Instrument Rating Accelerator Course (PilotWorkshops)
In stock
Backordered
Get Checkride Ready (Again)
Many pilots are unprepared for the intensity of instrument training. There’s an enormous amount of information to learn, plus dozens of new and complex skills to acquire. By the time you take your checkride, you’re expected to be able to juggle all of this competently—and confidently—while flying in the clouds.
It’s no wonder many instrument students don’t feel ready for the checkride or for flying in the IFR system once they get their rating.
What if you could “ride along” on another pilot’s instrument rating? What if you could be right there, in the cockpit, from the very first training flight all the way through the checkride?
The Instrument Rating Accelerator gives pilots a unique view into the instrument rating. What an online ground school does for your written exam, this course will do for your checkride.
What is the “Instrument Rating Accelerator”?
We did something that has never been done…we took a private pilot through an entire instrument rating (including a full checkride with a real DPE) using a flight simulator and remote instruction. And we recorded the entire thing. The use of flight simulation provided a unique experience for the student pilot, and allowed us to do things that really enhanced the instructional value of the material.
You’ll follow a Private Pilot (Mike) through his entire instrument rating. You’ll see him struggle, and succeed. You’ll watch him make mistakes, and recover. As he learns, so will you.
All told, we captured over 60 hours of video during the making of this course. Then we edited it down leaving the best bits—in total about 14 hours of curated, instructional video. The result is an unconventional course that shows you exactly what to expect during instrument training and the checkride. You’ll learn what instructors and examiners are looking for, and how to exceed their expectations.
If you’re training for your instrument rating, the benefits are obvious. By watching these videos, you’ll be better prepared for each lesson, and truly ready for your checkride when the time comes.
If you already have your instrument rating, think of the value of reliving the experience and how much more you would pick up the second time through.
And if you’re a CFII, watching other instructors teach can be the best way to improve your own techniques and procedures.
This course will accelerate your IFR knowledge, no matter what level you’re at.
The Student
Mike Stuermer
Private Pilot
Mike is a low-time private pilot who flies Cessna 172s and 152s out of Wausau, WI. He had no experience flying complex aircraft or using advanced avionics prior to this course. While he took an instrument ground school class a few years ago and passed his written exam, he never began instrument flight training.
When Mike was offered the opportunity to be the student for our Instrument Rating Accelerator course, he jumped at the chance. Plus, having legendary CFII and DPE Doug Stewart conduct his checkride was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (even if a little intimidating).
The Instructor
Ryan Koch
CFII, Director of Product Development
Ryan is responsible for the design and development of our new online training courses and pilot-friendly manuals, and oversees the course development team. He is also an active flight instructor specializing in instrument flight, is a flight simulator expert, and has experience doing remote flight instruction via simulators.
Ryan was the driving force behind the development of several PilotWorkshops online courses, including Instrument Rating Accelerator, IFR: The Missing Lessons, Garmin GTN: Next Level, and Advanced IFR. Ryan is also a contributing expert for PilotWorkshops' IFR Mastery series and is a regular participant in the Instructor's Roundtable. He teaches ground schools, runs ATC communications courses for both IFR and VFR pilots, and has developed curriculum for a variety of IFR proficiency programs, and a simulator-centered high school aviation program.
The Examiner
Doug Stewart
CFII, DPE, National CFI of the Year
Doug Stewart was the “National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year” in 2004. A Master Certified Flight Instructor, Gold Seal Instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner—he is based at the Columbia County Airport (1B1) in Hudson, NY.
Doug owns and operates his own flight school specializing in instrument training and has logged over 12,500 hours of dual instruction given, with over 5,700 hours of that being instrument instruction.
He offers fully immersive IFR training trips that give pilots an intense and thorough exposure to the real world of IFR flying. His long course (The East Coast IFR Experience) is a five-day trip up and down the East Coast that incorporates some of the most challenging approaches and varied flying conditions available anywhere in the country.
Why We Used Flight Simulators
All the instruction in this course was delivered using flight simulators and remote instruction. Using simulation for the lessons gave Ryan far more flexibility and control as an instructor. He could:
- Set the training flights anywhere in the country, using either real-world or custom weather
- Train in a solitary environment without ATC, or add the increased workload of realistic radio communication by using live ATC services provided by PilotEdge
- Reconfigure a modern glass panel with steam gauges when it was beneficial
- Pause to discuss what just happened, or to set up the next phase of a lesson
- Secretly (and safely) trigger instrument and system failures that would play out far more realistically than using instrument covers in an airplane
- Include solo IFR flights in the syllabus—an invaluable learning experience that’s just not possible in the real world
We captured every screen on video, selected the best footage, edited it together, and added on-screen callouts and notes so you won’t miss a single detail.
Course Overview
Before most of the lessons, Ryan assigned Mike homework. It consisted of relevant reading from FAA publications and other sources, a series of questions they’d discuss, and (for the later lessons) briefing the weather and creating a flight plan for the flight.
The course is organized into six progressive stages that mirror a complete instrument training syllabus:
- Master the fundamentals of instrument flying, including attitude control, navigation, instrument scan, and partial-panel skills.
- Learn to confidently fly IFR departures, arrivals, and instrument approaches while developing effective cockpit procedures.
- Apply your skills during realistic IFR cross-country flights featuring live ATC, changing weather, and real-world decision-making.
- Gain valuable experience through solo IFR scenarios that reinforce planning, workload management, and pilot-in-command judgment.
- Prepare for your practical test with mock oral exams, stage checks, and high-workload training flights designed to simulate the checkride.
- Follow a complete instrument checkride, including both the oral and flight portions, to see exactly what examiners expect and how successful applicants demonstrate proficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Your training is available online at Sportys.com/mycourses and in the Pilot Training App available on iOS and Android. You can watch it on any computer, tablet or phone.
A: No. Once you register your login credentials, they will never expire. You will always have access to the program.
A: Yes, you can download the videos for offline viewing from the Sporty's Pilot Training iOS or Android app.
A: Yes – with your login info, you can access the site from any device as often as you want for personal use.
