IFR just 5.4% of the time

If you look in any pilots logbook, the IMC hours should tell
you something.

Yes, but you might not hear what it's telling you. I have very little
actual in my book, but part of that is that She Who Must Be Obeyed (who
is actually a real good sport about flying) doesn't particularly like
IMC, and would much prefer waiting a day to go CAVU.

SO, we go CAVU.

Jose
--
Humans are pack animals. Above all things, they have a deep need to
follow something, be it a leader, a creed, or a mob. Whosoever fully
understands this holds the world in his hands.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Yes, but you might not hear what it's telling you. I have very little
actual in my book, but part of that is that She Who Must Be Obeyed (who
is actually a real good sport about flying) doesn't particularly like
IMC, and would much prefer waiting a day to go CAVU.

SO, we go CAVU.

This brings up a whole 'nother aspect of this discussion, which quite
simply asks: Who *wants* to fly IFR?

Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
absolutely no fun for the passengers, whose only real reward for
putting up with GA is the view. (Well, and the time savings over
driving, of course.)

Most of the instrument rated pilots I know try to avoid flying IFR as
much as I do, only using the rating when necessary to pop up (or down)
through unavoidable IMC. This, of course, leads to a lack of
proficiency, and the unavoidable fact that they really aren't prepared
for flying in hard IMC.

This is exactly what Mary and will use the rating for -- a safety
outlet -- and is one major reason why we fear that we might just end
up just dangerous enough to kill someone.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Mar 1, 10:11 pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:


This brings up a whole 'nother aspect of this discussion, which quite
simply asks: Who *wants* to fly IFR?

Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
absolutely no fun for the passengers, whose only real reward for
putting up with GA is the view. (Well, and the time savings over
driving, of course.)

I would definitely not describe IFR as uncomfortable, any more than
flying VFR as uncomfortable. Actually, I find IFR in IMC comforting
because I don't have to look for traffic, and I don't have to worry
about busting anyones airspace. Every time I fly VFR through busy
airspaces I am constantly worrying whether I have the right
frequencies for the appropriate airspaces. No such worry under IFR.

The only thing to watch for under IFR is getting into a trap, such as
icing, thunderstorms or very low minimums.

I am not sure about the outside view argument either. There is nothing
to compare with breaking out on top and skimming the tops of each
cloud with clear sunshine above. If you are nice to the controller,
you might even get a block altitude so that you can go do some cloud
popping. Every passenger I flew with loved this. Granted, every IFR
flight is not like this, but every VFR flight is not a glassy smooth
scenic flight either.

This brings up a whole 'nother aspect of this discussion, which quite
simply asks: Who *wants* to fly IFR?

Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
absolutely no fun...

This brings to mind another discussion in another thread, with another
"pilot".

I want to fly IFR. It keeps me sharp. It is challenging and rewarding.
And it gets me there when VFR might not. I love popping into and out
of cumulous clouds, or just skimming a stratus layer. I love seeing the
runway appear as if by magic after an hour or two of pea soup.

I also love to fly VFR, skimming the treetops while the leaves below me
change color in October. But flying in solid cloud is much more
interesting than flying in 4 mile haze five thousand feet up.

Jose
--
Humans are pack animals. Above all things, they have a deep need to
follow something, be it a leader, a creed, or a mob. Whosoever fully
understands this holds the world in his hands.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jay Honeck writes:

Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
absolutely no fun for the passengers, whose only real reward for
putting up with GA is the view. (Well, and the time savings over
driving, of course.)

Most of the instrument rated pilots I know try to avoid flying IFR as
much as I do, only using the rating when necessary to pop up (or down)
through unavoidable IMC. This, of course, leads to a lack of
proficiency, and the unavoidable fact that they really aren't prepared
for flying in hard IMC.

This is exactly what Mary and will use the rating for -- a safety
outlet -- and is one major reason why we fear that we might just end
up just dangerous enough to kill someone.

What about flying IFR at night? If it's dark enough that you can't see much
outside, you get the benefits of IFR without many of the dangers of IMC. You
can just fly regular night flights IFR and maintain your currency that way,
and yet you won't be stressed by bad weather to worry about.

--
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Mxsmanic wrote:
Jay Honeck writes:

Flying IFR is almost always uncomfortable. Even when it's smooth, it's
snip
What about flying IFR at night? If it's dark enough that you can't see much
outside, you get the benefits of IFR without many of the dangers of IMC. You
can just fly regular night flights IFR and maintain your currency that way,
and yet you won't be stressed by bad weather to worry about.

If it's dark enough that you can't see much outside, then it _is_ IMC. Flying
at night normally doesn't really simulate IMC. There's a clear sense of up
and down. I do think that flying under the hood at night is a little better
than in the day. I find the combination of turbulence dropping one wing or
the other and no outside visual cues to be the real challenge in IMC flight.
Navigation isn't as much an issue. Simply filing night IFR won't satisfy
the FAA for currency either.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

--
Don Poitras

Don Poitras writes:

If it's dark enough that you can't see much outside, then it _is_ IMC.

Nighttime isn't a meteorological condition. That's why you don't see
nighttime indicators in METARs. The key point is that you don't see much,
which allows you to fly IFR. I suppose that if you look out the window you
might see something, but you have to look, whereas during the day, the scenery
outside is hard to ignore.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Mar 2, 8:12 am, Mxsmanic wrote:
Don Poitras writes:
If it's dark enough that you can't see much outside, then it _is_ IMC.

Nighttime isn't a meteorological condition. That's why you don't see
nighttime indicators in METARs. The key point is that you don't see much,
which allows you to fly IFR. I suppose that if you look out the window you
might see something, but you have to look, whereas during the day, the scenery
outside is hard to ignore.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

You can see just fine at night. In fact, you can see better, depending
on what you are looking for. Compare it to driving. Would you compare
driving at night to the equivalent of a thick fog?

Andrew Sarangan writes:

You can see just fine at night. In fact, you can see better, depending
on what you are looking for. Compare it to driving. Would you compare
driving at night to the equivalent of a thick fog?

No, but driving at night is still closer to fog than driving during the day.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Don Poitras writes:

If it's dark enough that you can't see much outside, then it _is_ IMC.

Nighttime isn't a meteorological condition. That's why you don't see
nighttime indicators in METARs. The key point is that you don't see much,
which allows you to fly IFR. I suppose that if you look out the window you
might see something, but you have to look, whereas during the day, the scenery
outside is hard to ignore.

You don't have to _look_, you just have to _see_. Unless you're under the hood,
you're going to see outside. And in fact, under VMC unless you have a safety
pilot, you are _required_ to look outside.

--
Don Poitras