Instrument Rating

Larry Dighera writes:

My comments in-line below:


On Sat, 12 Sep 2020 21:13:03 -0700, Daniel wrote:

Larry Dighera writes:

On Fri, 11 Sep 2020 23:50:26 -0700, Daniel wrote:

So it's that time of year again. My aircraft insurane policy was due for
renewal. Broker got back with me and the proposal came out to $1200
higher than last year.

Now, while we were trying to figure this out, one of the topics of
discussion was my instrument rating. Insurance carriers will often
refuse to entertain coverage for a pilot flying a high performance
complex without the extra rating. So...

We cleared up the confusion and the proposal came out to be only $150
more than last year. Fair enough, I approved the proposal and I meet
them Monday to sign everything and pay.

But the age old question, for those of you who have the instrument
rating, is it as daunting as I expect? Dude from flight chops just got
his and it appeared grueling for him.

'You're going to have tons of fun getting your ifr dude.' Those words
came from my old cfi.

So I've printed out all the handbooks from the faa site, ordered the
exam handbook, and will soon discover the areas of far/aim i must learn.

Got my bfr on Sunday, so maybe we'll get a good idea if we can turn and
burn with my training and have the rating before next year's renewal
hits.

Some say insurance goes down considerably with the extra training.



Daniel,

I don't know where you're located, but in the Los Angeles area traffic
congestion is unbelievably dense (compared to the early '70s) . While
it is certainly possible to navigate the LA basin with minimal ATC
contact, an Instrument Rating is an asset that makes the PIC more
confident and professional. And, training in actual conditions is
some of the most memorable flying I've experienced; it was definitely
tones of fun.

Of course, the "right" CFII is paramount. See if you can find one who
holds instrument ground school classes. Also, community college
ground training can help the material sink in. I found the big red
Gleim book useful:
https://www.gleimaviation.com/produc...instrumentbks/
. The FAA documents, not so much...

An instrument rating will make it much easier to "fit in" in today's
congested VFR ATC environment even if you never shoot another approach
after you earn the rating. Despite finding the time and the cost of
maintaining instrument currency rather daunting, there is no question
the knowledge and experience gained completing the rating has made me
a more competent and professional pilot.

Have fun!

Thank you for the reply.


You're welcome. It's always a pleasure to communicate with a sincere
fellow airman.


I live in Sacramento. My plane is based in KSMF
and I have KMHR (close to my house). Both airports have rnav and ILS
services available. Both airports are within ten miles of each other so
I have plenty of options.


Is the smoke from the North Complex Fire creating IMC? Hope you are
in a safe area. Perhaps our "illustrious" President will reconsider
his trip to the west coast and spare us the Presidential TFR, and
spread his mendacity someplace else.

The smoke is oppressive. No he flew in this morning. There was a TFR at
McClellan Park. President Trump is always welcome here.

I don't intend on flying down to the LA area until I have that
rating. The idea of flying through the narrow and populated vfr
corridor sounds daunting.


It's not too bad. There are several VFR routes through the KLAX Class
B airspace:
https://skyvector.com/?ll=34.2257200...art=114&zoom=7
. Each is useful in specific instances.
a
I recall a flight through the Los Angeles Special Flight Rules Area
when same-direction traffic reported its position (and as required,
its same altitude) to be the same as mine. I never did spot it, which
increased the "pucker factor" significantly.

Thanks for that. I haven't looked into the socal sectional before so
it's nice to see that they have published the vfr corridors.


I like gleim. During my student days I studied their aviation weather
book and it was superb. It kind of made me a weather nerd.


You'll find your WX knowledge even more useful during your IFR
training. We used to hope for challenging WX to log 'actual' time. I
recall one memorable flight through KLAX Class B in heavy rain and
turbulence holding my heading within +/- 30 degrees with simulated
partial-panel while ATC was directing flights in "machine gun"
rapidity ...

Shortly after that flight, I wrote this:

"For me, IFR flight is a lot like playing a game of Chess in the
blind while juggling three balls in the air and maintaining a
running conversation at a noisy cocktail party. You have to
mentally visualize the position of the "pieces" on the "board,"
continually monitor and interpret a myriad of arcane instruments
and make corrections to keep the airplane shinny side up, all
while constantly attempting to pick out the ATC communiqués
intended for you from the rest of the "guests'" conversations. To
this add the _stress_ of the consequences of losing the game
(death). (Of course, this analogy fails to consider weather,
turbulence, flight planning, interpreting charts and plates,
tuning radios and OBS settings, equipment failures, ....)

Single-pilot IFR aircraft operation in the ATC system in IMC
without the benefit of Global Positioning Satellite receiver,
auto-pilot, and Active Noise Reduction headset, is probably one of
the most demanding things you will ever do."

I also used Kershner's "The Instrument Flight Manual" which appears to
have been taken over by ASA:
https://www.amazon.com/Instrument-Fl.../dp/1619548666


The books I have so far are the Instrument Procedures Handbook and
Instrument Flying Handbook. I was going to wait for ASA's Instrument Rating
test prep book 2021 to be released but it appears gleil[m] already has it
out.

I know the gleim site has the test environment to prep the student for
the real test. The ASA site provided an endorsement if their test was
passed. Does Gleim's also provide an endorsement?


I passed my Instrument Rating checkride in April, 1998 (22 years ago),
and honestly can't recall. From the information on this page:
https://www.gleimaviation.com/shop/faatppp/ it appears they do.

I can tell this story now, as those involved are no longer involved in
aviation. The morning I was scheduled to take my checkride at Chino
(KCNO), the red beacon at Santa Ana (KSNA) was lit, and my CFII found
me sitting in my car waiting for the WX to improve, so that I could
make the short hop to KCNO under visual flight rules. He said,
"You're as sharp as you'll ever be right now; just file and go." He
was right.

The examiner was noticeably nonplussed at my arrival given the weather
conditions, but despite having difficulty with the NDB Back-course
approach, I departed KCNO with fresh ink in my logbook and an
Instrument Rating. Although I subsequently seldom filed IFR in the
succeeding years, I found the knowledge learned to obtain an
Instrument Rating to be invaluable (as was my Glider training) and
well worth the time and expense even for VFR operations. The reduced
insurance premium was icing on the cake.

So you had actual imc during your checkride?

--
Daniel
Visit me at: gopher://gcpp.world