IFR Flight Twice as Deadly as VFR?

On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 12:28:24 -0400, Pixel Dent
wrote in :

On a recent flight I took the ceiling was about 4500' and
there was ice in the clouds, but the MEA was about 5000' due to some
hills which were easily avoidable VFR. If I had filed I would have been
forced into icing conditions instead of enjoying a safe VFR flight at
3500'.

That must have put within 500' of the surface terrain at some point.

On flights of say, 100 nm or more, I file on every flight. I'd guess that
80% of those flights end with an instrument approach.

I haven't read Collin's article, but my opinion of "blanket" statements or
articles comparing the safety of VFR to IFR, or more accurately flight in
VMC to flight in IMC, is that they do a serious disservice to both
non-instrument rated and instrument rated pilots alike. To paint a picture
that VFR flight vs IFR flight is as different as black and white leads the
uninformed to believe that every VFR flight is made in perfect clear, blue,
and a million conditions and that every IFR flight is conducted in
continuous imbedded thunderstorms, turbulence, and overcast stretching from
minimums upward and beyond the stratosphere. Most pilots, whether
instrument rated or not, know better. The general public may not.
Irresponsible media personalities may not. Government officials seeking a
new reason to impose user fees on GA may not.

Hopefully all pilots, whether instrument rated or not, progress through a
continual decision making process before and during each flight. Hopefully
after each flight they do a self evaluation and critic of the flight and
their performance. Hopefully they learn something that they carry forward
into their future flights.

The decision making process begins on the ground. Just as VFR only pilots
have a set of criteria which they apply to themselves, their airplane,
equipment, prevailing as well as forecast weather conditions, IFR pilots
also have their own personal criteria.

Much has been said about personal minimums for both VFR and IFR pilots.
Much has been said about pilot proficiency vs. legal currency. Without a
doubt an IFR pilot considering a flight in IMC has a longer list of criteria
and a more complex set of decisions to make. This is when the many shades
of gray between the black and white of VFR/VMC vs IFR/IMC come into play.
Most VFR only pilots can make a quick, accurate, and safe decision about
launching into calm CAVU conditions for a quick flight ending at a
destination forecast to be the same. Most IFR pilots can make an accurate
and safe decision to launch into a stable, layered, overcast well above
minimums, in non icing conditions, over flat terrain, in a IFR certified and
well equipped aircraft. See the difference? Just as many VFR pilots will
scrub a flight that would lead them towards or into MVFR conditions, IFR
pilots scrub flights for many reasons.

As conditions worsen decision making becomes harder. It becomes harder to
find our own personal minimum level of comfort. Human factors and outside
influences come into play. Airport services must be more closely
scrutinized. Weather must be considered to be worse than forecast. All
available information must be applied to one's honest personal proficiency
level. IFR flights in IMC present more opportunities for a pilot to make
poor decisions. Poor decisions can be deadly. Poor decisions made in VMC
offer a pilot more time to correct their poor decision. IMC is less
forgiving to poor decision making and a lack of proficiency. Does this make
it more dangerous? or does IMC simply require that more decisions be made
properly if the flight is to have it's intended outcome?

Jim

Jay Honeck wrote:
Is your objective minimum risk or acceptable risk?

Acceptable, of course. If I was going for minimal risk, my life would
be very different, indeed.

One thing Collins recommends to help counter the dangers of instrument
flight is to file on every single flight, and to end every single
flight with an instrument approach.

Do you guys do that?

I file on every flight that is a cross country flight. I don't file if
I'm just going up for sight-seeing in the local area, but I do request
flight following.

I don't always end every flight with an instrument approach per se, but
I almost always tune in the ILS if the runway is so equipped and use it
for guidance even on visual approaches.

Matt

Jay,

One thing Collins recommends to help counter the dangers of instrument
flight is to file on every single flight, and to end every single
flight with an instrument approach.


That's because it's what HE does. ALL his articles are about what HE
does. A very narrow view on the world...

That's what you get for the price of the mag (it's basically free).

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Thomas Borchert writes:

That's because it's what HE does. ALL his articles are about what HE
does. A very narrow view on the world...

That's why they call them columnists.

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

Mxsmanic,

That's because it's what HE does. ALL his articles are about what HE
does. A very narrow view on the world...

That's why they call them columnists.


Have you even read a simulated edition of Flying?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in news:1176556394.244027.92260
@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

One thing Collins recommends to help counter the dangers of instrument
flight is to file on every single flight, and to end every single
flight with an instrument approach.

Do you guys do that?

Yes. However, there are certain exceptions.

1) I am on the maintenance committee of my flying club. We fly planes on
short hops to neighboring airports for certain service. I don't file for
those flights unless the weather legitimately requires me to. I often fly
the approaches even if I flew VFR. In thinking about it, there is probably
no reason not to file every one of these flights, too...

2) Although it's been a while, if I take a friend or family member for a
sightseeing flight, we go VFR. I don't think a request to "Circle the
Lady" would be appreciated by NY Approach at 2000'.

3) I had been flying into and out of BWI a bunch. Flying IFR from HPN to
BWI they send you quite the long way around (they add about 20% on a 175
mile trip). A couple of times I flew VFR (or cancelled IFR after getting
outside the ADIZ) because I didn't want to spend the extra time or money
taking the long way around. In some cases, I asked for VFR on Top and a
direct clearance to avoid some of the delay. But in at least 1 case they
wouldn't give it to me so I canceled.

4) There have been a few other occassions where filing IFR would have put
me into situations that I prefered to avoid, so I went VFR. On one
memorable occassion, there was a significant wind change at the cloud bases
about 5000'. I wanted to stay underneath it at 3000', and filing IFR would
have put me up into the unfavorable winds. So I didn't file and flew
underneath it at 3000'. This type of situation also holds true for icing. I
have flown VFR underneath weather because the typical/minimum IFR altitude
would have put me into clouds with known icing. In this area, even though
the MEA is 4000', there are some handoff agreements with NY approach that
everyone comes in at 6000'. I would guess if there were real issues at
6000', they would break their agreement and let me fly lower, but I have
not ever been bold enough to try to find out.



Other than that, I file. It certainly doesn't hurt having an extra set of
eyes watching you..

On 14 Apr 2007 06:13:14 -0700, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

One thing Collins recommends to help counter the dangers of instrument
flight is to file on every single flight, and to end every single
flight with an instrument approach.

Do you guys do that?

I do not in the local area. I almost always file IFR on a trip to an
unfamiliar location, or if there is any question of weather.
--ron

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is your objective minimum risk or acceptable risk?

Acceptable, of course. If I was going for minimal risk, my life would
be very different, indeed.

One thing Collins recommends to help counter the dangers of instrument
flight is to file on every single flight, and to end every single
flight with an instrument approach.

Do you guys do that?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"



I don't file IFR for VMC flights. I want to experience the freedom of
flight. However, I am very comfortable on the radio so enroute bantering
with controllers, I don't need. I do hold myself to IFR standards for course
and altitude. I will, however, ask for an approach at the destination, if I
don't think I'll get in the way.

The problem is that, when it is VMC, the vectoring and the approach are
about as simple as it can get. When the weather is iffy, that's when you get
turned outbound to fall in line with a string of other planes on the
approach or put into a hold or ...

I do agree that it is beneficial to file everytime until one is comfortable
with the system. After that, filing does not really do much to improve IMC
flying skills (while following instructions) which is the killer.
-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

"Jay Honeck" writes:

[...] Twice as many deaths occur while flying under instrument
flight rules as they do in visual flight rules, per hour flown.
[...] Over the years I have done my best to convince her and my
family that IFR flight in GA aircraft is not unduly or inherently
dangerous -- but that is pretty hard to prove in the face of these
statistics.

Sorry, it sounds a little like you're trolling.

Therefore, for those of you who regularly fly IFR in light piston
singles and twins, a few questions:

1. Do you agree with Collins' statements?

Assuming the data was gathered and analyzed correctly, it's not a
matter of opinion.

2. Assuming the statistics are true, how do you minimize your risk?

The same way one minimizes non-IFR risks: good planning, equipment,
maintenance, judgement, performance. Remember, even two times a small
number is a small number.

3.Since IFR flight is statistically among the most dangerous things
you can do in a light GA aircraft [...]

Since when? The Nall report gives a broader analysis, listing for
example VFR-into-IMC as a popular way to end one's career.


- FChE