Instrument Rating Course - Frequently Asked Questions

What books do I need?
You will need the Jeppesen Instrument / Commercial - Part 61 kit. This will contain most of the training materials you will need. You can pick these books up by going to one of the pilot supply shops at the airport or onine. You will also need your airplane specific books or Pilot Operating Handbook and in the case of the Cirrus, the Cirrus Customer Transition Training Kit if you don’t already have it.

In addition to your basic books, you will need a set of approach charts. We use and recommend the Jeppesen charts over the government issued charts, but either will do.

How about ground school?
Our business is based on personalized flight instruction, not a canned mold that everyone has to fit into. If you are the self-motivated, self-study type of individual you can use the books and videos that are available on the market today and do most of the ground training yourself and we can just help you along. If you choose the self-study method, you must follow through with it and keep up, or you will spend unnecessary hours in the plane trying to learn things you should have learned on the ground.

We offer one on one ground training for those that desire a little more guidance. Most people choose a combination of self-study and instructor lead ground.

Which type of plane is better to learn in?
People have learned for years in traditional “steam gauge” aircraft. The net result from learning in these types of aircraft or in the newer “glass panel” planes is the same. Many people are choosing to use the glass panel aircraft while getting the instrument rating. The glass cockpit aircraft offers much greater situational awareness, which tends to help in grasping some of the IFR procedures.