, RMI, EFIS etc), Navaids (ILS, DME etc), approach plates, radial intercepts - it goes on. Then exercises to consolidate your learning. I got mine for about £80, which of course is negligible compared to the IR course.

I've also got the OAT CD-ROM for IMC to go over the basics, and a pretty good book called (funnily enough) 'Instrument Flying' by D. Hoy.
It prepares the pilot to pass the 'most demanding flight test in the world' and covers navaids, let-down and approach procedures, airways flight and how to pass the test itself.
I think you can't be too prepared for it.

RANT
 

Rant is excellent one of the best purchases I ever made - still use it now to keep the IR skills up for LPC/OPC's.

You have to remember that the majority of PC based flight simulation programmes are designed as toys - not without their value but toys nonetheless. RANT, on the other hand, is a purpose-built tool designed specifically with the IR Skill Test in mind and written by a (still current) CAA Staff Examiner. Sounds like a 'no-brainer' to me.

I think RANT is great but too expensive. Instead I bought an older version of Flight Sim, like 2004 for £15 which runs well on any modern PC. If you put it on autopilot you can practice all the approaches in much the same way as RANT, and can have a look at the shape of your holds and procedures just the same with the map function.

RANT will be expensive as long as people keep paying £80 for it, in much the same way as airlines will keep taking those who pay for the type rating as long as people are daft enough to do so.