Just logged my twelfth training hour towards IR.
Yes it could go faster in summer. Had a break of five weeks where nothing matched.
But every single hour has been unbeatable with regards to the amount of learning items.
It’s just another thing, with an overcast in 300 AGL for example. Or when ice is not a theory item, but something that really has to be considered.
Yes it was ISA-20 outside, so at 4000 MSL -13. Still enough to generate confusion 😳
I was a bit on the low side during interception, 3900 MSL, instead of 4000, and that’s already 400 ft below. As the ROC at intermediate approach is only 500ft it could have been already quite close. And I wasn’t aware…
Ah at 9nm/3000ft near FAF, you should see more than 300ft delta between baro vs true from very cold freezing days (ISA-20C), I think it’s 5%xFAF altitude for every -10C? the real question should you intercept at 3300ft instead of 3000ft 
150ft delta 4nm make more sense but at 1nm/300ft we are talking really small numbers unless you fly at ISA-50C?
While ago someone claimed we should adjust MSA, MEA, FAF altitudes for cold temperatures corrections (MVA incorporate these), if I do that and nail 3290ft, the IRI or ATC thinks I just busted my level or can’t fly
why the altimeter indicated that we were more than 250 ft above glideslope while at the same time the glideslope indicator was quite in the middle.
How far you were from threshold? how do you know the “true altitude”? DME distance x GP angle? did you cross-check against GPS-W altitude?
250ft delta while you are in 4nm range is way too high unless you have clogged static: you can’t have that much from hysteresis, position errors, instrument errors, setting errors, low temp corrections…
PS: on the right time to do PPL training, it’s always CAVOK between Xmas & Nye, one should be able to clock 20h of flying in that gap, what is pity is most schools and airports are locked 
Ibra wrote:
CBIR training in Nov would be more useful !
I come back to this because I now start to really agree. Had some flights already (as far as time and weather permitted) and doing the training in this period of the year gives quite a lesson. I already had several times that moment where I had to notice that it’s the exact reason why I’m doing all this! Only one of my flights so far would have been possible VFR. All others included short periods of IMC.
It’s all in. Weather planning, ice avoidance (which means on most days no training flights, but not on all days…), low ceilings. Already had an approach that would not have been doable with the BIR, but only CB-IR due to low ceiling. Very impressive to pop out of the cloud in about 300 ft AGL. Or to understand and (try to) anticipate winter fog weather, and at the same time, plan and learn about all possible alternat(iv)es while flying.
One of the nice puzzles my instructor gave me during the last descent on an ILS/DME was why the altimeter indicated that we were more than 250 ft above glideslope while at the same time the glideslope indicator was quite in the middle. I checked the altimeter setting and thought about me having to replace the old gauge, and had my struggle to notice that all altimeters showed the same discrepancy of about 10 % to true altitude. But still I had no clue while hand-flying that approach. Later he explained me.
Who knows why?
Airborne_Again wrote:
I believe the best is to fly two flights a day, not cramming in as much as you can. I distinctly recall from my flight training how I improved much more from one day to the next rather than from one flight to another on on the same day. (I was 24 at the time.)
I agree. I remember that I once scheduled a 4hr long flight during PPL training, but we aborted after 2 hrs because it was all a bit too much and I was starting to feel dizzy doing lots of coordinated turns between the clouds.
Peter wrote:
Two flights a day is probably the max for most people.I was doing that on the FAA IR in Arizona. That was very hard flying (hardest I’ve ever done) and I was 49 then.
I concur; especially if you have a good instructor who will give you a proper pre-flight briefing and a thorough résumé once your lesson is over.
This makes 1hr of flight time nearly 3hrs of activity. This twice a day = 6hrs per day – More than enough for most people to absorb effectively.
[Peter: You beat me to it: I was 55 when I took the IR and “Teaching Old dogs, New tricks” certainly takes time!]
If training in The States, (which I recommend), I would definitely encourage doing all the ‘Written’ study beforehand.
With modern computer programmes one can pace oneself to be getting a 100% regular score before you depart.
Once you get to the US, (since you can only do the ’Written’s’ there now), you can ace the computer exam the moment one lands. Then one can concentrate on nothing but flying instruction after that.
But as Peter says, Don’t delude yourself: Getting the FAA IR is hard flying with a thorough (at least 1 hour) ‘Oral’ exam thrown in at the end!
Two flights a day is probably the max for most people.
I was doing that on the FAA IR in Arizona. That was very hard flying (hardest I’ve ever done) and I was 49 then.
How much do you actually fly each day on an intensive course? If you want to finish in the minimum flight time possible, I believe the best is to fly two flights a day, not cramming in as much as you can. I distinctly recall from my flight training how I improved much more from one day to the next rather than from one flight to another on on the same day. (I was 24 at the time.)
