On Mar 2, 2:12 am, Mxsmanic wrote:
Jay Honeck writes:
Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
absolutely no fun for the passengers, whose only real reward for
putting up with GA is the view. (Well, and the time savings over
driving, of course.)

Most of the instrument rated pilots I know try to avoid flying IFR as
much as I do, only using the rating when necessary to pop up (or down)
through unavoidable IMC. This, of course, leads to a lack of
proficiency, and the unavoidable fact that they really aren't prepared
for flying in hard IMC.

This is exactly what Mary and will use the rating for -- a safety
outlet -- and is one major reason why we fear that we might just end
up just dangerous enough to kill someone.

What about flying IFR at night? If it's dark enough that you can't see much
outside, you get the benefits of IFR without many of the dangers of IMC. You
can just fly regular night flights IFR and maintain your currency that way,
and yet you won't be stressed by bad weather to worry about.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

What ARE you rambling about? Go look up the definition of IMC and
VMC. Its not about weather or day or night. Its about flying by
instrument or visual reference. There are plenty of hazy summer days
at 12 noon that have alot less visibility and "reference to visual
cues" than the darkest nights with only a few lights below to gauge
which was is up and down. IMC at night is just as "dangerous" as IMC
during the day. IMC is IMC, regardless of what the clock says. If
you don't know how to interpret the instrument and get spatially
disoriented, you can die just the same. Remember JFK Jr?...not a
cloud in the sky but a moonless flight over dark water with no
reference to the ground or horizon. While he was not instrument
rated, IMC killed him just the same.

--Jeff