My IFR journey is underway

Everything seems to be falling into place.
Approximately a year ago I started looking into IFR training so I went back to the school where I trained and received my PPL. I took a few IFR lessons but they were averaging in the neighborhood $200.00 per visit. It didn't take long to determine this was going to be quite expensive. I made the decision to invest my money in a panel upgrade (which had to be completed eventually), instead of the flight school. I posted a thread to get opinions of what was needed for IFR flight, I was a little discouraged because the census was not for training in a tandem aircraft.
I went ahead and moved forward with the panel upgrade. Now that my panel is complete my plan is for every hour I spend training in the 8 is $150.00 towards the panel.
I frequent a local pilots forum here in DFW, so I posted a request for a CFII willing to train in a tandem experimental. As you can imagine it took a bit of convincing that experimental aircraft fly just as safe as production planes and that non tso'ed equipment can be used for IFR flight.
It just so happened that I found a CFI that is training to get his CFII and was looking for a couple of guinea pigs to teach ground to before he went in front of his examiner.
I also found a CFII that would give it a try to see if we could train in my 8.
The ground portion consists of 10 sections and we are meeting twice a week until complete.
With the CFII I am trying to get in two flights a week and they are averaging 3 hours.
I am two weeks into it and so far everything is going well, the training in a tandem has not been to bad, the instructor can see the top row of gauges from the rear seat. He also carries a portable GPS to check what ever he needs, and he can see my 430 from over my shoulder.
I am really wanting to get through this while I have access to the instructors, I hope it doesn't become overwhelming.

Good job!

Your biggest challenge will be taking the check ride. I hope you can find a DPE who will work with you in the tandem plane, but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen.
The good news is that you can do most of your training in your plane, but I expect you'll need a few hours in a 'regular' plane to get comfortable enough for the check ride.
Also, will your CFII fly with you in actual IMC in your plane? If not, I suspect he will suggest at least a couple of hours of actual IMC in another plane as well.

Tim 8-A said:

The ground portion consists of 10 sections and we are meeting twice a week until complete.
With the CFII I am trying to get in two flights a week and they are averaging 3 hours.

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Congratulations. An IFR ticket can be very useful, and it is a good way to expand your skills.

Hopefully you can keep up the pace, as you lose less ground between flights when they are not too far apart. When I was doing my military flight training we were flying every week day, and I would feel less sharp on Mondays, when it had been three days since my last flight.

Are you doing three hour flights? If so, you might find that your brain is getting tired long before you hit the end of the flight. It might make more sense to shorten the flights up a bit so you are making good progress for the whole time you are airborne.

Back seat CFII

DGlaeser said:

Your biggest challenge will be taking the check ride. I hope you can find a DPE who will work with you in the tandem plane, but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen.
The good news is that you can do most of your training in your plane, but I expect you'll need a few hours in a 'regular' plane to get comfortable enough for the check ride.
Also, will your CFII fly with you in actual IMC in your plane? If not, I suspect he will suggest at least a couple of hours of actual IMC in another plane as well.

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I agree with Dennis, I seriously doubt that there is a DPE that will give a checkride from the back seat. There are several problems. Not being able to see everything that you are doing, like setting up the nav radios. Also the inability to cause required "distractions" during the ride, like pulling a circuit breaker or covering an instrument. The good news about having to checkout in something like a 172 for the "ride" is that it after mastering IFR in an '8,' the 172 will super easy to fly on the gauges.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

DGlaeser said:

Your biggest challenge will be taking the check ride. I hope you can find a DPE who will work with you in the tandem plane, but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen.
The good news is that you can do most of your training in your plane, but I expect you'll need a few hours in a 'regular' plane to get comfortable enough for the check ride.
Also, will your CFII fly with you in actual IMC in your plane? If not, I suspect he will suggest at least a couple of hours of actual IMC in another plane as well.

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In my original conversations with the CFII, is that any time he thinks we need to move to a side by side I would rent a 172 from the local school. I expect I will have to spend the last 3-5 hours in a 172 followed by my check ride in a 172.
I haven't started looking for a local DPE that will do a check ride in an experimental, much less a tandem.
It sure would be sweet if I could find one!

Tim 8-A said:

In my original conversations with the CFII, is that any time he thinks we need to move to a side by side I would rent a 172 from the local school. I expect I will have to spend the last 3-5 hours in a 172 followed by my check ride in a 172.
I haven't started looking for a local DPE that will do a check ride in an experimental, much less a tandem.
It sure would be sweet if I could find one!

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Sounds like you have the right CFII and a solid plan
DPE's I've spoken to are somewhat willing to fly in experimentals, especially common ones like RV's, for a PVT ride. I had a Sport Pilot student who got his ticket in his Zenair 601XL (a year before the spar "AD")
The problem with the IFR ride is lack of familiarity, since we all have unique panels. In your case the tandem is definitely a deal breaker. You'd have a decent chance in a side-by-side.
If a miracle occurs and you find a DPE who will do the ride in your plane, he/she will be a VERY popular person in the RV world!

IFR Training

Tim, Getting your instrument ticket is one of the best forms of life insurance you can purchase! Just like life insurance though, you absolutely must pay your premium (stay proficient) OR be honest with yourself and don't allow yourself to USE it when you are not. As a military Instructor I tell each student that this is the most important phase of their training. Personally I wouldn't be here without it...from my own experiences flying as well as when my father was flying with my pregnant mother in a bad snow/ice storm, although I have not ever asked him about his pre flight planning!

IFR Journey

Tim,

My IFR Journey began in October in a rented G1000 172... My RV-7A has been going through an upgrade to WAAS only IFR. Because of the current PTS for IFR I would not have been able to do all of the approaches necessary for my check ride in my RV. I therefore made the investment to learn in a rented G1000 172 which will be similar to my Garmin dual G3X RV. I am closing in on doing my checkride soon (I have been taking lessons 2 or 3 times a week and each lesson usually lasts between 1.5 and 2hrs). When I pass my check ride in the 172, I intend to learn (with an instructor) to fly the RV proficiently in IMC under IFR...

Good luck.
Victor

Due to the weather this would have been the second time that I would have to attend a flight and ground school in the same day.
My CFII was hired to deliver a plane so he canceled, about an hour later I get a tex from the ground instructor canceling school due to 24 hour bug.
Man, I felt like I received a unexpected Paid day off of work.
I love flying but IFR training is definitely work.

Ground school sessions are complete, I still need a few days of studying before I take the written.
Flying once to twice a week, and its an absolute hand full! I am training as if I will have to take the check ride in a 172 so, I am trying to use only my CDI and HSI when possible. All this technology in my plane and I'm not using it, I want so bad to hit the map button on my GRT and follow the magenta line I even have a Ipad as knee board and it stays on the approach plate. Last flight was 2.0 hours on VOR approach and holds.
I am having a major problem holding my altitude with everything else going on, the slower I fly the worse the altitude hold.

Tim,

I passed my IFR check ride TWO weeks ago in a rented 172... I am seriously looking forward to using my new rating in my 7A's upgraded instrument panel.

I also struggled with issues related to time and my instrument flying skill set.

Hang in there... the effort and the result is worth the journey.

Victor

IFR

Tim 8-A said:

Ground school sessions are complete, I still need a few days of studying before I take the written.
Flying once to twice a week, and its an absolute hand full! I am training as if I will have to take the check ride in a 172 so, I am trying to use only my CDI and HSI when possible. All this technology in my plane and I'm not using it, I want so bad to hit the map button on my GRT and follow the magenta line I even have a Ipad as knee board and it stays on the approach plate. Last flight was 2.0 hours on VOR approach and holds.
I am having a major problem holding my altitude with everything else going on, the slower I fly the worse the altitude hold.

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I fly quite a bit of IFR with no autopilot and here's a little tip that might help on altitude. When you level off, peg the VSI on zero, quickly reach up and center the dot on the AI. During your scan, fly the dot. It's amazing how just a little movement on the dot above or below the horizon can be caught before you lose altitude. Like you I learned on nothing but needles, you'll appreciate it later on.
Don