December 2004
Its been three years since obtaining the Private Pilot license. I have enjoyed VFR flying in the eastern New England area, Long Island Sound, Cape Cod and the New Hampshire/Vermont leaves are amazing in the fall. I have accumulated over 120 hours total time to this point. An IFR rating will improve my flying skills and may lead to a commercial and CFI rating if I want to continue with flying as more than a hobby.
(Windham Aviation)
December 2004-January 2005
Start with some basic IFR lessons and a lot of reading. I have also purchased a commercial video tape series to help me with the written exam material. This strategy worked well with the Private exam, I hope to achieve similar results with the IFR exam.
I plan to use the Piper Warrior (PA28-161) pictured above, but bad weather coincides with my first flight lesson so we get to use the simulator. Windham Aviation's simulator is a FRASCA 141/142.
This model is old and in dire need of computer updating. However, it works great and no matter how bad the weather may be outside, you can still fly the sim! In addition, it is more economical than a real plane and the time (up to 10 hours) can be used towards the time requirement for IFR training.
February 17, 2005 Complete stage one ground school exam. A few wrong, don't forget, a VSI is not required IFR equipment and if your time to station is in minutes and seconds, convert to fractional minutes (decimal) to figure distance to station.
March 3, 2005 Complete stage one flight check, didn't do too badly, but then again, I still am my own worse critique.
March, April, May, and June 2005
Log over 30 hours time, complete Stage II check and some cross country flights. Get married and honeymoon in Alaska for two weeks.
July 21, 2005 Complete Stage III check.
August and September
No IFR flight training for two months, not too smart. I spent these two months completing several items on the "Honey DO" list. Spend many hours with Martha King tapes reviewing for the FAA written.
October 2005
Log 9.2 hours preping for the flight exam. Take the FAA written October 26, 4 wrong (when conducting timed approaches from a fix you must be at an airport with a control tower!).
November 4 and 6, 2005
Log 1.8 on the 4th, best flight yet. Spend 2 long hours on the 6th on oral prep. Get signed off to take the flight review.
November 8th 2005
Pass the flight review, absolutely exhausted. I was told the instrument rating would be hard, they were right...
A special thanks to Matt Galica, CFII-MEI, I couldn't have done it without you!
At the controls of the Cessna-172R---N9348F
Links AOPA King Schools (they helped quite a bit, especially with the check ride...)
