Run-in with Chicago Center

I'm betting an IFR ticket would be way more than an ego booster. I dont
think about it as an ego booster or go around bragging about it, but more
along the lines of like minimum equipment. Wouldnt your insurance
come down a little with that rating? That's pretty useful. The currency
required in itself every 6 months, whether with a safety pilot or a CFII,
is pretty useful. The IFR chart service and updates are more than a
strictly VFR pilot deals with, is useful. The fact ATC, while youre
IFR, just cant get rid of you if they feel busy, is useful. The service
beyond flight following when it comes to updated airspace activity,
weather, and traffic, is pretty useful. Yes, they'd do that for you
VFR too, if they can see you and if they have time. The continuity
of having your flight plan pass from facility to facility instead of
being terminated and telling your life story every other freq, is
useful.

Scud running just isnt worth it. Not with all the money tied up
into an owned aircraft, and not with your family on board. It wouldnt
instill confidence in me as a passenger if my pilot didnt do all he/she
could do in the way of training and preparation, whether it be a
rating, an onboard weather system, and a well maintained airplane.

That all being said, I mostly fly day VFR and only file IFR when
I need to. But at least it's there if/when I need it. And theres been
times where I wouldnt have gone VFR, a low thin layer that an
IFR clearance enabled me to pop through, or a detereorating condition
at an airport that an IFR approach was fine, but a VFR or SVFR
approach would be dicey. As far as embedded thunderstorms,
someday soon no one will have any excuse for not having some
form of onboard weather capability. More and more small aircraft
like yours and mine Jay are telling me "yeah, I see it on radar, too".
After some shoptalk on freq it's usually some nexrad download
system, or maybe just a stormscope. Certain types I expect to have
onboard radar, or are not surprised they have it. Other smaller
single engine types that normally dont have a radome on their wing,
that are way ahead of their airplane weatherwise, now that's nice
to see.

Lastly, IFR usually doesnt take you that far out of your way. Compare
with a flight planner the difference in miles/time/gallons. And many
times those airways take you away from high terrain (I'm talking out
west here), put you over/near airports enroute, and in case of GPS failure,
keep you in range of VORs.

It's just a no brainer for the type of flying it sounds like you do. You're
paying for it in avgas taxes whether you use the system or not, use it.

Later, Chris

It's just a no brainer for the type of flying it sounds like you do.
You're
paying for it in avgas taxes whether you use the system or not, use it.

Mary and I use "the System" to the fullest extent allowed for VFR flight.
We fly over 200 hours per year, all VFR, much of it long cross-country
flights, 95% of it with flight-following.

When you fly high enough (say, 4500 feet around here), you are guaranteed
continuous radar coverage and traffic advisories in pretty much any
direction. One controlled airspace seamlessly meshes with another, and the
controllers smoothly hand us off for all of our flights -- just the same as
on an IFR flight plan. The only time this doesn't work is when we fly
beneath their radar coverage. (Or when we simply want to enjoy a short
flight without the bother and interruption of ATC.)

While I would like to have the rating in my pocket for those rare times when
we can't go VFR, it would take months for me to get back up to speed for the
test. (Which, two years ago, before we bought the inn, I was signed off to
take.) With my time at such a premium, and so little added utility realized
for the effort expended, there is little incentive for me to get my
instrument ticket at this time.

But it's in the "5-year plan"! (Along with adding our own restaurant,
remodeling another 17 suites, putting a dome on our pool, etc.-- all of
which I plan to do in my "spare time"...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"