IFR Preparation
This week I begin my IFR training at the Calgary Flying Club. I actually started my IFR training a couple of months ago when I met with CFC’s Chief Flight Instructor, picked up the sylabus and all the recommended books and other materials (CAPs, LO/HI maps, etc). In Canada the ‘C’ in CFI refers to Chief not Certified, so from here on in CFI refers to the Chief Flight Instructor not Certified Flight Instructor. Up here in the north you’re either a flight instructor or you’re not. Then it’s simply a matter of what level instructor you are. Anyway, so I met with the CFI and he discussed briefly how things work and recommended that I try to train a minimum of two days per week and preferably three days per week. While three days might be a possibility if you are a full-time flight student, it’s practically impossible if you work a day job and don’t live (or perhaps work) near to an airport. For me, Springbank (CYBW) is a 20 minute drive at the best of times, so a settled on trying for two days a week; one weekday and one day on the weekend.
Like a little kid, I excitedly went through all my new ‘stuff’. I started reading through the recommended weather text (Air Command’s Weather Manual), which is a long slog, especially when done at night before going to bed. Next I went through the Instrument Procedures Manual (IPM) and followed that up by reading the IFR section of the AIP. Finally, I went through all the other stuff (as per above) and familiarized myself with everything. I also have the AeroCourse Instrument Rating Workbook which I started going through and answering questions in preparation for the written test.
Starting with the Weather Manual, I read everything at a rather rapid pace so as to give me a basic knowledge of as much as possible, but not so much that I formulated any ideas that were wrong. That is, I didn’t want to over think things that I hadn’t learned from the instructor in case I learned it wrong and had to unlearn the wrong way and re-learn things the right way. The idea will be to review the information again before and after each lesson. We’ll see how that goes.
