Don't skimp on the currency training, you'll never know when you're going to
find yourself in IMC and need to use the ticket.

Last fall I went up to Lake Tahoe and on the way back to San Jose, the
weather over Donner pass (~7000MSL with surrounding peaks up to 10,000)
turned to soup. After getting a popup clearance I ended up shooting an ILS
and landing in the rain back home (not forecasted). Prior to this flight, I
had not flown IFR, real or simulated, for 3 months. Needless to say, I was
rusty, and barely within limits, both enroute and on the approach.

Now, once a month, I either go up with a safety pilot or CFII and do the
drill: unusual attitudes, holds, and 3 approaches to mins. The flight
ususally runs less than 2 hours, and costs less than $200 with or without an
instructor. I also regularly practice random approaches (with failures and
gnarly weather) using both OnTop and MSFS2002. For me, this is the absolute
minimum currency training, and is worth every penny.

Good luck, hope you find a regime that keeps you safe, solvent and current.


"Marty Ross" wrote in message
et...
"Infrequent flying & IFR currency" - sounds like an oxymoron, I know.

I'm limiting my flying now due to lack of income (anyone have work for a
software developer?), yet would like to try to maintain my (recently
acquired) IFR currency.

I guess my best bet is to beg/borrow/steal/hire a safety pilot and shoot
an
approach or two (plus the other stuff) every month, in addition to
practice
in my home simulator, but I'm wondering what other wisdom/ideas I'll find
out there amongst y'all in the newsgroup.

Any tips, recommendations for keeping IFR currency as a non-owner on a
budget?