Jay, in the northeast, about 10% of my preplanned trips are cancelled
due to IMC conditions my M20J and/or me are not able to handle. More
than half would have been had I needed to fly VFR. Think of these
trips being 300 to 700 mile XC on a predetermined schedule to various
meetings.

An instrument rating improved the effectiveness of the airplane for my
use profile from about 50% to about 90%. I don't know enough about
other parts of the country, but IMC, soft or hard, are likely to be
found within a few hundred miles miles of my home base much of the
time, and summertime low vis .with haze happens around cities where I
want to go.




On Mar 1, 11:58 am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I said "largely" illusory -- not *entirely*.

Here's why: It's IFR 5.4% of the time, and your IFR ticket will
definitely help you fly out of that, as opposed to my VFR-only
ticket. However, what makes the IR's weather-handling ability
"largely illusory" is that your aircraft (and mine) can't fly in a
(currently unknown, but suspected to be large)percentage of that
5.4%.

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"