Jim Macklin wrote:
: IFR with mountains obscured and MEA above 6000 feet makes
: single-engine and light multiengine a difficult trip since
: loss of an engine will put you in the strato or
: cumulogranite clouds. You can fly the light twin at cruise
: several thousand feet above the MEA and drift down while
: proceeding to a landing. But a plan is required.

I wouldn't say that particularly makes the trip "difficult." It does change
the risk management equation somewhat but that's not necessarily a "go/no-go"
dealbreaker for many people. Many folks will argue that single-engine IMC or
single-engine night is suicide, but thousands do it daily.

Flying in IMC with the freezing level lower than the ceilings and MEAs is a
significantly higher weighted risk than single-engine failure over the mountains.
That's why for me I feel the latter is an acceptable risk, but the former is not in my
light single.

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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