Fearing learning to fly IFR

[gay_pilot18]

Okay guys and gals I'm taking my PPL check ride in about two weeks

(finally). I'm ready and my mind is totally focused and I really think that I should do well. But what worries me is my next step my "instrument rating".
So many people and I mean soooooo many people have told me that the "instrument rating" is the absolute hardest and I mean hardest rating of all to get. Hearing all this has really kinda freaked me out.
My flight school is a Cessna flight school and we use the King Schools/Cessna multi-media training platform (CD-ROMS/DVDS). I got my Instrument interactive multi media CD-ROM kit the other day and it comes with a huge course booklet and I thumbed through it and it just boggled my mind.
GPS approaches, ILS, localizers,DME ARCS, radio communication.Sheeh it's alot to learn and I just don't want to fail but it all seem so overwelming, my private pilots license was a total breeze in direct comparison to the instrument rating. Do any of you have any advice for me?

 

[Guest]

I would say don't get to far ahead of yourself. Focus on finishing up your private and then you can concentrate fully on all the instrument stuff.

I know it all looks overwheling but it really is not all that bad. I started my instrument stuff about 2 months ago and had those same feelings. You will take it all lesson by lesson one step at a time, and everything will fall in place nicely. Instrument flying definetly a challenge but I think everyone would agree it is also A LOT of fun, as well as very rewarding!

Good luck!

 

[Parabellum]

I just passed my instrument checkride last week. I will say that it is definately a big hill to climb, but I very much enjoyed my training. In my opinion, its always best to enjoy what you're doing now rather than where you want to end up. My advice would be to start doing some cross country trips on your own for a little bit before you start instrument training. It'll allow you to enjoy having your PPL for awhile, and besides you need 50 hours of it anyway if you're training under Part 61.

I always thought instrument flying would just be a grueling task before I started it, but its truely amazing how when you do an approach in clouds or fog, the runway just seemingly appears in front of you like magic at the end of the approach. That in my opinion, is what makes instrument flying all worthwhile.

 

[derg]

I wouldn't worry too much. I was scared to death of multi-engine training because all of the hubris around maintaining blue line speed and all of the accidents when the pilot would hit Vmc, lose control and spiral to his death.

That's why we train. To overcome fears, learn to control an imperiled aircraft and to gleefully ask for seconds!

 

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
So many people and I mean soooooo many people have told me that the "instrument rating" is the absolute hardest and I mean hardest rating of all to get.

[/ QUOTE ]
gay_pilot18: Don't focus on the "difficult" part of the instrument rating. If you do, you will brain lock.

Here's the reason folks say what they say about the IR: it's like "drinking from the fire hose" = i.e., there's a lot of information to remember. The flying itself isn't all that hard.

You'll get used to being under the hood (Foggles) in no time whatsoever - after that, it's just learning to trust the instruments.

I had (am having) a BLAST with my instrument rating!! (I'll be done in a couple of weeks).

At first, yes - It was like staring at Everest, but just take it one step at a time. Focus on the task at hand, be it maneuvers, or approaches, or intercepting/tracking courses... whatever. One thing at a time. Don't look at the big picture - details man - details.

The cool thing about flying IFR - once you get the hang of it - you'll realize that it's REALLY a matter of taking one step at a time. Your routes are pre-planned. You are in radar contact pretty much the entire time, when you get ready to start your approach, ATC pretty much tells you how high, what direction, etc. to fly.

Everything is spelled out for you. It's a matter of following directions.

Good luck!

Don't let it freak you out!

R2F

 

[sbe]

Don't worry about it! I did the same thing as you - looked through the Jepp IFR Manual and absolutely freaked myself out at the amount of information to be absorbed. But bit by bit, it is coming to me, NOT all at once - and some of that things that seem so abstract in a manual or on a CD becomes quite clear when you actually do the stuff in the cockpit.

I was worried I wouldn't 'get' the instrument flying, that it was too left-brained and mechanical for me...however, I must agree with the others that this is a blast! I enjoy my lessons thoroughly and while it does involve a lot of work, the trick is balancing that workload out to make it simpler and easier to do. You'll do fine...

Sarah

 

[Jason]

"That's why we train. To overcome fears, learn to control an imperiled aircraft and to gleefully ask for seconds!"


I have to say Doug that is one of the best quotes I have ever heard - you should sell that one to Flight Safety. I wonder if it's too long to fit on a blue binder?! hmmmm


Jason

 

[davetheflyer]

I wouldn't say that the instrument rating is hardest, that would be the CFI.

The instrument is a lot of work, just because of the sheer volume of information that must be learned. Because of that, the written test is a big hurdle. As for the rating itself, I thought it was fun and a challenge, even though it requires a different mindset than the private.

Good luck.

 

[Hootie]

The CFI is much harder than the instrument. It does seem overwhelming but just watch the material you have got, and eventually it'll will start to make sense. Just don't sweat the checkride, whats hard is maintaning a high level of profiency afterwards.

 

[derg]

[ QUOTE ]
I have to say Doug that is one of the best quotes I have ever heard - you should sell that one to Flight Safety. I wonder if it's too long to fit on a blue binder?! hmmmm


[/ QUOTE ]

That or I could steal from Morrissey and say, "We look at danger then we laugh our heads off"

 

[DE727UPS]

Gay

I used to do a lot of IFR instruction and am getting set up to do it again. Personally, I don't think it's that hard but I can see how you could be overwhelmed by it. For me, I know what parts of that big IFR manual are super important, just need to know the basics, or can be totally ignored....don't think you have to know it all by heart.

As several others said, you should concentrate on your private now and the CFI is harder than the IFR.

Feel free to ask the forum or email me as you start IFR if you run across things you can't figure out.