9 to 12 Day Instrument Rating
This is an intensive instrument course that requires lots of flying! The student must be available to fly with very short notice as we must take advantage of good flying conditions every chance we get! A very important aspect of general aviation flight is understanding that weather changes quickly, and frequently does not obey the forecast. There are a bunch of things to do and see around Hendersonville and Asheville, but you will need to stay close to the airport. We do everything possible to stay ahead of schedule, so there may be some time to relax and see the sights.
The aircraft is a Cessna C-172 equipped with a WAAS enabled enroute and approach certified GPS. We use an electronic flight book, electronic charts, XM weather, and the latest GPS technology to assist with flying a basic steam gauge equipped airplane. We fly in weather when it's safe. We file flight plans, and fly cross country. This course is taught by an experienced instrument pilot, in real world conditions, while flying cross country. You will learn the realities of instrument flight.
Johnson Field Airport is a semi private turf runway that is home to the Western North Carolina Air Museum. Johnson Field does not have approaches, but is surrounded by convenient training airports, including Asheville Regional. The ILS approach for Asheville's north runway initiates almost directly over the top of Johnson Field.
This course assumes that the student has at least 10 hours of PIC cross country experience. 50 hours of PIC x-country are required prior to taking the test, so much of the training is conducted while flying cross country.
You get 46 hours of flight training, that includes the airplane, a C-172M, and all instruction, plus use of the aircraft for the checkride. This is usually more than enough time. I accompany you to the checkride to help ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Lodging on the airport is included for up to 12 nights. Additional nights are $75 per night.
The checkride fee is $850. Additional time is available at $248 per hour. All required instrument approach plates and charts are included, as well as headsets. It is strongly advised to invest in an IPAD and Foreflight, or a similar application.
PAYMENT TERMS
Deposit to hold dates - $1200 plu $150 examiner booking fee, First Payment $5950 due, payable and earned 5 business days prior to start date, please take into account mailing times if mailing a check. Second Payment at 22 hours $5275.
Payment Mailing Address is: 1194 Eastbrook Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792
The checkride fee of $850 is paid directly to the examiner and is not included in the course price.
Total Price with up to 12 nights lodging is $12,675. Prices are cash or check only. Credit cards are accepted, but will add an additional 3% processing fee.
Please bring your valid US Passport or Birth Certificate to validate US Citizenship prior to start of training.
Extensive time is blocked out of the schedule for the aircraft and instructor to accomodate the training, therefore, there is a $1200 non refundable deposit required in order to reserve dates. The deposit secures the training dates and is applied to the end of the course. 5 business days prior to arrival, half of the remaining course tuition, and the full boarding fee - $6200 - is due, payable, and earned by Blue Ridge Sport Flight. At the completion of 22 hours, the second payment of $5275 is due, payable, and earned by Blue Ridge Sport Flight. After the first payment is made, should the student elect to discontinue training at any time prior to the completion of 22 hours, for any reason, the first payment, and the deposit will not be refunded.
The examiner fee of $850 is paid directly to the examiner in cash or check While it is very unusual for weather to keep us from completing the training in the allotted time, weather delays are a normal part of general aviation. Inability to complete the course due to weather is not grounds for a refund, instead, Blue Ridge Sport Flight will work with the student to reschedule the training. If the aircraft or instructor become unavailable for training at the fault of Blue Ridge Sport Flight, any unused tuition will be refunded to the student at the current published hourly rate, or the student may reschedule.
The course is NOT guaranteed, and is not suited to all students, if the student needs more time, any additional required hours or days will be at the published hourly rate of $248. The examiner's fee is not included in the course price, and the examiner is not an employee of Blue Ridge Sport Flight, and not under our control. The flight test requires good weather and is subject to the examiner's schedule if the test must be rescheduled due to weather or unsatisfactory performance.
Students are expected to fly a minimum of 4 hours per day when weather, aircraft, and instructor are available. On most days, the flying window is from sun up to sun down, at any time the conditions allow. If for any reason the student elects to fly less than 4 hours on any safely flyable training day, the student will be billed for the full 4 hours. All flight instruction is conducted under the supervision of an FAA Certificated Flight Instructor. All students must comply with the all FAA regulations, and with the lawful instructions given by their instructor. Any student found to be operating the aircraft in a careless and reckless manner, in violation of FAA regultions, or not in compliance with their instructor's directions, shall have their instruction immediately terminated, and any and all tuition payments will be forfeited, and the student's actions may be reported to FAA. Blue Ridge Sport Flight LLC reserves the right to stop a student training session at the end of the first half of training for any reason.