Got My Instrument Rating!!!

[jkb458]

Passed my Instrument checkride last week.  So glad to get that completed...

[RocketAviator]

Congratulations

[clh]

congrats!!!!

[chrisk]

Congrats

[Robert C.]

Congratz, wonderful feeling isn't it!?

[rbridges]

awesome!

[fantom]

Well done...now the real learning begins!

[jkb458]

Well done...now the real learning begins!

Thanks for all of the congrats!  I remember so well the end of my private checkride six years ago.  The examiner said, "Congrats.  You passed.  Now the real education begins."  I'm sure this will be no different.  Looking forward to learning lots of safe, not costly lessons.

[WardHolbrook]

Well done...now the real learning begins!

Congratulations on getting the rating and I’ll second what Gary said  about now the real learning begins - it really is just a license to learn.

 

Now that you've completed your rating I'll give you the same advice that I have given all of my instrument students and on many occasions here in this forum - go pick up and spend some quality time reading the latest editions of Weather Flying by Robert N Buck and Instrument Flying by Richard Taylor. (You can get them both on Amazon.)

 

These books will go a long way towards filling in the gaps in your training and help you learn how to use the system in the real world and how to actually fly weather. They're excellent books and reading them cover to cover a few times will do you a lot of good.

 

Weather Flying goes into detail on how to safely get that new IR "wet" without scaring yourself too badly in the process.  It's excellent reading and give a step-by-step on teaching yourself how to do it when you don't have the luxury of riding shotgun with an experienced pilot.  Here’s a link to another website that you ought to spend some quality time with as well.

 

http://avwxworkshops.com/index_guest.php

 

Have fun and enjoy, there is a lot to learn.

[MooneyBob]

Congrats. I got my in last June. Already used it few times. Before that I was looking for perfect clear skies to go flying. Now I can't wait to get nice safe 1500 - 2000 feet ceiling  and practice my holds and approaches in the actual.
Looks like tomorrow will be good day again.

[donkaye]

Congratulations on getting the rating and I’ll second what Gary said  about now the real learning begins - it really is just a license to learn.

 

Now that you've completed your rating I'll give you the same advice that I have given all of my instrument students and on many occasions here in this forum - go pick up and spend some quality time reading the latest editions of Weather Flying by Robert N Buck and Instrument Flying by Richard Taylor. (You can get them both on Amazon.)

 

These books will go a long way towards filling in the gaps in your training and help you learn how to use the system in the real world and how to actually fly weather. They're excellent books and reading them cover to cover a few times will do you a lot of good.

 

Weather Flying goes into detail on how to safely get that new IR "wet" without scaring yourself too badly in the process.  It's excellent reading and give a step-by-step on teaching yourself how to do it when you don't have the luxury of riding shotgun with an experienced pilot.  Here’s a link to another website that you ought to spend some quality time with as well.

 

http://avwxworkshops.com/index_guest.php

 

Have fun and enjoy, there is a lot to learn.

Those books are good.  One other MUST read is "Severe Weather Flying" by Denis Newton.  I've read it multiple times.

[Bartman]

Congratulations JKB !

I remember before I finished my rating we got into situations where it would have been easy to get into the VMC to IMC trap. We stopped and rented cats several times short of our destination. Now we make good decisions and use the instrument ticket on nearly every flight. Use the system every flight and stick with your personal minimums is my recommendation. Oh, and learn as much as you can about weather.

[jkb458]

Congratulations on getting the rating and I’ll second what Gary said  about now the real learning begins - it really is just a license to learn.

 

Now that you've completed your rating I'll give you the same advice that I have given all of my instrument students and on many occasions here in this forum - go pick up and spend some quality time reading the latest editions of Weather Flying by Robert N Buck and Instrument Flying by Richard Taylor. (You can get them both on Amazon.)

 

These books will go a long way towards filling in the gaps in your training and help you learn how to use the system in the real world and how to actually fly weather. They're excellent books and reading them cover to cover a few times will do you a lot of good.

 

Weather Flying goes into detail on how to safely get that new IR "wet" without scaring yourself too badly in the process.  It's excellent reading and give a step-by-step on teaching yourself how to do it when you don't have the luxury of riding shotgun with an experienced pilot.  Here’s a link to another website that you ought to spend some quality time with as well.

 

http://avwxworkshops.com/index_guest.php

 

Have fun and enjoy, there is a lot to learn.

Many thanks Ward!

[jkb458]

Those books are good.  One other MUST read is "Severe Weather Flying" by Denis Newton.  I've read it multiple times.

Thanks Don!

[cliffy]

Congrats! The best rating you will ever get.

Don't go 90 days without practice (with a hood) or actual conditions with good ceilings. Get your feet wet slowly. If you do get a chance at an ILS with 500 foot ceilings practice staying on the gauges until mins anyway. Don't just give up when you go visual. HAND FLY a lot on ILS apps to keep sharp. Don't become an autopilot cripple. We had many of them at the airlines. I hand flew every third approach in the Boeing just to stay in the game.

If you use your head and stay in practice you'll do fine and enjoy the learning experience.

Remember 2 things- ICE KILLS YOU AND ALL ON YOUR AIRPLANE and as Dirty Harry said, " a mans got to know hislimitations!".

[rainman]

Congratulations! Well done. Stay current, day and night, use the ATC system, and enjoy that long range travel machine. Ray

[jkb458]

Congrats! The best rating you will ever get.

Don't go 90 days without practice (with a hood) or actual conditions with good ceilings. Get your feet wet slowly. If you do get a chance at an ILS with 500 foot ceilings practice staying on the gauges until mins anyway. Don't just give up when you go visual. HAND FLY a lot on ILS apps to keep sharp. Don't become an autopilot cripple. We had many of them at the airlines. I hand flew every third approach in the Boeing just to stay in the game.

If you use your head and stay in practice you'll do fine and enjoy the learning experience.

Remember 2 things- ICE KILLS YOU AND ALL ON YOUR AIRPLANE and as Dirty Harry said, " a mans got to know hislimitations!".

Thanks for the advice.  I really appreciate the knowledge of those with so much more experience than I.

[DonMuncy]

Jeff,

Flying on instruments when you can't see anything is easy. Flying an approach for the first time without an instructor, wondering when you are going to break out, is pretty scary. Going into the clouds shortly after taking off and switching from visual to instruments is scary.

My advice is to pick a day with 1500 to 2000 ft at departure and destination. Try to get ATC to let you fly at an altitude that will keep you in IMC.

After you do a few of these, pick a day with 800 to 1000 at departure and 1500 or so at destination.

After a few of those, do some with 600 to 800 at both ends.

Your confidence should be pretty good by then.

Good luck trying to find those days when you want them.

[Danb]

Way to go. Time to start learning...good job..

[carusoam]

Congrats!

Ice and thunderstorms,

-a-

[jkb458]

Jeff,

Flying on instruments when you can't see anything is easy. Flying an approach for the first time without an instructor, wondering when you are going to break out, is pretty scary. Going into the clouds shortly after taking off and switching from visual to instruments is scary.

My advice is to pick a day with 1500 to 2000 ft at departure and destination. Try to get ATC to let you fly at an altitude that will keep you in IMC.

After you do a few of these, pick a day with 800 to 1000 at departure and 1500 or so at destination.

After a few of those, do some with 600 to 800 at both ends.

Your confidence should be pretty good by then.

Good luck trying to find those days when you want them.

Thanks for the the info Don!

 

I have already begun with your advice, albeit at higher cloud bases.  I was flying from Atlanta to Perry, GA last Friday and the cloud bases were around 5k MSL.  I filed for 6k and got a little actual until I was south of Atlanta.  My stormscope was completely clear and the forecast was for no convective activity.  Once I got to Perry, the controller gave me vectors for the ILS 36 at KPXE.  I flew the approach and canceled at a one-mile final.  I plan to continue to file, even in VMC, just to keep in practice.  And I'l certainly be looking for some days with lower ceilings than I found last Friday.

[N7186V]

Congrats!  I need to get on that myself.

[Mooneymite]

Congrats!

Well done. An important rating.

[mike_elliott]

Congrats!

Stay cautious, stay current, stay competent. Continue to fly with your instructor often, and fly like that weather is trying to kill you, because it is.

Well done!

[John Pleisse]

Way to go....now be careful.