Originally Posted by
MitchRapp
Piece of advice for the sim. If your instructor wants to sign you off after lesson 8, take the sign off. If you don't need the extra training then don't take it. I've seen crews ask for the extra 2 'just to freshen up' and the instructor not signing them off only to hit the training wall and bust the check ride. Study hard, chair fly, and ask questions. The ones not getting through are those not putting in the effort outside of the classroom/sim. The second half of the program is busy, expect it. Study on your own. Chapter 4 and 7 of the POH should be your best friend.
This is great advice!
I know that when I went through, indoc was really easy, and so were systems (at least for me). IPT's were a little challenging, but with 10 sessions and a great partner, he and I got through them pretty easily.
When sims hit, it was a completely different game all together. I felt that the instructors prepared me well for the check ride, but I know that my partner and I spent a lot of time outside of the normal lesson working together.
Put the posters up, get with your partner, and fly 100 practice approaches. Make sure that you can do all of the flows 100% and make sure that the memory items are down. Make sure that you can get the airplane from the gate to the runway in a quick and orderly fashion, including all of the FFOD checks.