Need Help with Instrument Rating

Maybe you just hit the learning curve early on. Especially going to school and juggling training. Myself...I loved instrument. Easiest thing I've done so far and breezed through it no problems and loved every minute of it. Reassured me I wanted to be an airline pilot. I hit my roadblock on commercial. Had relationship issues and tried to fly. Got to the end in my complex airplane and took a year to do my check ride. I work 36-40 hours a week, 7 classes a week, graduating a year early and trying to throw flying in there. That's what I regret was getting my job at the airport. Great experience and resume builder and I love Delta's benefits but you gotta time manage. Time manage, time manage, time manage. I still slack off in areas and procrastinate...it's human nature. But if I don't work hard I won't get where I wanna be. Same goes for you buddy. Pick yourself up. You're gonna fail on the path to success...the longer you dwell the more time is waisted. Meet with your instructor ASAP. Meet with another instructor. Get Sheppard air. Watch videos, read books....so much learning tools out there buddy. Like everyone else said....this is the easy part right now of your career. Sure it's tough for you and easy for us to sit back and say it's not hard but you need to persevere....because if someone asks how you counteracted failing twice on a written in an interview then you're gonna wanna have an answer better than this. Stay motivated and cut out the negative parts in your life and focus. You'll be fine. ;)
 
@AA777 , I have similar feelings. I haven't taken the test yet, but I find everything so damn boring in IFR(I mean everything other than the approaches) that I'm having trouble studying. Like you, I just end up doing something else. Many have told me they thought the IFR training was the most fun they've had in an airplane, but everyone is different. To me personally, having that hood on staring at instruments in cruise zig-zagging around the line I can never seem to follow(obviously need a better scan) and chasing needles around while the world passes me by below feels like a job. It doesn't even feel like flying. And what's worse is I have to pay for it.

That being said, just like jumping thru hoops for a college degree, if you want to be an airline pilot, you need to get your IFR. It's that simple. Love it or hate it, you have to do it. You only fail when you stop studying. I've stopped studying plenty of times over the past 5 years that I've flirted with the idea of getting my IFR done, but I have not failed as I have not quit on it. And I won't. But don't go looking for blame to place, and don't get depressed that you failed a test. You won't care how many times you've failed once you finally pass. Just try a different study approach, and if you fail, shrug it off and try again. Get 70% or better on the written, pass the checkride, and you'll be an instrument rated pilot. That simple. You don't have to be a super pilot, you just have to pass. That being said, don't put yourself in any situations you are not comfortable with once you get your IFR. The learning never stops and there is no shame in doing something with a CFII that you "should" be able to do alone and comfortably. Just do what keeps you alive.

Good luck.
 
I can relate. When I was working on my IR years ago I dragged my feet as well. I started IR training just a few days after passing my private, It was getting towards the end of summer and learning new things was very exciting! Heck my first IR training flight was in Actual! I worked really hard got thru 90% of the training and then winter hit in the northeast. And just like that flying had all but stopped because of the winter months.

At the time I too was working almost full time, another part time job, College, Girlfriend, and other random activities. Flying was put on the back burner. I talked with my flight school and instructor, wondering when I was going to finish. I got back to it, got back up to speed and like you it was time for the written, I had studied hard, kept getting 80-90% on the practice tests, and failed 67% did the retrain and passed it about a week later to a disappointing 72% IIRC. That was tough, and once again I went back to dragging my feet.

It took a few more months and occasional flying before I finally had my checkride scheduled. By this point it has been just over a year since I started my IR training. It was a very tough checkride, The only other checkride that came close was the initial CFI. But I passed. And just like getting my private it was an awesome feeling.

By this point I knew I wanted to be a pilot. It was a tough decision but I quit my jobs, moved across the country to attend a fast track flight school. I made the commitment to this career. and I couldn't be happier. Had I stuck around home, kept working I probably would have accomplished everything I have it would have just taken much longer.

Keep studying, At the very minimum get your IR done as it sounds like your close to completing it, Then re-evaluate. IR is a tough rating, If it was easy everyone would be doing it right;)
 
@AA777 @ChasenSFO

If you need motivation go get some flight time in actual IMC. Shoot some approaches. If you're not there yet, grab a block of airspace and go poke holes in the clouds. Yes, studying is boring. Yes, flying under the hood sucks. Skip ahead a little bit and find out what you're preparing for ... I guarantee breaking out of the clouds at minimums will get your heart pumping. Flying an ILS at 1800 RVR never gets old.
 
adk said:
@AA777 @ChasenSFO

If you need motivation go get some flight time in actual IMC. Shoot some approaches. If you're not there yet, grab a block of airspace and go poke holes in the clouds. Yes, studying is boring. Yes, flying under the hood sucks. Skip ahead a little bit and find out what you're preparing for ... I guarantee breaking out of the clouds at minimums will get your heart pumping. Flying an ILS at 1800 RVR never gets old.
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Sometimes that's hard to find that type of weather. I've got about 4 hours actual from only 2 IMC flights. For me out here in Montana almost every time we get IFR conditions it's almost impossible to fly actual because of the temp and other weather going on. I'm sure some locations are better than others but some students here have more time than instructors. It sucks but I agree...once you get that ILS down to mins breaking out is just awesome.
 
The instrument rating is tough to study for, especially if the instructor isn't on the ball—until you have the "big picture", it's like a random collection of seemingly-arbitrary data, and that's the sort of information that the human brain is designed to discard.

What you need to realize is that instrument flight rules are structured to build a fault-tolerant system that contains provisions for most of the common exigencies, and that at any given time you should be able to answer "what's next; what's next if...".

I still strongly recommend reading through both the Instrument Procedures Handbook and the Instrument Flying Handbook both. They're both interesting, both very good, and both solid. And if you really read both of those, you should be able to pass the instrument written without much thought. But really, I think it's best to study for the instrument written while flying/doing sim stuff in preparation as well. It puts a new angle on all of the dry, seemingly boring, seemingly unrelated factoids.

Now in my personal point of view, the ideal instrument training is scenario-based, both ground and in-flight. But that's just me. You shouldn't have to memorize much to do the instrument written. You should be able to pass it just from knowledge developed in the course of training for the rating. If you're failing the test, that knowledge is insufficient.. or insufficiently connected.

-Fox
 
adk said:
@AA777 @ChasenSFO

If you need motivation go get some flight time in actual IMC. Shoot some approaches. If you're not there yet, grab a block of airspace and go poke holes in the clouds. Yes, studying is boring. Yes, flying under the hood sucks. Skip ahead a little bit and find out what you're preparing for ... I guarantee breaking out of the clouds at minimums will get your heart pumping. Flying an ILS at 1800 RVR never gets old.
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That too. ^.^
 
KKochan said:
Sheppard Air.

Or buy an ASA book and read it 4-5 times, do the practice questions.

Really not that hard dude. Surely not the hardest thing you'll have to do if you continue your career.
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gleam, ASA-for the written just memorize, black out the wrong answers (in the back) and correct to 100. Don't minimize the importance of Instrument ground- it's a tremendous amount of knowledge to be learned.

For the flying, Flight Sims are 1/2 the cost and you're basically in same environment w/ an instructor, so combine all you're learning, buy a Wee home Sim and reinforce what your instructor is laying on you.
hell, I did it and so can you, if you truly want it.
 
Sometimes you need a break from the whole flying thing and instruction. There have been points in my flying where I needed a break. I just burnt out from studying all the time, making a lot of flights for instruction, and the outside pressures of life. In my PPL, I took a few months off. My instructor called me about 3-4 months into it and it was good to know I was missed, and I missed flying. I came back, finished it up without an issue at all. My IR I ran through as fast as I could. I was BEAT by the end of it, took a vacation of about a month or two and gradually got back into flying with my MEL. More recently, I have been making it a point to rotate through goals and aircraft. I decided to do aerobatics and learn tailwheel in a Pitts. Then when my instructor went on a long vacation, I rotated into doing ME commercial work and really learning the G1000. Yesterday I went back to the Pitts. It has re lit my passion for aviation. Maybe you need sometime to chill and find your love for aviation again.
 
ChasenSFO said:
@AA777 , I have similar feelings. I haven't taken the test yet, but I find everything so damn boring in IFR(I mean everything other than the approaches) that I'm having trouble studying. Like you, I just end up doing something else. Many have told me they thought the IFR training was the most fun they've had in an airplane, but everyone is different. To me personally, having that hood on staring at instruments in cruise zig-zagging around the line I can never seem to follow(obviously need a better scan) and chasing needles around while the world passes me by below feels like a job. It doesn't even feel like flying. And what's worse is I have to pay for it.

That being said, just like jumping thru hoops for a college degree, if you want to be an airline pilot, you need to get your IFR. It's that simple. Love it or hate it, you have to do it. You only fail when you stop studying. I've stopped studying plenty of times over the past 5 years that I've flirted with the idea of getting my IFR done, but I have not failed as I have not quit on it. And I won't. But don't go looking for blame to place, and don't get depressed that you failed a test. You won't care how many times you've failed once you finally pass. Just try a different study approach, and if you fail, shrug it off and try again. Get 70% or better on the written, pass the checkride, and you'll be an instrument rated pilot. That simple. You don't have to be a super pilot, you just have to pass. That being said, don't put yourself in any situations you are not comfortable with once you get your IFR. The learning never stops and there is no shame in doing something with a CFII that you "should" be able to do alone and comfortably. Just do what keeps you alive.

Good luck.
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I know I've told you this before, but I think sitting in an instrument ground school would really benefit you a lot. There is so much knowledge that it can't effectively be taught or conveyed in a 15-30 minute brief and debrief every flight. The best thing you can do for yourself, is to not give up though like you said, and I think that is good advice for the OP. If you really want your instrument rating, then a written exam, or depth of knowledge will ultimately not stand in between you and your goals to be an instrument rated pilot.
 
Don't sweat it, the instrument is a tough one. Even I scored a 79% on the actual test, while scoring 90's on the practice. You need time to obsorb all the knowledge, I suggest finishing it over summer break. Remember, professional flying involves IFR, so you will be one step closer once you get the rating
 
Keep the faith. Instrument was the most difficult rating for me. It's challenging. Failing a written or two is NOT a huge deal. I'd agree with the guys on here: get a gouge like sheppard. It's all about repetition.

I failed my instrument oral. Much bigger deal than a written... I'm at airline in your screen name. Learn your lesson and move on. The honesty and humility you have is a far bigger asset than passing a FAA written the first time.

Good luck!
 
One of the biggest things I learned during my IR training is how to move past your mistakes. You will screw up a lot (both in and out of the plane) even when you think you are prepared. Focusing on the failure makes the next step even more difficult to take. Test #1 and #2 are over and done with. Quickly learn something valuable from those, even more quickly let those tests go, move forward, do better.

As you may know, on a training flight if you screw up something like a hold entry and then beat yourself up the rest of the flight, you'll be miserable all flight, not learn anything, and waste a ton of money and fuel. The writtens are no different. Take to heart the advice in this thread. What have you learned about yourself and how you prepare and test? Take what you know of yourself and take the advice from others in this thread to find the best course of study for you. Bottom line: Those tests are done with, nothing you can do about it, don't dwell, move on, do what you need to do to kill the next one.
 
Tld said:
One of the biggest things I learned during my IR training is how to move past your mistakes. You will screw up a lot (both in and out of the plane) even when you think you are prepared. Focusing on the failure makes the next step even more difficult to take. Test #1 and #2 are over and done with. Quickly learn something valuable from those, even more quickly let those tests go, move forward, do better.

As you may know, on a training flight if you screw up something like a hold entry and then beat yourself up the rest of the flight, you'll be miserable all flight, not learn anything, and waste a ton of money and fuel. The writtens are no different. Take to heart the advice in this thread. What have you learned about yourself and how you prepare and test? Take what you know of yourself and take the advice from others in this thread to find the best course of study for you. Bottom line: Those tests are done with, nothing you can do about it, don't dwell, move on, do what you need to do to kill the next one.
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Quoted for the effin' set-in-stone truth. This has been me a lot. Not proud of it, and working to change it.
 
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