Thoughts on Instrument Training in an E

[Hank]

She is very enthusiastic about flying and I think she will work towards her license in the near future.  I would like to complete my instrument rating and be a little more educated/experienced when she does her private.  Then I'll have to worry about getting something she can train in I guess.

Let her train in a rental until she can land consistently, the transition to the Mooney. Insurance will require lots of dual for her anyway, even if already PPL. May as well put the time to good use and learn what she will be flying.

[phecksel]

I'll disagree with Dave, part of learning to fly inst will teach you how to fly the airplane.  We spent many of my first hours in the Mooney learning to set up speed parameters.  I went from low time PPL to getting checked out in the Mooney to IR in a very short period of time.  Good instructor who knew just when I was reaching my limit, and would back off a little bit.

[Hank]

I bought my Mooney shortly after earning my PPL. Did 15 hours dual including 5 hours IMC [mostly foggles, but some actual]. Took some time off to learn the plane, learn about flying in general and have fun. Went halfway to west coast and back VFR, flew to the beach, through the Appalachians and had lots of fun. Started lackadaisical IFR training, wasted money but enjoyed it. Two years after PPL, got serious and knocked it out, with a 3-month aircraft failure delay and the normal Ohio Valley 2-month winter weather delay [Jan & Feb]; December was cold but that makes for really great climb rates! Now I just come and go as I am able to get away from work, with the normal exceptions for ice and T-storms.

[chrisk]

My only comment is to get comfortable flying the E before you start instrument training. Instrument training is stressful enough on it's own. But if the avionics, airplane management (hand knows exactly when and where to go for what) and power settings don't happen fairly automatically your instrument training will be much more difficult.

I had ~600 hour in my Cherokee 140  and was instrument rated when I bought my J in 2010. After flying the J for 17 hours I went under the hood with my instructor and a guy in the back. NEVER (before or since) have I been so embarrassed by my flying! I didn't know the 430 and I wasn't comfortable flying the plane. It takes time to really know an airplane. If you're still learning the airplane while you're trying to learn instrument flying you will be behind the curve.

Just my $0.02

 

I was a freshly minted IFR  pilot when I bought my 231.  After a few hours, I had no issues flying comfortably under the hood or in IMC.   Then I upgraded the panel to an Aspen and GTN650.  I too experienced the same thing.  It took a long time before I was again comfortable with flying in IMC.  But now, I really like them.

[adrian]

As everyone else has said IFR training in your Mooney will be just fine. There are a few challenges in an E that you don't get in some other aircraft - particularly the low gear and flap speeds, the manual gear and manual trim... the workload in a go around from minimums is much higher than in many other aircraft. But you'll get good at it doing it with the right instructor.

I did 30.3 hours under hood and 10 hours on the simulator when weather was bad. ( My instructor wouldn't fly in IMC until very end). .

Was there ice or storms in that IMC? If not, I think you were very badly let down by your instructor. Training under the hood or with goggles is not the same. The only way to get comfortable flying in IMC is to fly in IMC.