Don
Well Known Member
I recently stopped by a local flight school and inquired about an ad they had for IFR training. The short version is the ad suggested you could get your IFR ticket for $1500...or a little more. When I asked what the typical range was for pilots to get their IFR ticket I was told $7,000 to 10,000. I was a bit taken back.
It basically seems the core elements to getting the IFR certification are:
1. A PPL and 50 hours of XC as PIC.
2. 40 hours of actual or simulated IFR, 15 hours of which are from a CFII
3. A 250 mile XC trip done IFR with an instructor.
4. Capability to do 3 types of approaches.
5. Pass the written test (takes an endorsement)
6. Pass the practical test.
Item one is a non-issue. The last I checked I had over 200 hour XC.
I'm wondering if anyone can enlighten me on item 2. Can 25 (or more) hours be done flying a VFR equipped aircraft using a hood and with a safety pilot? I realize the remaining 15 hours would need to be done with a CFII and in an instrument equipped aircraft. I would assume the time spent with the instructor would be to learn to fly the approaches and practice communications with ATC - and doing holds.
I would also assume that studying for the written test would (or could) largely be done on your own. It would be here that you'd learn about ATC communications, clearances, holds, and approaches. It seems to me a poor use of time to pay for a plane and an instructor to acquire the knowledge aspect of these skills. Instead, learn to understand them and then pay for plane and CFII to learn to do them. Of course there's always the question about how long it would take to learn to actually perform these skills and I'm not kidding myself that 15 hours is a likely outcome.
If I'm understanding this correctly, it looks like an instrument rating could be acquired for half or less of the price quoted me. So, can you build simulated IFR time in a VFR plane with another pilot acting as safety pilot? Can you actually learn the knowledge part on your own (and demonstrate it to a CFII for an endorsement)? And can you make significant headway into learning the practical aspects of flying IFR as I've described?
It basically seems the core elements to getting the IFR certification are:
1. A PPL and 50 hours of XC as PIC.
2. 40 hours of actual or simulated IFR, 15 hours of which are from a CFII
3. A 250 mile XC trip done IFR with an instructor.
4. Capability to do 3 types of approaches.
5. Pass the written test (takes an endorsement)
6. Pass the practical test.
Item one is a non-issue. The last I checked I had over 200 hour XC.
I'm wondering if anyone can enlighten me on item 2. Can 25 (or more) hours be done flying a VFR equipped aircraft using a hood and with a safety pilot? I realize the remaining 15 hours would need to be done with a CFII and in an instrument equipped aircraft. I would assume the time spent with the instructor would be to learn to fly the approaches and practice communications with ATC - and doing holds.
I would also assume that studying for the written test would (or could) largely be done on your own. It would be here that you'd learn about ATC communications, clearances, holds, and approaches. It seems to me a poor use of time to pay for a plane and an instructor to acquire the knowledge aspect of these skills. Instead, learn to understand them and then pay for plane and CFII to learn to do them. Of course there's always the question about how long it would take to learn to actually perform these skills and I'm not kidding myself that 15 hours is a likely outcome.
If I'm understanding this correctly, it looks like an instrument rating could be acquired for half or less of the price quoted me. So, can you build simulated IFR time in a VFR plane with another pilot acting as safety pilot? Can you actually learn the knowledge part on your own (and demonstrate it to a CFII for an endorsement)? And can you make significant headway into learning the practical aspects of flying IFR as I've described?