IFR Refresher info?

I got my PPL in Florida and a few years later moved to Texas. When I got my
first checkout in TX it was blowing 25 Knts. I was astounded that anyone
would fly in such winds. After a year of Texas I returned to Florida, I
was amazed at how pilots were scared of a slightly breezy day.

Having run out of money and time My IFR currency of course evapoarted. I
have since been using Microsoft Simulator to get my head back in thegame. It
really helps even it it is not loggable.

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
...
Very true. I know there are many CFIs who are not
comfortable in IMC and many others who will not do IR dual
in IMC. Winds scare many pilots, including CFIs. It may
not be comfortable to fly in 30 knot winds below 5,000, but
even on those days when it fcst to be calm, the wind can
blow up.
We trained in winds that happened, even flying BE23-24 in
winds up to 40 knots. The Cessna schools did the same, in
Kansas and Oklahoma, we routinely soloed students as long as
the winds were not greater than 25 knots or gust spread 10
knots and x-winds were within the range in which we had
trained.
Many times I can recall taking off in a Skipper with winds
down the runway at 10 knots and returning 30 minutes later
with winds at 40 kts at 45°. If the CFI won't fly in the
"difficult" weather because of comfort [or fear] how will
the student ever learn how to recover when the weather is
not as fcst.

Do they still offer 737 VFR only type ratings?



"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
| On Oct 3, 5:11 pm, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote:
| The AOPA has some stuff on recurrent training currency.
|
| The IR is detail and if you don't use it you lose it
fast.
| The currency requirement is 6 months and you must do an
ICC
| after a year, but that may be enough for a 6,000 pilot
who
| flies almost daily. But it is very inadequate for the
| private pilot who just go the rating and forgot about
| recurrent daily training.
|
| Sadly, in my experience as a CFII, any pilot who gets his
IR ticket
| and then does not activly use it for the first couple of
years will
| never feel comfortable in the clouds and will not use the
rating. This
| is why I honestly believe that the IR should not be done
by everyone.
| Too often I think the IR is used as an "upsale" by CFII's
for business
| without looking at the actual value that pilots will get
from it. If
| you just want to become a better VFR pilot there are lots
of less
| expensive, more fun things to do (sea , multi , tailwheel,
737 type
| rating , etc)
|
| -Robert, CFII
|