Hilton wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:

This was more of a judgment issue than a flying skills issue. Most pilot
training, at least short of the airline's CRM training, rarely covers much
about judgment. Some instructors are much better in this regard than
others, but it simply isn't high on the list typically.


I totally agree. Please see my reply to "Morgans". Our certificate
requirements include very little about decision making, and clearly not
enough instrument training for the Private. While these are the leading
causes of fatal accidents, the PTS changes are primarily maneuvers additions
and removals. For example, if our 3 hours of instrument Private training
was sufficient, the why do non-IFR Private pilots only last 178 seconds in
IMC?

I almost wonder if it would be better to not require the hood time at
all. I wonder if it doesn't build a false sense of security as any
instrument pilot knows that three hours just isn't sufficient to give
you any real capability at all, especially if you don't get recurrent
hood training.

I thought that hood flying was pretty easy when I got my private. Then
I began instrument training and had to not only fly the airplane, but
talk to ATC, navigate, check the weather, handle equipment failures,
etc. All of a sudden, it didn't seem so easy ... until about 40 hours
later! :-)


Matt