IFR just 5.4% of the time

In article om,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

As another VFR pilot I am not surprised.

I know you're not, Gene -- but you're the exception. You've flown
more cross-country VFR flights than any active pilot I know.

One thing I think the IR *does* give many pilots is the confidence
boost they needed to launch on a truly cross-country flight.

A current instrument rated pilot also has more safety margin when
flying in less than CAVU. When I'm current (in a practical way, not
just FAA recent experience), I have more options than you do
(if we ignore the fact that Atlas can fly a bit higher and faster than
my cherokee).

The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I guess the northeast gets more IMC days than Iowa.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

"Bob Noel" wrote

I guess the northeast gets more IMC days than Iowa.

WithOUT a DOUbt! g

I _"think"_ it might have something to do with that big cold pond just to
the east of you! ;-)
--
Jim in NC

The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I said "largely" illusory -- not *entirely*.

Here's why: It's IFR 5.4% of the time, and your IFR ticket will
definitely help you fly out of that, as opposed to my VFR-only
ticket. However, what makes the IR's weather-handling ability
"largely illusory" is that your aircraft (and mine) can't fly in a
(currently unknown, but suspected to be large)percentage of that
5.4%.

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay, in the northeast, about 10% of my preplanned trips are cancelled
due to IMC conditions my M20J and/or me are not able to handle. More
than half would have been had I needed to fly VFR. Think of these
trips being 300 to 700 mile XC on a predetermined schedule to various
meetings.

An instrument rating improved the effectiveness of the airplane for my
use profile from about 50% to about 90%. I don't know enough about
other parts of the country, but IMC, soft or hard, are likely to be
found within a few hundred miles miles of my home base much of the
time, and summertime low vis .with haze happens around cities where I
want to go.




On Mar 1, 11:58 am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I said "largely" illusory -- not *entirely*.

Here's why: It's IFR 5.4% of the time, and your IFR ticket will
definitely help you fly out of that, as opposed to my VFR-only
ticket. However, what makes the IR's weather-handling ability
"largely illusory" is that your aircraft (and mine) can't fly in a
(currently unknown, but suspected to be large)percentage of that
5.4%.

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.

In the spring, summer, and fall, very little of the IMC is unflyable in my plane
here in the northeast. Thunderstorms are not that wide-spread and much easier
to see coming with strikefinders, stormscope, in-flight weather. It's the dang
ice that's a problem and the occasional low low low IMC.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate