"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
...
On Sunday, February 24, 2013 5:06:33 PM UTC-5, wrote:

snip ...Why not equip gliders (with a turn and bank indicator) and pilots
(with training) to safely handle a few minutes of cloud flying if it is a
non-zero possibility?


That's a pretty naive question. The average VFR pilot has "178 seconds to
live" after an inadvertent trip into IMC, according to the Air Safety
Foundation. So what training do you think would equip the average VFR pilot
to "safely handle a few minutes of cloud flying"?

My Air Force pilot training lasted over a year but produced a competent
instrument pilot. In service, I used to practice partial panel (needle and
ball) recoveries from unusual attitudes in a two-seater. I was *very good*
on instruments.

Still, with a TruTrac in my panel, I don't feel at all safe to venture into
IMC in my glider since I haven't flown IFR in about 10 years. It's a
perishable skill.

While at FL290 on my Diamond climb, I noticed the clouds beginning to close
below me. I opened the dive brakes on the L-23 and flew downwind to the
sink and performed an emergency descent. Maintaining sutuational awareness
will keep you out of the clouds in all but the rarest of circumstances.
Good judgement will keep you from getting into situations that require
superior skill. (BTW, I got the diamond and completed the badge on that
flight.)

Dan, 5J