Philosophical question on owning & IFR rating

Respectfully Disagree.
We fly about 1x per week, about 250 hrs/year on business trips in an
Mooney.
Average number of flights per year cancelled due to icing: 2-3.
Typical layer is thin stratus. We can rent a booted C210/C310 if
absolutely necessary.
As to Tstorms, there have been a lot of days/nights using eyeballs and
the simple WX900 plus Treo with internet Nexrad, we'll beat often the
airlines. They get backed up; we wait a couple of hours and launch
behind the front.
As to low ceilings...in the Midwest we stay up high for cruise, near
airports typically know places to land. You know on average, I'll see
IFR ceilings on 1/20 of flights.
Truth be told, 80% of our flying is VFR with flight following.
Sometimes don't get enough approaches in. Half of that, I'd sweat out
the forecasts if I was VFR only and VFR equipped only. Is (the IR)
useful.......you betcha. If you regularly need to get over mountains
or vast cold water...that's another story.



Instrument ratings for pilots of light singles are WAY overrated.
Think back to all trips you cancelled because of weather. How many of
them could you have completed with an instrument rating? Not the ones
in winter, because now you're flying in clouds that are subfreezing
and can leave you with a load of ice any time with no way to get rid
of it, unless your club has a plane with boots or at least a big
engine. Not the ones where there are thunderstorms hiding in those
clouds, because you have no way of knowing where those storms are
unless your club has a plane with spherics. And if the clouds are
really low, how are you going to fare if that engine decides to quit?

There is a reason that the vast majority of instrument rated private
pilots don't stay instrument current - it's just not very useful.

Michael

There is a reason that the vast majority of instrument rated private
pilots don't stay instrument current - it's just not very useful.


This is just plain nonsense. That they do not *choose* to use it does not make
it "not useful".


www.Rosspilot.com

There is a reason that the vast majority of instrument rated private
pilots don't stay instrument current - it's just not very useful.



This is just plain nonsense. That they do not *choose* to use it does not make
it "not useful".


Yes, I'd like to know where those "statistics" came from. I make a diligent
effort to maintain my IFR currency (over and above the minimum) and file IFR
on about half of the flights I make in my airplane.

If I were not going to bother staying IFR current then I don't think I'd
bother getting the rating after all.