"Michael" wrote in message
om...
Stan Gosnell wrote
When it comes to helicopters, you're probably right. But VFR airplane
pilots are taught the instrument skills necessary to operate in those
conditions.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. VFR airplane pilots continue to
die
under these conditions, the most notable lately being JFK Jr.

Actually, JFK Jr. was well on his way to an instrument rating, and
lost control in straight and level flight - which is pretty much the
first thing you learn. He also had an autopilot he could have
engaged. What's more, a disturbingly large fraction of thpse who die
in such conditions (as well as in inadvertent VFR-into-IMC accidents)
are instrument rated.

Personally, I think the difference between the pilots who die when
they encounter these conditions and the ones that shrug them off as no
big deal is not training (at least not for airplane pilots) but
something else entirely. Some people panic, and some don't. The
actual skill required to keep the shiny side up is pretty minimal.

Michael


I'm not sure which comes first. Disorientation or panic. Either one will
cause the other. You seem to have an easy time keeping your perspective
without visual references. Many people are not that fortunate and have to
consciously fight the urge to fly by the seat of their pants when their
physical sensors gets confused. Given the accident statistics for VFR flight
into IMC, that seems to be true of instrument trained pilots and not.

JFK and many others have become victims because they were not able to
recognize the problem until it was too late. Once the problem develops,
panic probably prevented them from taking simple steps that would have saved
the day.

By tracking VORs, watching min altitudes and contour lines on sectionals,
VFR pilots have enough training to navigate and avoid the ground without
visual references. Presumably, by the time they have to descend below
surrounding min altitudes, there would be airport lights to guide them. How
often do VFR pilots pay that much attention to the section while trying to
fly the plane.

I think that flying in VMC in the dark is probably the scariest thing. You
are responsible for see and avoid and yet, you need to have your head in the
cockpit to control the plane. For me, swiveling my head for an outside scan
can be disorienting. Too dark to see the clouds you might be flying into?
Hmm. I hope that there is only one of you out there.

VFR pilot in a VFR plane at night in the dark. How accurate is the
altimeter. Pitot/static system been tested lately? Vacuum, gyro, turn
coordinator? That's an awful lot of things that can go wrong in a plane that
doesn't officially need most of it just when the pilot might.

-------------------------------
Travis