Ask your insurance agent about discounts for regular
recurrent training [not just an IPC] at a school such as
caters to corporate operators. They can and do offer
discounts for regular training.



"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ups.com...
| On Jan 31, 7:01 pm, Ray Andraka wrote:
| Kevin Clarke wrote:
| Hi All,
|
| Open question to folks, what strategies do you use to
stay current or
| better yet, proficient?
|
| Check ride is right around the corner. I got signed
off for the ride
| today. So the currency question is in the back of my
mind now. Most of
| my flying is x-ctry (2/month) with some local scenic
flights.
|
| thanks,
| KC
|
| Several things:
| 1) file and fly in the system every time you go cross
country, even if
| the weather is severe clear VMC. Staying in the system
keeps you
| practiced with the procedures and keeps you sharp on
maintaining
| altitude and heading, as well as with the radios.
|
| Great advice. Filing IFR in even under VMC will pay off.
Not only does
| it polish up your ATC skills, it will also simplifly your
navigation
| through busy complex airspaces. Example: every time I go
to Detroit, I
| get "cleared as filed" but I know from experience that
Toledo always
| amends my clearance as I get closer. Having done it plenty
of times
| under VFR, it was really not a big under IMC. That is not
the type of
| thing you want to handle on your first time in IMC in a
busy airspace.
|
|
|
| 2) Always fly the instrument approach when you arrive at
your
| destination, regardless of the weather (since you're
IFR, your request
| for an instrument approach into your destination can't
be turned down as
| long as it is for the approach officially in use). Just
don't bury your
| head in the cockpit. I find it is actually harder to
fly a good
| approach in VMC than in IMC because of the division of
your attention
| between the panel and outside. By flying the approach,
you stay sharp
| on all aspects of doing an approach except actually
being in IMC. You
| also develop a better feel for where you are relative to
the ground and
| the airport this way.
|
| Again, good advice, but don't assume ATC will
automatically issue you
| an instrument approach because you are IFR. If it is VMC,
they will
| assume you want a visual approach unless you ask for it.
|
|
|
| 3) Fly with an instructor and do an IPC every 6 months.
Having an extra
| set of eyes evaluate your performance gives you an
opportunity to
| correct bad habits before they become ingrained. It
also shows the
| insurance company that you are committed to doing
regular recurrent
| training, which may give you a break on your insurance,
plus you'll get
| an opportunity to practice stuff that doesn't come up in
day to day
| flying like holds, unusual attitudes and partial panel
(all of which are
| required parts of an IPC). If you are already
reasonably proficient
| (and you will be if you follow all 3 of these
recommendations and fly
| reasonably frequently), the IPC should take no more than
an 2 hours of
| instruction time...just enough time to do a few
approaches, a hold and
| unusual attitude.
|
| Good advice again, but I am not sure how the insurance
company finds
| out about your IPC. I was never asked about IPC, just
whether I am
| current or not.
|
|