Kobra wrote:
My DE said don't even think of going out
alone until you have about 15 or 20. I think that's sound advise for

"hard"

IMC.

Any particular reason for that advice?



Snowbird,

Not sure how he came up with that number, but let's face it, one should have
*some* hours in actual conditions before venturing out alone in the clouds
and soup. I'm sure it varies person to person, but I think we all can
agree that 0 hours in actual IMC is not a good time to start out solo. How
about one...two...three...? Who knows? But someone, somewhere even if it's
yourself has to set a minimum number as a reference and it should be based
on experience and history.

In my examiner's opinion and experience he feels that 10 hours is the
minimum needed experience in actual IMC for an average pilot to become
familiar and comfortable enough with instrument conditions to venture out
alone.

I think it depends on the weather conditions as we both talked about. 1000
to 1500' ceilings with 4 or 5 miles visibility is a comfortable starting
point with minimal experience.

I've found some within this group with something we were all trained in
during our private, instrument and commercial training that is dangerous.
And that is the *Macho* personality trait. The "..who needs actual IMC
time? I was prudently trained and confident and if you were too you'd be
out there flying in the soup like me!" or the "...I don't need no stinking
GPS or Autopilot! That sissy-ass $hit is for wimps and losers and if you
were a real pilot like me you'd pull those @#$%ing things right out."

I hope we are all conservative when it comes to flying in IMC and we start
out slow and build our experience, skill and confidence patiently and
safely.

I don't think having some arbitrary number of hours makes much
difference. I think the more important issue is how you begin to use
your new ticket. I've seen a number of authors of IFR books provide
something like this:

1. Start by taking off from an airport with VMC conditions, climb
through a fairly thin cloud layer to VMC conditions on top and then land
at an airport with VMC.

2. Take off in VMC, fly enroute in a thin layer, land in VMC.

3. Take off in IMC, fly enroute in IMC, but land in VMC.

4. Take off in ICM, fly enroute in IMC, land in "easy" IMC.

5. Repeat 4 gradually working closer to an approach in minimums and
adding in worse weather enroute.


Matt