Ok, I've had the fortune of being both and IFS instructor and now flying with IFS graduates, in addition I was stashed at the office where the IFS program is monitored/established in P'cola.
As a CFI in the civilian world, IFS has its inherant flaws. Some people pick things up slower, but they are better in the long run, some instructors don't teach as well as others. For what its worth, I soloed in 2002 in a brand new Piper Archer with over 15 hours, and now I'm at Vance forgetting everything my retired naval aviator instructor taught me a few years back.
Ok, so you have ~9 total flight school who still have IFS contracts-which is better than the any 141 school near an ROTC unit so thats good, but these flight schools are using instructors who have 0 dual given to thousand of hours. Part of the problem is everyone is not getting an equal shot, I can say when I was a fresh CFI, I was scared as hell to send a stud up (one of the reasons I didnt solo until 18 hours). And while that feeling never left me, with experience you learn what to look for when you are putting that $50,000 license on the line, and this is a big variable to consider.
Second what the hell is the point of the solo x-c in IFS?.. I said it then and I'll say it now. There was a time when they had gone to the ghost solo x-c, but it looks like that has changed. There are too many varibles, like WEATHER, or based on the caliber of some of the a/c I've seen used in IFS, that there is NO reason why someone with ~20 hours of total aeronautical experience is really prepared to handle. Fine, I'll give you the solo in 15 hours, but that can be better controlled. This is supposed to be an introduction to flying, but its more like an abbriviated PPL, make up your mind if you want a PPL, pony up the coin. Otherwise introduce some other things, like an ILS or night flying.
From my experience here at Vance, a PPL would do wonders for these studs. With my time, I'm even behind, I can only imagine what its like to go from not even being comfortable with a 172 to less comfortable with a 200kt rocket(for what it's worth the T-6 is a bad a$$ bird, but the Navy is making a huge mistake in buying it, for one the landing gear can't take Navy landings)
As a CFI in the civilian world, IFS has its inherant flaws. Some people pick things up slower, but they are better in the long run, some instructors don't teach as well as others. For what its worth, I soloed in 2002 in a brand new Piper Archer with over 15 hours, and now I'm at Vance forgetting everything my retired naval aviator instructor taught me a few years back.
Ok, so you have ~9 total flight school who still have IFS contracts-which is better than the any 141 school near an ROTC unit so thats good, but these flight schools are using instructors who have 0 dual given to thousand of hours. Part of the problem is everyone is not getting an equal shot, I can say when I was a fresh CFI, I was scared as hell to send a stud up (one of the reasons I didnt solo until 18 hours). And while that feeling never left me, with experience you learn what to look for when you are putting that $50,000 license on the line, and this is a big variable to consider.
Second what the hell is the point of the solo x-c in IFS?.. I said it then and I'll say it now. There was a time when they had gone to the ghost solo x-c, but it looks like that has changed. There are too many varibles, like WEATHER, or based on the caliber of some of the a/c I've seen used in IFS, that there is NO reason why someone with ~20 hours of total aeronautical experience is really prepared to handle. Fine, I'll give you the solo in 15 hours, but that can be better controlled. This is supposed to be an introduction to flying, but its more like an abbriviated PPL, make up your mind if you want a PPL, pony up the coin. Otherwise introduce some other things, like an ILS or night flying.
From my experience here at Vance, a PPL would do wonders for these studs. With my time, I'm even behind, I can only imagine what its like to go from not even being comfortable with a 172 to less comfortable with a 200kt rocket(for what it's worth the T-6 is a bad a$$ bird, but the Navy is making a huge mistake in buying it, for one the landing gear can't take Navy landings)
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