On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:10:38 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

Sure, but if you want to get from point A to point B, and the weather
doesn't cooperate, you are simply out of luck. This means that you
cannot rely on GA for scheduled (meaning planned in advance) travel if
you can only fly VFR.

The longer the trip you plan, the more likely it is that an inability
to fly IFR will prevent you from completing it (or even starting it).
...
Unless I were flying over desert in the severest clear weather, I'd
fly IFR with passengers. You never know when clouds or fog might
appear ahead. Being equipped to handle icing would be handy, too,
although avoidance would be the key policy for that.
...
If you have understanding passengers, fine. If they are going to a
wedding or job interview, though, this is a serious problem.
...
If you seriously want to use GA for transportation, the private pilot
IS on the same level. Without an IFR rating and an appropriate
aircraft, a private pilot is fairly useless for real transportation,
unless he happens to live in a place like Death Valley.

You know, you're awfully opinionated for someone who doesn't know what
the hell he's talking about.

RK Henry