freezingflyboy

Just curious, which program are you talking about? Sounds like the management there has their heads up their arses if you ask me...

bluebravo

That is pretty crazy. I'm glad my cfi scared the **** out of me from time to time, otherwise i wouldn't enjoy the flying as much as i do in hairy situations.

calcapt

These guys are idiots. They are not into teaching as much as they are into covering their a$$es and making money. They should be ashamed of themselves cranking out unqualified students who know little of hard IFR battlefield conditions. There are countless young pilots all over the country making their way through aviation life by hand flying approaches to minimums seven or eight times a day. The equipment they fly is at times substandard, yet they pull it off safely day in and day out. These babied 700-1 students you talk about will have no chance to survive in a jungle like this. In many respects, the big time airline guys have it much better as their equipment is state of the art and the autopilot compensates for many pilot shortcomings. It is the way of things however that one usually has to pass through the substandard and tough jobs to get to the nice cushy jobs - if they survive? Your students would do themselves a favor to find someone to teach them the hard and ugly side of 200 and 1/2 or 100 and 1/4 with crosswinds. They will be better pilots and probably live longer! It is also time for you to move on as your work there is done.

BeatsCFIing

i hate to say it, but i have issues signing students off who i cant train for all aspects of IFR flying, i think i may find another job, either instructing or something else. i would rather stop flying for a little while and have a good conscience rather than continue to do half hearted instruction because our sop's wont allow it

btwissel

you could always fly to airports that are below your company's mins, and if the say anything, tell them it was better than that when you left.

our Mins are 500' & 1sm, so we're not a lot better.

YourCptSpeaking

I fly with beatscfiing regularly and am in the same program, taking my CFI ride in 6 days...

I completely disagree with the weather minumums as well, as in my training we routinely went up with strong winds (as much as 60kts at 3000, doing holding...that was a fun day let me tell you...) and with the t/o weather at 300 and 1 or sometimes less. I did do my instrument rating with this program, but back then our flight training was outsourced to another 141 school through the local FBO. There were never any issues and I consider myself a better instrument pilot because I experienced LOTS of actual IMC BEFORE my checkride. Now that we have our own 141 certification, things have changed a bit, and in my opinion for the worse.
Thanks to all who replied, especially those already in the business. It's nice to know that the two of us aren't completely off our rockers on this topic and that others think the situation is ridiculous as well.

Your CptSpeaking

dash trash

CALCAPT!!!!!
check your PM!

MikeB525

I just got IFR in october with only 2 hours actual. The examiner said I did great under the hood, but I've only done one approach in the clouds. I know I can't do real hard IFR even though my temporary certificate says I can.

Whenever conditions will allow, I plan to get up with a CFII or another private pilot and do some work in the actual weather. However, I'm must say I'm not 100% comfortable flying down close to mins in these old FBO rental planes. Even at good FBOs they usually have some radio or instrument issues. For my IFR ride I was in a Warrior whose vacuum pump was going. I would not agree to operate that aircraft on an approach down to mins in the condition it was in. Unfortunately, it seems FBOs mainly focus on providing aircraft for primary students, and the IFR equipment seems neglected.

Just my $0.02

BeatsCFIing

you know, mike you have the right attitude, we train you in the worst but u underrstand that you should not go out and rip around in the soup with minimal experience. as captspeaking said, when our program was starting, our flight instruction was outsourced to the local FBO with all skyhawks being SP's newer than 2002. These airplanes combined with one riddle and several UND grads as cfii's really helped build the confidence amongst the students. i can remember my sixth approach was the LDA/GS to roanoke, as we descended out of 6000, we could see the mountain peaks of the blue ridge on both sides of the Final Appr Course. On the way back into LYH, we shot the ILS to 100 and 1/2. That was how i learned about going down to TDZE+100 when the ALS are in sight. Anyways, train hard and fly safe.

calcapt

You either are an IFR pilot or you are something else. You always have the possibility of finding yourself in 200-1/2 weather after thinking you were only going to encounter 800-2. It's much like the swimmer who jumps in the pool thinking it was the shallow end when in fact it was the deep end. You are either a swimmer or you are not. Don't fool yourselves into thinking that you will only fly in good IFR weather because you will get caught - not if, but when! There will be a day that the forecasters get it wrong and you find yourself looking at a 200-1/2 approach right in the eyes and it will be your only option. Hopefully you are ready!