Accelerated instrument training advantages & disadvantages
Accelerated flight training courses have been around for years, but they are not for everyone. Every flight training method has good and bad things to consider when deciding what method is best for you. Below we will discuss some of the advantages of accelerated training, followed by the disadvantages. We will conclude with ways you can minimize disadvantages to make your training easier.
Pros of accelerated instrument training
Takes just over a week
Total immersion every day
Free from outside distractions
Constant review and reinforcement
You will learn a lot of information fast
Cons of accelerated instrument training
Additional pressure of having to finish in just over a week
Total immersion can be overwhelming
No social life for over a week
Information overload
Quality of instruction can suffer
Turning the disadvantages of accelerated flight training into advantages
Additional pressure of having to finish in just over a week
This is really not as bad as you may think. You have to remember that you are totally immersed in training all day long, each day until your instrument Checkride. If you are used to the typical training route, then it is hard to imagine being able to finish in such a short period of time. This isn’t typical training and you are getting 5 times the training you normally get.
By the time you get to the end of your training, you would have reviewed everything so many times and so frequently, that you will know it. If it takes an extra day then it’s only an extra day. No one is going to force you to take your Checkride if you’re not ready. In a worse case scenario, if you absolutely had to get home and didn’t have an extra day to spare, then at least you’d be 99% of the way through your training and you could easily finish up in a couple of flights at a local school. We had a student come to us to finish when he ran out of time and in just a couple of flights, we signed him off and he passed.
Total immersion can be overwhelming
It’s only overwhelming if you haven’t studied and you put things off. Before you start your training you will be required to have your written test done. In order to pass your written you will need to know just about everything you need to know about instrument flying. You will know regulations, how to read charts and approach plates, etc. When you start training you will be constantly reminded of what you already know, so it won’t be as bad as you expect.
The problem comes when you don’t study or remember anything and are trying to learn everything all over again. You need to keep studying after your written so you don’t forget what you’ve learned. When you find a weak area, then study it. Any details will be filled in with your training with scenarios and real life flying in the system. Yes you will be busy, but if you follow our advice, it won’t be so bad.
No social life for over a week
No social life during your accelerated training gives you a break from outside pressures that typically interfere with your study time, flight training time and sleep. Giving up a social life for a little over a week will keep your head in the game and you’ll not only learn faster, you will get more sleep and be more rested and alert.
Information overload
This is similar to being overwhelmed as we discussed earlier. Yes, you will be tired at the end of the day but as long as you know a lot of the facts before you start your training and keep studying the rest of the material each night, then it’s not going to be new information that you are trying to remember, it will just be review. You won’t remember everything and may not understand everything but don’t worry, it will come when you are using it in the IFR system.
Quality of instruction can suffer
This is certainly possible with some places and it is really hard to tell where you will get good instruction. The best thing to do is ask questions before you sign up. We can promise you that our goal is to teach you in as much detail as we can to be sure that you totally understand everything and know when to use what you know in any situation that may come your way. We won’t leave questions unanswered. We won’t leave you confused and will review as much as needed to make you the best that you can be. Give us a chance to prove it, you won’t be disappointed.
