EridanMan writes:

For your information, flying an aircraft is about synthesizing ALL
available sensory input in an attempt to keep in constant
understanding of the aircraft's state at that moment, that includes
motion, visual cues, and instrument readings- its all tremendously
important.

Motion is so unreliable that I wonder why anyone would try to integrate it
except under very specific circumstances.

To Fly IFR, you must be able to already fly VFR, to fly VFR, you must
master an understanding of how the aircraft moves, and how those
movements feel.

Why? Autopilots fly IFR without any sensation of how the aircraft is moving,
and without visual cues.

Yes, such as takeoff rotation, climbs, descents, turns, landing
flares, and practically any other situation where you change the
aircraft's attitude and energy state.

All of these can be done successfully with instruments alone.

When an IFR pilot begins a 500
FPM descent, he does so by pulling back the power until he feels the
aircraft enter the correct descent, only using the gauge to confirm
that the aircraft's attitude is what he expects it to be.

Are you sure?

Does this mean that if he is disoriented and cannot feel the "correct
descent," he cannot descend?

Nobody flies successfully for a few minutes just by depending on ANY
one source of information available to them, whether it by
instruments, seat of the pants, visual cues, or audio.

Not so. In good weather, one can fly for a considerable time using visual
cues alone. Under any circumstances, one can fly indefinitely using
instruments alone. But one cannot fly for more than a minute or two using
physical sensations alone.

I am a former Simulator Jockey (FS8/Xplane 7). I know first hand the
confidence you feel because of your simulator experience. I know
first hand how that confidence screwed up the first few hours of my
flight training, as I constantly chased needles instead of bothering
to learn to positively control the aircraft. I have first hand
experience flying VFR. I have first hand experience flying IMC.

You are not me.

Its a shame to see such intelligence wasted on such inane
fundamentalist fanboy nonsense. But I've had enough of it.

Then perhaps you can skip the comments about me and either discuss the topic
or abstain.

--
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