Originally Posted by
floyd78
Think about it like this...In the right seat you are there monitoring someone else doing the work and criticizing it. It is allot different when you are the one flying the needle. I think that the best thing to do before going to class is nothing but instrument flying on your own not watching someone else. I have spent the last 8 months doing nothing but IFR work to get as prepared as possible for Training. Basically you need to be able to fly IFR second nature without much effort so you can focus on the procedures and callouts. At least that is how I am preparing myself for class. I will let you know in a couple of months how it all works out..
That being said, a -II still must know instrument procedure, even if they suck at doing it when they actually fly. A lot of the weaknesses come from being unsure of how to enter/fly a hold or fly to/from a VOR. Knowing how to do it is half the battle. The other half is executing and being able to do it while actually flying the airplane. I do agree that watching someone fly the needles is much different from actually flying them, but watching others fly needles made me realize ways to do it better myself.
To the new Piedmont guys. Good luck! Study up on the procedures themselves so you don't have to be second guessing yourself in the sim. Be prepared and capable of flying instruments and you'll do fine. I'd also recommend practicing instrument procedures on a very basic aircraft - an older Skyhawk with no GPS, etc. That'll allow you to be pleasantly surprised when you get in the Dash and actually have a flight director and HSI, which make life A LOT easier (at least compared to traditional piston single instruments).