Run-in with Chicago Center

My main reason for not finishing up my instrument training has been a lack
of time. A close second, however, is the fact that I have been tracking my
"weather vs. flight" ratio for several years, and it is indeed a rare VFR
flight that is cancelled because of conditions that I would feel
comfortable
with flying IFR.

In addition to that, there is the need to keep current. That basically means
that a
few hours of the flying you do for fun every year becomes a bit more like
work.
Probably the only IFR flights I would ever make would be taken within 6
months of
getting the rating.


Seldom would I disagree so vehemently with TWO of my best buds on the 'net at
the same time :-)

Just yesterday, I had to depart the NY area early (8am) for Providence to pick
up an Angel Flight patient and fly her to Teterboro. Flight Service advised
airmets for IMC along the entire route, and from my home airport I could tell
the ceiling was low. I had signed up for the flight a few weeks ago, and knew I
was not current because, well, I'm a photographer and 90% of my flying is on
beautiful VFR days. But I knew the possibility that I'd have to go IFR was
real (and likely) so I scheduled an Instrument Proficiency Check last week, and
got signed off. Did 3 approaches, some partial panel, and some unusual
attitude recovery, and holding. Flight was 1.6, and afterward I looked the
CFII in the eye and asked, "am I safe?". He answered, "absolutely".
So yesterday, after getting my clearance, I departed into a 600 ft ceiling and
was IMC until I got above the overcast at 7000.
Flew the ILS to 23 at PVD, picked up the patient, filed IFR for the return
flight, and headed back to NY. Anyone in NY knows that yesterday was about as
soupy as it gets . . . visibility 3 miles in haze. We were IMC for the last 75
miles of the flight.
We were at 6000 ft. Even on descent, from 3000 feet, you could not see the
ground. Point is the IFR rating makes a flight like this possible, safe, and
increases the utility of your airplane significantly. (BTW, I do have weather
detection on board--a Strikefinder).


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