Sounds like they need to get examiners that they believe in!
My flight test was done with a 40knt cross wind at 2,000' and I guess somewhat less at ground level. The examiner landed the aircraft after my test, not because of the wind but because there was a maintenance truck working half way along the already short by US standards runway. Mind you, it was his own aircraft and his own runway, so I wasn't about to argue. I've never known anything like it.
As I was told, if the examiner wants to fly at any point (as he did on my test) let him. You can't fail while he is flying!
In his words, I'd already passed at that point. And I was frankly petrified of trying to land in those conditions, with him watching me. And that was before I saw the maintenance truck messing about in the middle of the runway. So yeah, I wasn't going to say no.
David said:
You then did 6 days flying around the whole of the US, two pilots per aeroplane/instructor, logging about 4-5 hours each per day.
I wonder whether US guidelines for doing instrument training are still the same....
In Australia (these days) only the instructor and the pilot under tuition are allowed on board when on training flight in IMC or at night.
Apparently they're still doing it that way, so I guess in the US it's still okay. It's a really cost effective way to learn actually, because you learn a lot from sitting in the back and watching someone else. Partly because you learn from someone else's mistakes, but also because you have a bit more time to look at the chart, think about what's going on, etc. when you're not actually flying, so you can learn and ask questions in a way you can't when flying. Or you can snooze, which I certainly needed to!
David said:
Don't do it (IR training) somewhere with good weather! Do it somewhere with crappy weather. Far more interesting.
........
.... you learn a lot from sitting in the back and watching someone else. Partly because you learn from someone else's mistakes....
Watching from the back seat of a little plane, away from the controls, a trainee pilot practicing instrument let-downs "to the minina" in marginal weather is not, I am afraid, on the list of my favourite pastimes :)
Watching from the back seat of a little plane, away from the controls, a trainee pilot practicing instrument let-downs "to the minina" in marginal weather is not, I am afraid, on the list of my favourite pastimes :)
Well, it's not about fun, it's about really good learning, in the most cost and time efficient manner. As it happens the whole experience was incredibly enjoyable as well. Flying the Rocky Mountains in actual IMC, flying to Catalina Island then to a hotel where you park your aircraft outside the window, seeing Crater Lake covered in snow, flying past Mount Rushmore, taking off at -25 on a cold winter's morning and flying with the world's most experienced IFR instructor, all in one trip, was far and away the best flying I've ever done.
(It) was far and away the best flying I've ever done.
It must have been a very exciting trip indeed!
It must also been a good learning experience - at the end of it you passed your IR test :)
I did exactly as you plan with just one difference which is crucial, I did it in 4 weeks in one go.
I spent 4 weeks in Florida with my family. I would go to the airport when the rest of the family was still in bed and come home around noon give or take an hour. This left enough time to spend with the family. Mind you, my children were something like 8 and 13 so were happy to spend the morning around the pool or on the beach. You will need to be stationary without any great ambitions to travel around.
I self-studied at home in Switzerland for the theoratical exam which I took the first day I went to the flight school. I also took about 15-20 hrs of IFR sim time with a flight instructor in Switzerland, which helped a lot. I used 3 of the 4 weeks and had almost a full week left just for the family.
You need to find a flight school that can offer you a fixed schedule. In my case I knew in advance that I had my CFII 7 days a week always a 8 am. Since I didn't have a night rating I also had to do that one. I think that overall I accumulated about 40 hrs and passed the flight test with ease.
I trained in St. Augustine with old and stinking Piper Warriors, but it was all I really needed. I had a very good time and even my family enjoyed the vacation.
To sum it up, it can be done. You need to do your homework first though.
Good luck, Placido
Great posts. Doing it in one solid lump of flying is by far the best way. When I did the FAA IR to JAA IR conversion in 2011/12 (which was mostly flying NDB procedures, which nobody flies with the ADF in real life) I was flying once a week, and was really losing a lot of currency.
My FAA IR was done 2 flights per day, the 1st one 8am (desirable in Arizona!) and 6 days per week. The FAA IR was hard (much harder than the JAA IR in the checkride workload) and I would have never passed without that intensive training.
I took 2 weeks and only just got it in, but I already had the IMC Rating and ~ 500hrs TT. I thought I was good when I got there 
but this was a whole different level.
Most IR training is done in VMC - due to icing conditions if nothing else. In the UK, JAA IR training is done in any weather which is technically flyable. But you need VMC for unusual attitudes, for safety, IMHO. I have no idea what the FAA checkride guidelines are.
