IFR just 5.4% of the time

"Jay Honeck" wrote in news:1172695408.911628.219620
@z35g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Exactly. Plus, you just don't have to fret weather decisions as much.

That's really the reason for the IR, in my opinion. It's not that
you'll actually fly a whole lot more, but you'll not worry about those
clouds building "over there" as much. In the end, that is why Mary
and I will eventually get the rating.

Of course, your confidence level should be directly related to your
currency and proficiency. If my observations prove anything, it's
that most instrument-rated private pilots don't use the rating enough
to be proficient.

I can't speak for everyone, but I think that there are many factors that to
be considered...

Personally, I find that I don't do a whole lot of IFR in the winter - January
and February really - because here in the Northeast, anything IFR during
those months is likely to also come with icing. There's also a few weeks in
the spring where IFR usually means thunderstorms. Although the last couple of
years, I've been lucky enough that the thunderstorms were never directly in
my path when I wanted to fly. In once instance, I modified my flight plan to
go around them.

Perhaps Iowa has a nicer climate. Or perhaps the flatter topography and lower
density population makes it less of an issue. Here in the NorthEast, we have
areas of hills that go up to about 3500' MSL (they call them mountains, but
I've been out west - the mountains here really don't qualify). And there
really isn't a whole lot of unpopulated area. So I can't take off without a
1500' ceiling. And even if I might be able to take off from my airport VFR
with a 1500' ceiling, I really couldn't get very far in most directions
without at least a 3000-4000' ceiling because of the terrain. With the IR, I
will take off and land with 500' ceilings. I've even landed at minimums twice
(at my home airport), but that takes a perfectly enjoyable flight and turns
it into a stressful experience. I don't care how current you are, hunting for
lights through soup just over 200' AGL is a nerve-racking experience...
Somehow around 400', my mind starts to ask "What if" questions, like "What if
my instruments are off and I'm not really where I think I am?" Probably
because there is an obstruction not too far off the ILS 16 approach at about
400' AGL.


Anyway, I am going to have a look at the area histories when I get a moment
(probably not for a very long time, then, huh?) and see if the results for my
area come up different. Between the climate, the terrain, and the population,
I suspect I will see higher numbers for my area.

But I might just be full of S%^&*.