By LEONARD WINDHAM
In May of 2005, I successfully passed the FAA private pilot check ride in Ahoskie, N.C. Since earning my certificate, I’ve enjoyed flying, but also realized that an important part of remaining a safe and proficient pilot is constant training and education.
There are many ways to accomplish this, such as the FAA WINGS program and the resources provided by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Foundation. These programs provide a path to establish a personal program of recurrent education and learning from the mistakes of others.
Another one of the ways to improve your piloting skills is to pursue additional ratings, such as a seaplane rating or a multi-engine rating and, of course, an instrument rating.
Acquiring an instrument rating has been on my aviation to-do list for many years. As a recreational pilot who most frequently uses my certificate to take long distance trips on the weekend, I could especially use the proficiency to handle marginal weather conditions and night flying.
I’ve also learned that the IFR training regimen leads to more precise flying.
And NTSB reports confirm that unintended flight into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) is a recurring factor in many general aviation accidents.
For the past few years, I have studied much of the FAA’s instrument flying materials and articles about instrument flying. Finally, near the end of 2021 I began to see a way to commit to serious IFR training. Time and finances were both in my favor. I started making inquiries and testing the waters in my local area.
As with many other new skills, learning to fly becomes easier the more often you train. The training for my private pilot certificate stretched out over three years because I could only afford to train about twice a week, sometimes only once a week.
Flight instructing is also a commonly used career stepping-stone to becoming an airline pilot. So, during my initial training, I had five different instructors because each moved on to other positions.
And each time a new instructor took over, I found myself repeating some material. Each instructor tends to have a personal style of instruction, which leads to a period of settling in between instructor and student before you can begin moving forward. All of this can increase instructional costs.
Since I did not want to repeat that experience with my instrument flight training, I decided to investigate the accelerated training route, where training is condensed into a seven- to 10-day stretch, allowing you to train full time.
It is similar to how many professional flight training programs are structured. Think of it as a boot camp for flight instruction.
The training providers I considered had similar formats: A 7-to-10-day schedule making strategic use of a flight simulator to teach maneuvers, followed by practicing the same maneuvers in the airplane.
The prerequisites were also similar. A completed instrument written exam, some cross-country flight time, and at least 10 hours of simulated instrument instruction.
After considering my options, I chose CRAFT Flight Training & Simulation since its Charleston, S.C., location is close to my home in Raleigh, North Carolina, and they were able to accommodate my schedule.
Upon my initial inquiry, CRAFT’s training advisor provided me a general overview of the training process, answered my questions, and confirmed the training date. Shortly after I received some helpful introductory emails. CRAFT also mailed a package to me containing the training syllabus, the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook, the FAA instrument Procedures Handbook, the Instrument Airmen Certification Standards, and the IFR Oral Exam Guide.
This was a tremendous help in preparing my mind for what was to come. The training format is well-organized, and it is evident CRAFT has put some effort into what they are doing.
The daily routine was highly structured. We began each day learning procedures and maneuvers in a Redbird FMX full-motion simulator. Then in the afternoon we got into the airplane and repeated the procedures and maneuvers.
If you have never experienced a full-motion simulator, you are in for a treat. It is realistic and extremely sensitive to control inputs. It is true that if you can achieve a level of comfort in the simulator, flying the airplane is much easier.
The simulator offers the benefit of constant task repetition until it becomes second nature. The simulator can also be set up with the weather conditions needed to simulate flight through clouds or nighttime conditions.
At the end of each day, there was homework to review the day’s knowledge and prepare for the next day. Truly, no time is wasted during the week. There is just enough time to grab meals and sleep.
The environment totally immerses the student in flight instruction. The instructors enjoy teaching, come from a variety of backgrounds, and were really interested in passing on their knowledge and experience.
The instructor assigned to me was a former IT professional, so we were able to use some of the commonalities between flight planning and managing a project as a foundation for discussing principles of flight — as risk assessment, testing, evaluation, repetitive and proven processes, debriefing, and setting standards are important parts of safe flying.
There were other students training during my time there. This provided an opportunity to hear different instructors explain similar concepts and added to my grasp of the curriculum. For example, after hearing how to enter a hold or fly a DME arc a few times, the concept finally clicked.
Due to the weather and my level of experience, I was not able to complete the IFR training to a satisfactory level to earn my instructor’s endorsement to take the FAA check ride.
The weather was extremely blustery due to a few storm fronts passing through the area.
March is typically a windy month. I had to laugh at myself that I chose to learn at a coastal location during a time of strong spring breezes.
I did have a satisfactory training day once when the winds were manageable. Mostly, I spent a great deal of time trying to learn to fly instrument approaches with proficiency, while also managing constantly changing winds.
In hindsight, I also needed more time in the Diamond DA-40 before undertaking this training. This model was new to me. Most of my time is in Cessnas and Pipers with steam gauges.
I was comfortable using the Garmin 430 so I did not experience any difficulty transitioning to the Garmin G1000. I chose Sporty’s G1000 course to get familiar with the system in advance of my training.
The Diamond DA-40 with G1000 is a beautiful aircraft constructed of composite material with flight characteristics like a glider. Trying to adjust to the DA-40 while simultaneously learning the precision needed to fly approaches was a bit overwhelming for me.
I had good flights in the local area where I felt relaxed, in control, and somewhat satisfied with my performance. My best flight was the required 250-mile cross country where we flew from Charleston to Myrtle Beach to Florence to Columbia and back to Charleston. During this flight, I had time to decompress outside of the airport pattern and fly the airplane.
An important part of the training process is becoming self-confident, that sense of “I can do this.” There are plateaus and breakthroughs that naturally happen as you advance in learning. I did not experience enough of these during my IFR training to push past the doubts that invariably happen.
One of my local CFIs also jokingly reminded me that as we get older, we do not learn everything as quickly as we did in our 20s. Indeed, I do remember how quickly I was able to absorb new material in my younger years.
Lessons Learned
If I had to do it all over again, here is what I would do.
First, make sure I was comfortable and proficient to private pilot standards in the airplane I intend to use for IFR training.
Second, ask the training provider for an opportunity to interview with prospective instructors in advance. During this time, I would have a brief conversation on my flying background and my future goals. I’d also want to discuss the things I enjoy about flying and what things are a challenge that I want to overcome.
Overall, I consider my experience a positive one. I expanded my comfort zone. I gained valuable experience in connecting the instrument knowledge curriculum to the in-flight maneuvers. I learned how to properly use the autopilot as a flight management tool. I learned to push through difficult and unforeseen circumstances. I logged some valuable instruction time and am probably 70%-80% of the way towards being ready for the FAA check ride.
With a few more weeks of instruction, I have no doubt I will pass the check ride and I must give much of the credit to CRAFT for their guidance. I would not hesitate to use CRAFT for any of their other training offerings as I continue to add to my aviation skills.
While many of the advantages of accelerated training may appeal to someone who is busy, or has an aviation career in view, it offers tremendous value even to recreational pilots who desire a high level of training and can set aside the time to immerse themselves in the curriculum.
Taking vacation time to learn a new skill may not be everyone’s idea of getting away, but I found it to be an enjoyable diversion.
