Need some advice and direction.
 

Hello, I've been browsing these forums for quite a while now but I never registered.

Here is the story, I obtained my private back in 2008, and was going to a local college which had an Aviation program. They had a link with DCA (Delta) and I flew Cirrus SR-20's in training for my instrument rating, everything was great and I was progressing well and I had passed Stage Check 2. Then some personal things came up and I had to use what little funds I had. Unfortunately it went downhill from there in terms of training. I was unable to garner the funds I needed to continue flying, and banks had ceased student loans, and the one I had was empty. I had to pause my aviation training.

Fast Forward to the present day, I have over the past year and a half saved up enough to where I can get through finishing Instrument and Commercial, and possibly CFI (This is being very conservative with money). Here's where my question lays. I can't afford to fly Cirrus anymore and I am no longer with DCA. I will be finishing Instrument at my old flight school in a 172. How much training and catch up flying do you think I would need to be proficient for a check ride going from a Cirrus back to a Cessna (No Glass)? This is excluding book learning (I am covered there as I have made it a priority to retain all that information.)

Sorry for the wall of text, I'm just trying to get all my angles covered. I have talked to a few flight schools, but I figure that I would ask for sound advice here as well. Also from my past experiences, I do not trust people in making monetary decisions for me so I'm trying to get realistic advice from unbiased people. Thanks

If you were my student (yes I'm still a current CFII), I'd put you in a simulator if it were available and get your scan and procedures back to proficiency and then go out in the airplane. In my opinion the issue isn't so much going from the Cirrus to the 172 as it is getting your proficiency back up to speed.

Yeah, that's what I kind of expected, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about transitioning from Instrument in the Cirrus t Instrument in the Cessna. Hopefully it comes easier than I'm making myself think it will. I think I've had it easy all my training because of the glass.

Having not flown a glass panel, Im not sure if my opinion will be of much help, and I cant comment on the transition, but I thought I might as well throw it out there.

As a current CFII at a very large flight school, and have trained students who take long breaks in their instrument training, I can say it does really depend on the student. I have had students who are able to pick it right up after one review in the sim, others are having to start right back at square one. My suggestion is to do as much home study as you can, jump in the back seat of another training flight as much as possible, and do enough sim flights to get your scan and procedures back before spending time and money in the airplane.

Good luck

The glass panel is no different that the conventional panel when it comes to access to information. You just have to train yourself to pull the information from different places and work on your instrument scan.

Do you have Microsoft Flight Simulator? If not, spend $50 on it and practice your instrument scans on it. Don't worry about aircraft control, just focus on the T-scan and the hub-and-spoke scan.

Your other option is to find a simulator and get some BAI (Basic Attitude Instrument) training in it before jumping an airplane, since it's cheaper. I've done BAI training in 8-10 hours, including partial panel.

Go to my website (linked in the signature), there's a page on BAI in the "C172SP Flight Training Materials" file.

If you practice this over and over again, full and partial panel, you can get it done in 5-6 hours.

http://www.cfidarren.com/r-bravo.gif

P.s. Holy crap that image is huge!

Here's a more approachable (pardon the pun) link to that lesson from Darren Smith's excellent website. If you can fly this pattern under the hood in a piston twin with an instructor shouting, the critical engine failed, and ATC issuing an approach clearance while your headset battery dies on you, then you're ready to continue your IFR fun.

Bravo pattern

I do have Flight Sim...I have to use the 04 edition because my computer cant run FSX haha. And thank you very much for the suggestions, I will definitely use that.
Haha thanks, I was actually hoping not to hyperventilate today but I guess thats not an option LOL