Hey all, looking for some advice or suggestions on building my next 100 hours. Last week I successfully passed my IR checkride at 150 hours TT. I still need about 5 hours complex time, my 100 nautical mile night XC, and the 300 nautical miler. Add appx. 10 hours for commercial maneuvers practice and I should still have around 70 hours open.

What are some of the things you guys did during the gap? Like my instructor said it's a license to learn, not necessarily to go out single pilot IFR right out of the gate. So what do you think, file IFR in VFR conditions? More PIC cross country time? I'm planning on a CFI cert, anything I could do now to help later?

 

Get a taste of flying IFR into busy class B and uncontrolled fields as well. Get a taste for all levels. Work on your personal comfort margins and stick to them.

 

Where you fly?

 

Road trip! But in a plane! Fly across the country, best experience you will get.

 

I fly in southern Illinois. Have the STL bravo about 60 west and Evansville charlie 80 east. Several more class C up north and numerous class D within 100 nm.

 

When I got my Instrument I had about 150TT as well. I was also in your same position wondering how I can log the 100 hours. Here is how I did it. I filed IFR even when the weather was nice and flew some cross countries. I tried to go to places for a reason like meeting family/friends for a meal etc. I also just looked at a sectional, picked an airport and flew there. I also flew/shared a couple of cross countries with another pilot. I wish I had done it more. Finally I got a checkout on a Cessna 150 and built some serious VFR cross country time. The airplane is truly a great way to build time. I highly recommend you get some night flying. I also cannot emphasize the importance of getting some actual weather flying. Please do so with a CFI until you have the confidence. Be very conservative with personal minimums. Even if you couldn't find some suitable actual weather flying, still fly with a CFI under the hood and shoot some approaches. I started working on my Commercial once I hit a 190 hours. My goal was then to log 10 hours a month. The C-150 helped me do that. Good luck and keep flying as often as you can. You will get there.

 

PearlPilot - Your ideas are all kind of what I had in mind. I've done the same thing picking random airports on the sectional. Flying IFR plans in VFR conditions will get me more used to talking to center and approach. Or at least request flight following. I have a few hours of actual which I really had fun with. Shot an ILS nearly to minimums one morning with my instructor. I'm honestly still somewhat intimidated by class B, but I feel like there's really no better time... I am working on a commercial rating after all. My instructor said he would go actual with me anytime, but those are expensive hours. Probably the best experience I can get at this point though.

Thanks for the replies.

Oh and I've done 95% of my flying in the 150. I believe if you can shoot an ILS on a windy day in an old 150, you can shoot one in anything. Really is a good airplane but anytime I get the chance for more room and power the choice is easy haha.

 

This may be the most fun you will ever have flying. You are REQUIRED to fly 100 hours and there is no way around it. No other time in your career will a trip clear across the country and back sound practical or economical. Go anywhere you want and do anything, fly IFR, VFR and night and day and everything in between.

Me personally I did some mountain training and spent some time at the SoCal mountain airports. I had my tailwheel endorsement at the time so I flew the tailwheel for many of those hours because it was cheaper than a 172 but 10 times the fun.

If you have money to burn (unlikely) get your tailwheel endorsement and get a seaplane rating for a few of those hours.

Do not spend it doing 100 hours of pattern work or to the same old fields. Take advantage of it.

 

I would love to go out and see the country but there are several reasons I can't plan such a trip. Work, money (hotels, food, etc) and I train at a smaller FBO so we only have two IFR trainers at this time. It would be good experience doing some mountain flying.

I think I need to attack my weak points and keep shooting approahes. I would like to first become more confident on the radios and the flow of the IFR environment. Also need to start becoming more familiar with enroute resources like flight watch and HIWAS, etc.

 

Go get your multi private and build multi time and then turn around and do your multi commercial check ride.