Instrument Rating

[pwapilot]

I'm currently a junior in HS, and visited Purdue a month ago. I was told that it's preferred to not come in with the instrument rating, because it would require repeating some material to get you standardized with Purdue's procedures, which is understandable.

Did anyone here happen come in with the IR? How much training/material (if any) did you end up having to repeat? Just attempting to research different options, as I know a few other schools that don't seem to take issue with the IR.

Thanks,
Mike Catalfamo

 

[GUNIT]

Mike-

If you decide on Purdue I would strongly advise you against getting your instrument rating. What Purdue means to say is that they require you to repeat ALL the material. The course where you get your instrument and commercial rating is AT253. Even if you come in with your instrument you will not get credit for it and will have to take AT253. You will still also have to take the instrument ground course. I'm not sure whether or not they would make you do the sim courses, however, I know of one person this year who came in with their instrument and I'm pretty sure I've seen him going in and out of the sim building so I can only assume they will. Essentially you would be wasting a TON of money.

 

[Jason]

I've been gone for 10 years now but I **think** it's still the same basic set-up - Purdue has their flight courses past Private set up and sequenced so that they work on commercial and instrument stuff together over 3 or so courses culminating in a combined commercial/instrument checkride. If they were to allow you to "test out" of the IR portion, it would get you majorly out of synch with everything and everyone else. I loved Purdue and don't regret going there but they are pretty inflexible on things like this. They have some very legitimate reasons for being so inflexible but it comes down to this - it's their sandbox and they get to make the rules, if you don't like it, you don't have to play there.

If you want to go the FBO route and get your ratings early, another option is to do 2 years of school somewhere else - or at Purdue in a different program - and then attempt to transfer to the Pro PIlot program in the 3rd year. They have people do this every year but there are usually only a couple of slots available and thus very, very selective and competitive.


Jason