Suitability

An IR does not demand exceptional technical skills or hand eye co-ordination. However, it is rightly thought of as the most difficult qualification a pilot will acquire during their career. It demands the right attitude, willingness to learn, a determination to focus and succeed coupled with an ability to accept constructive criticism. Rate One Aviation offers courses that are tailored to the needs of customers who understand this, and who value their own time. We make significant efforts to deliver on our promises and for this to work, there is an implicit bargain. If you agree to learn checklists and speeds then we expect you to be able to fire them back without hesitation. If you don’t get around to achieving this yourself, at zero cost, then we will teach you but you will incur additional costs and spend more time than might have been planned. If you arrive for an intensive period of flying and then spend every spare moment running your business and private life through your iPad or mobile then you will not achieve the maximum rate of progress possible. Again we will help, but you can expect it to take longer and cost more to reach the required standard.

If you have significant experience prior to the course this is good, but can bring its own problems. Some pilots may have learned to use that experience to overcome the effect of poor basic techniques. This will not work during the skill test and a little gentle re-education may be required. Where it is possible to be flexible and accommodate personal preferences we do so, but if you want to get the best value from the course you need to focus your energies on understanding what is required to pass the IR flight test, and then delivering it.