10-Day Instrument Training Course

My name is Noah, and I completed the 10-day accelerated IFR training course. I had spent most of my flight hours at a traditional flight training school and wasn’t satisfied with how slowly I was progressing, so after some research, I found AFIT. From my first phone call with Tony to the day of my check ride, it was a great experience. I felt supported, and everyone involved seemed genuinely invested in my success.

My Experience: When I first called Tony, he was able to fit me into the schedule fairly quickly. I believe I actually filled in for another student who was unable to do the program on the scheduled dates. After my initial call with Tony, he put me in touch with my instructor, Eddie. When Eddie and I spoke, he suggested doing my training in an aircraft with a G1000. I had never flown with those avionics, so he arranged a time for me to come out a week before and do a trial flight to make sure I could adapt to the new-to-me system.

Once I had settled on the plane I would be flying, it was time to get to work. The first couple of days, we spent mornings doing ground school and afternoons in the plane. I will say the first three to four days were challenging simply due to the amount of new material I was learning. With that being said, Eddie did a great job making sure I wasn’t too overwhelmed and supported (more on Eddie below).

About halfway through the program, things began to click. We did two days of long flights (about seven hours each) with numerous instrument approaches. As we entered our last couple of days, we stayed mostly local, doing a high volume of approaches at a fast pace to solidify my skills and push myself. By the time I finished the training, I felt confident both in the plane and in my oral exam knowledge.

This brings us to the check ride. I proceeded with an examiner named Jonathan, who made me feel very comfortable and was extremely professional through the exam process. In conclusion, I would highly recommend AFIT to anyone. However, if you decide to do accelerated training, you must be ready. It is hard work, and you shouldn’t show up until you have thoroughly studied the ground school portion needed for the oral exam.

This is because there is a lot to learn in the airplane, and if you spend too much time on ground school during the 10 days, you’ll find yourself in a situation like I did — putting in long days to get your hours. Also, be prepared to be pushed to your limits because IFR flying is very different from VFR flying. There is a lot to learn in a short, limited time.

My Thoughts on Eddie: Let me start by saying I don’t have enough good words for Eddie. From the moment we started to the day we wrapped up, there was never a doubt in my mind that he only wanted the best for me. Eddie is an experienced instructor with over 20,000 hours of flight time and 30+ years of instructing. He has flown professionally for both airlines and the private sector. He is, without a doubt, the most experienced and talented instructor I have ever worked with.

When we flew together, he did an amazing job teaching me at an appropriate pace. Many people told me accelerated programs feel like drinking from a fire hose, but with Eddie, I never felt that. Right from the start, he improved my aircraft control by teaching me to “fly by the numbers,” which was a huge help as I learned new skills.

For the first few days, he handled the radios so I could focus on flying. As he taught me how to fly approaches, he explained everything very clearly and precisely. Eddie pushed me to my limit while still making me feel comfortable. There were times when he was stern — but only to point out mistakes and help me remember not to repeat them. No matter how the day went, every evening when we got back to Van Nuys, he had a smile on his face and said, “That was a good flight,” even in the beginning when I wasn’t at my best.

Another thing Eddie excelled at was recognizing when I was feeling overwhelmed or fatigued. He would ease back on the instruction, suggest a lunch break, or even call it a day if needed. Twice, he noticed I was fading before I realized it myself.

Lastly, Eddie was excellent at correcting my mistakes and encouraging me when I did well. I almost don’t want to say too much about him because I hope to do my commercial license with him and want to keep him for myself. But if you get the chance to train with Eddie, there’s no doubt you’ll leave a much better pilot than when you arrived.

Noah Corson

Claremont, California

• Noah Corson - Claremont, California