I’m approaching my instrument checkride, and along the way, I’ve tried more resources than a Cirrus has cupholders. Some were game changers. Some… let’s just say I wish I could log that time under “lessons learned.”
This post is my attempt to give future IFR students a clearer path—one that skips the dead ends, overpriced distractions, and time-wasters I ran into. Whether you’re just starting out or knee-deep in holding pattern procedures, I’ve distilled months of trial, error, and forehead-against-the-yoke moments into a list of what actually helped me progress—and what didn’t. I’m using my own rating system:
Climb: Absolutely worth it. These helped me level up.
Straight & Level: Useful, but not without flaws. They’ll get you there—eventually.
Dive: Don’t bother. Save your time, money, and sanity.
Area 1: Flight Training
Jeppesen Instrument/Commercial Syllabus
As a Part 61 student, having a structured syllabus made a world of difference. It outlines each flight and ground lesson with clarity, but given you are Part 61 you have the flexibility to adapt to your pace. This was a North Star for me and my instructor.
Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery: Instrument/Commercial
Beautifully laid out. Gorgeous illustrations. But in the age of YouTube, FAA Handbooks (free PDFs!), and print copies from ASA, it’s overkill. Save the bookshelf space.
IFR Communications by Pilot Workshops
Whether in book or interactive course format via Sporty’s, this was a game changer. Real-world scenarios help you practice comms for every IFR phase of flight. It made me sound like I knew what I was doing—which is at least half the battle.
ASA FAR/AIM 2025 (Printed Copy)
Sure, it’s as exciting as watching paint dry on a hangar wall, but it’s the FAA’s gospel. The printed copy gave me the freedom to tab, annotate, and revisit without squinting at a screen.
Area 2: Written Test Prep
Flight Insight IFR Ground Course
Engaging visuals, great use of flight simulator demos, and a charismatic instructor. But it skips key areas (hello, weather?) and lacks solid test prep tools. Still, their free IFR Checkride at a Glance PDF is one of the best checkride prep documents out there.
I used this as a supplement. It’s thorough—just don’t expect any cinematic flair. The real MVP here is the test prep engine: tons of questions, good explanations, and solid analytics.
ASA Instrument Rating Test 2025-26
This was my main weapon for the written. Strong topic intros, tons of FAA-style questions, and clear explanations. Includes unlimited practice tests. If you can only get one thing for the written, this is it.
Area 3: Practical Test Prep
ASA ACS Instrument Rating (Printed Copy)
Like FAR/AIM, the ACS is available for free. But a printed, highlighted, dog-eared version is gold when prepping. Know it, live it, love it.
PilotCafe.com IFR Quick Review Study Guide
This document hits the sweet spot between comprehensive and concise. Pay what you want (which is just classy), and pair it with Flight Insight’s free checkride sheet, and you’ve got your oral covered—except for aircraft-specific systems, which you’ll need to dig into your POH and supplements.
King Schools Checkride Prep Online Course
It’s not just the dated production—this one missed the mark for me. The oral section felt too generic and watching Martha fly the ride didn’t translate to real-world readiness. I got more from reading the ACS and watching YouTube mock orals.
ASA Instrument Pilot Oral Exam Guide
Overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. I wanted to like it, but the format wasn’t useful and I abandoned it halfway through. PilotCafe did it better—and for whatever price you feel like paying.
And Finally …
ChatGPT for Test Preparation and Regulation Questions
This one might raise a few eyebrows, but hear me out. ChatGPT became one of my most-used tools for breaking down FAA regulations, clarifying ACS tasks, and prepping for both the written and oral portions of the checkride. The key is knowing how to use it: always ask for references from the FAR, AIM, or FAA handbooks, and treat it like your clever study buddy—not your final authority.
For example, when I was trying to figure out how to properly log simulator time from 20 years ago that was entered as “Ground Trainer” in my old logbook, I asked ChatGPT:
“Can ground trainer time be logged toward instrument experience, and how should it be logged based on current FAA rules?”
It not only walked me through the answer, it also cited FAR 61.51(g)(4) and directed me to relevant sections in AC 61-136B and the Instrument ACS. That saved me from hours of digging through conflicting forum posts and PDFs.
It’s not perfect—you should always double-check the citations—but if you’re using ChatGPT thoughtfully, it can be like having a helpful CFII on standby at all hours. Just one that never gets grumpy when you ask the same question five different ways.
On the Final Approach: What I’ve Learned
Instrument flying is rewarding, humbling, and occasionally panic-inducing. But the right tools make the journey smoother—and the wrong ones can burn through your wallet and logbook hours without much return.
If you’re just starting out, I hope this saves you time, money, and midnight frustration sessions Googling “hold entry cheat sheet.”
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