Any recreational pilots on AT?

[Descartes]

Becoming an instrument-rated recreational pilot is something I've always wanted to do. There are a lot of resources online of course, but I'd like to hear some first-hand experiences if possible.

General thoughts, resources, tips, pros/cons, etc. would be helpful.

 

[rudder]

Just plan on flying enough to keep yourself proficient. Recreational VFR flying is one thing, but taking the occasional IFR trip is a little more serious. My recommendation would be to make sure you get recurrency training above and beyond the FAA minimums of you do not plan on doing too much IFR flying.

That and stay away from thunderstorms and icing and you should be fine.

 

[Yossarian]

I'm a private pilot working on my instrument rating. Some tips I can give you are to take intro lessons/test flights with a few different instructors and pick the one you feel you can learn with. You don't want somebody who thinks that yelling at you is an effective teaching method, for example. Another tip is to have all the money you need for training up front. Private pilot in the U.S. will cost $3500-$5500, depending on local rates and how many hours you need to finish training. Minimum is 40 but the national average is like 55-60.

If you have any specific questions just let me know via PM or just post them here. Flying is some of the most fun you can have, and the secret is that just about anyone can learn to do it.

 

[Descartes]

Thanks for the tips!