On 4 Jan 2007 14:51:28 -0800
"bdl" wrote:


Mxsmanic wrote:
How do you know? Plenty of people thought they knew it well enough in
the simulator.

And?

And maybe you are wrong as well. Until you actually do "instrument
flight" in a real airplane with real clouds, you wouldn't know.


When I was doing my initial training for my private, I was lucky enough
to have the opportunity to do a flight to 10,000 ft with a CFII during
minimum VFR (just over 3 miles visibility, unlimited ceiling)
conditions due to mist. With the slant to see the ground at nearly 2
miles up, we couldn't see anything around us and were effectively on an
IFR flight in contact with Center, though technically in VFR
conditions.

Even though we had completely smooth conditions at the time, there was
a world of difference in realizing your only way out of the white bubble
you are floating in is your instruments versus flying in similar
conditions in the simulator. Things like the vibration of the engine,
the forces the plane exerts in level and banking flight, and the
actuality of it cannot be fully replicated in a PC simulator. It was a
very eerie experience that would be good for VFR pilots to see for
themselves. The hood and the simulator don't replicate the experience
well at all.

After flying in near actual instrument conditions, it is easy to see
where a VFR pilot, even one with simulator experience but without real
world experience, could lose control of the plane in short order.
Continued VFR flight into instrument conditions is a top cause of
accidents according to the Nall report. Throw in some turbulence and
some distractions and you have a completely different experience from
the safety of a simulator.

Doug

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