Mastering the Command
Pilots told me “It’s the hardest check ride. It’s expensive. You’ll think you’ll never make it. But, as difficult, time consuming and expensive as it is, it will be worth it.”
There are two main categories of pilots who tackle the Command Instrument Rating. Firstly, young ones on their way to commercial careers, who still have room in their brains and; secondly, older plots, who, have ticked the marriage, children, and career boxes. I am in the second group, having exhausted flying VFR, in multiple countries, in 60 aircraft types, over 800 hours flight time. As an aviation journalist, I chose the more comprehensive CIR over an Aussie-only private instrument rating (PIFR), to optimise opportunities to test fly high-performance aircraft, plus for business and private flying.
Preparation
Having passed the IREX exam, I undertook CIR training with Avia Aviation, at Moorabbin. Early work was in the full motion simulator; initial instrument flying in a glass-equipped Vulcanair V1.0 that did not have an autopilot; and finally, state-of-the-art Cirrus SR20 and 22 G6, and SR20 G3 for night circuits.
There were many weather related delays: a long period of low cloud, strong (cross) winds, and poor visibility; the worst bush fire season ever, with skies obscured, poor visibility and thick unhealthy smoke; and finally, the first coronavirus shutdown, which halted testing for two months … just as I was to take the check ride.
My instructor was Marlan Balasuriya, Head of Operations at
