Being able to fly an airplane is important, but it’s more about your instrument ability. You’ll want to have a strong knowledge of instrument rules and procedures. Be able to handle a garmin (not sure what Ameriflight has in there airplanes). You’ll want to practice flying under the hood or in a sim with a 6 pack/HSI. You won’t have time to learn instrument and the 99 at the same time. The 99 is a very easy airplane to fly and the emergency items are straight forward. You will need to become standardized and somewhat robotic/automatic when doing things. The airplane is flown with a very light touch, and always trim off the control pressure. You’ll want to know the power setting and appropriate air speeds for various stages of flying.