IFR just 5.4% of the time

Jay Honeck wrote:

4. This explains why just half of all pilots have pursued the
instrument rating, and why a very small percentage of instrument rated
pilots are current or proficient.

And the numbers for that can be found where?


First, Thomas, let me congratulate you on the civil tone of your
response. It's quite pleasant, thank you!

The low number of current/proficient IFR pilots has been discussed by
Richard Collins in Flying magazine (I don't remember the source of his
data, sorry), and it's backed up by my personal observations. After
five years of catering to pilots at the hotel, of being our AOPA
Airport Support Network Volunteer, and of running our airport advocacy
group, "Friends of Iowa City Airport", I know one helluva lot of
pilots -- and I can count just TWO that are both current and
proficient instrument pilots.

I think that is somewhat unique to your location. Where I live, a
1,000' ceiling above the airport barely clears some of the nearby
mountains. So, while you could fly all over Iowa with 1,000', I
couldn't get out of the pattern. I'm exaggerating just slightly, but a
1.000' ceiling above ELM isn't very comfortable for flying out of the
vicinity of the airport.

Matt

I think that is somewhat unique to your location.

Absolutely. If I were still living on the shores of Lake Michigan, I
certainly would have obtained the IR by now, just to get up and
through the scuddy crud that often seems to lay 10 miles inland from
the lakeshore.

The vast majority of the country, however, is not on a large body of
water, nor mountainous, which is what makes the IR a low priority for
many pilots.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"