On May 18, 7:34*am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
*I've only
shot 54 instrument approaches under the hood, and have maybe fifty hours
total simulated IMC, which pales into insignificance when compared with
someone who flies instruments daily.

PLEASE, PLEASE go out with an IA pilot and touch a cloud! It's the
folks that don't actively touch a cloud that gets in the most trouble,
not the ones that do it daily. You have the means to do this, so
really there is no excuse for you..

I put this in my original post and will reiterate it, ias it is sooooo
important! I have taken VFR pilots and IA students up and even been
safety pilot with newly minted pilots who never touched a cloud DURING
an approach.

The hood, blinders what ever you wish to call it doesn't compare to
the real deal. MSFS doesn't compare to the real deal.

A couple of the pilots had NO clue what it was inside IMC, and came
out of it whiter then the cloud. Not because of turbulence mind you,
but the fact they did not know which way was up or down. For the
instrument pilot where I was safety, he was behind his airplane,
enough to on the edge of dangerous. Not from his flying skills, but
not knowing in detail what the procedures are in the ATC system AND
making it work for him. He was getting a little overwhelmed just
getting to his first fix!

What is failing to be recognized in this entire thread is the workload
is upped exponentially on instrument approaches. It's not a matter of
picking up an approach plate, launching into the white wild yonder and
flying a set of needles. It's not just a matter of flying needles.
It's a mental process that will wear you down if you are not on top of
your game and part of that game is feeling intimately (not verbal /
non instrmententation) what your plane is telling you.

It takes a combination of trusting the instruments, but also your
senses. If you blindly trust your instruments without consideration
they may fail, you will be a statistic.

If you "trust but verify your instruments" you will be here to share
your experiences. Part of that verification BEGINS with the seat of
your pants feeling.

Out of 825+ flight hours I have flown, 59.4 were in IMC, so I would
believe I am reasonably qualified to stress the importance of the
above based on personal experience even though I am not an instructor.

Mx BLANKET statement is dangerous at best, flat out wrong would be
more like it.