PASSED IFR checkride today.

I have quietly read this newsgroup for the past year. It has been very
helpful. During that time I was studying for my IFR rating. We'll today I
passed it on my first attempt. What a relief!



1) Autopilot GPS/VOR KCMA

2) ILS KOXR

3) VOR/A KVNY

4) FLM hold on R-240 right hand turns

5) Examiner stated "my oral review was as good as an instructor"



I worked very hard on this. It was a true challenge. I plan on flying
practice approaches with an instructor once a month. I have taken the
written IFR exam every week for a year (faatest.com software) and plan on
continuing to do so. I got a 95 on the written. So to all those working on
this rating...put in the time..never give up.and you'll make it. By the way,
I spent almost $15,000. I bought a lot of stuff, DVD's, headsets, Cleared
for Approach, etc...I had 65 hours of IFR training all in a C172S/G

Congrates on the license to learn. Now go out and get all the actual you
can. Set limits, fly by them and know when to push (read expand) your
limits and when to yield to plans 'B'.

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

"STICKMONKE" wrote in message
...

I have quietly read this newsgroup for the past year. It has been very
helpful. During that time I was studying for my IFR rating. We'll today I
passed it on my first attempt. What a relief!


By the way, I spent almost $15,000.

I don't think I spent $2,000 on my IR, including gas. Got it all back later
when I sold the Archer for a nice profit.

Congratulations

--
Scott

On 10/2/2005 20:09, STICKMONKE wrote:

I have quietly read this newsgroup for the past year. It has been very
helpful. During that time I was studying for my IFR rating. We'll today I
passed it on my first attempt. What a relief!

Congratulations! It is quite a relief, isn't it?




1) Autopilot GPS/VOR KCMA

2) ILS KOXR

3) VOR/A KVNY

4) FLM hold on R-240 right hand turns

5) Examiner stated "my oral review was as good as an instructor"

That's always nice to hear too!




I worked very hard on this. It was a true challenge. I plan on flying
practice approaches with an instructor once a month. I have taken the
written IFR exam every week for a year (faatest.com software) and plan on
continuing to do so. I got a 95 on the written. So to all those working on
this rating...put in the time..never give up.and you'll make it. By the way,
I spent almost $15,000. I bought a lot of stuff, DVD's, headsets, Cleared
for Approach, etc...I had 65 hours of IFR training all in a C172S/G

$15k? Wow. I thought I pulled out all the stops, and I spent around $9k

I was pretty disappointed in my IFR check ride. The owner of the FBO (who
administered the check ride) made a couple large bone-headed mistakes
which I had to correct, and didn't really task me that much during either
the oral or practical flight portions.

But, like you I now have a license to learn, so that is what I'll do ;-)

Again, big congratulations!

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Sacramento, CA

Stickmone,

Congratulations on your hard earned new rating. What are the plane
rental and CFII rates in your area? Assuming you spent about $1K for
training materials, it appeared that your FBO charged you over $200/hr.

Of the 50 or so hours for my rating, over 30 hrs were spent in our
own plane with my husband/training partner as safety pilot. We took an
accelerated IFR course with Bill Zaleski in Schenectady, NY last May.
He charged $400/day and trained us anywhere from 8 to 10 hrs a day (as
long as we could last!). The total training cost for the two of us was
$2800. The operating cost of our Cardinal is about $50/hr. We
probably spent about $500 on training materials: a dozen or so IFR
training books most bought used for $10 or so, the Elite flight
simulator program (the most valuable tool), Clearance on Request etc.
The total cost for my instrument rating is under $4000 which is way
less than my PP ticket.

I'd highly recommend you finding another instrument rated pilot on
the field and trying to fly with each other as safety pilot. You learn
a lot while observing the other person flying and it will certainly cut
down the cost. If you have not already done so, a good simulator like
the Elite is also a cheap way to help with maintaining
procedures/scanning skills and preparing for actual flights.

Enjoy your new ratings. We have had a great time with our tickets
obtaining last Memorial weekend with 2 long cross-country trips
covering over 5000nm total. We will be taking another one next week
bringing our plane from NY to Mena, Arkansas for a paint job. I could
hardly wait to be in and out of the clouds again.

Hai Longworth

The C-172S/G are new and went wet fro $130.00 + $49.00 for the instructor.

I spent closer to $1500.00 in other stuff including $600.00 for headsets.

Stickmonke
"Longworth" wrote in message
oups.com...
Stickmone,

Congratulations on your hard earned new rating. What are the plane
rental and CFII rates in your area? Assuming you spent about $1K for
training materials, it appeared that your FBO charged you over $200/hr.

Of the 50 or so hours for my rating, over 30 hrs were spent in our
own plane with my husband/training partner as safety pilot. We took an
accelerated IFR course with Bill Zaleski in Schenectady, NY last May.
He charged $400/day and trained us anywhere from 8 to 10 hrs a day (as
long as we could last!). The total training cost for the two of us was
$2800. The operating cost of our Cardinal is about $50/hr. We
probably spent about $500 on training materials: a dozen or so IFR
training books most bought used for $10 or so, the Elite flight
simulator program (the most valuable tool), Clearance on Request etc.
The total cost for my instrument rating is under $4000 which is way
less than my PP ticket.

I'd highly recommend you finding another instrument rated pilot on
the field and trying to fly with each other as safety pilot. You learn
a lot while observing the other person flying and it will certainly cut
down the cost. If you have not already done so, a good simulator like
the Elite is also a cheap way to help with maintaining
procedures/scanning skills and preparing for actual flights.

Enjoy your new ratings. We have had a great time with our tickets
obtaining last Memorial weekend with 2 long cross-country trips
covering over 5000nm total. We will be taking another one next week
bringing our plane from NY to Mena, Arkansas for a paint job. I could
hardly wait to be in and out of the clouds again.

Hai Longworth

Congrats!

Ed

ATP CFI-AIM DC10/A320/330 FE TBJ


Wait a minute! No NDB approach?






"STICKMONKE" wrote in message
...
I have quietly read this newsgroup for the past year. It has been very
helpful. During that time I was studying for my IFR rating. We'll today I
passed it on my first attempt. What a relief!



1) Autopilot GPS/VOR KCMA

2) ILS KOXR

3) VOR/A KVNY

4) FLM hold on R-240 right hand turns

5) Examiner stated "my oral review was as good as an instructor"



I worked very hard on this. It was a true challenge. I plan on flying
practice approaches with an instructor once a month. I have taken the
written IFR exam every week for a year (faatest.com software) and plan on
continuing to do so. I got a 95 on the written. So to all those working on
this rating...put in the time..never give up.and you'll make it. By the
way, I spent almost $15,000. I bought a lot of stuff, DVD's, headsets,
Cleared for Approach, etc...I had 65 hours of IFR training all in a
C172S/G

Congratulations.

You haven't said how much of your training was in actual IMC, but if
most of it was hood training, be prepared for a shock when you fly
actual. Make your first foray into real clouds a day with no ice, and
good ceilings and vis below the cloud deck.

Hi Stick!

Congrats and stay current!

Did 2 approches and 2 holds in an AST 300 and then did ILS 2 into HVN four
times last month.

Greg
PP-ASEL-IA

"The Airman" wrote in message
...
Congrats!

Ed

ATP CFI-AIM DC10/A320/330 FE TBJ


Wait a minute! No NDB approach?






"STICKMONKE" wrote in message
...
I have quietly read this newsgroup for the past year. It has been very
helpful. During that time I was studying for my IFR rating. We'll today I
passed it on my first attempt. What a relief!



1) Autopilot GPS/VOR KCMA

2) ILS KOXR

3) VOR/A KVNY

4) FLM hold on R-240 right hand turns

5) Examiner stated "my oral review was as good as an instructor"



I worked very hard on this. It was a true challenge. I plan on flying
practice approaches with an instructor once a month. I have taken the
written IFR exam every week for a year (faatest.com software) and plan on
continuing to do so. I got a 95 on the written. So to all those working
on this rating...put in the time..never give up.and you'll make it. By
the way, I spent almost $15,000. I bought a lot of stuff, DVD's,
headsets, Cleared for Approach, etc...I had 65 hours of IFR training all
in a C172S/G