Some good news

Some thoughts:

If you don't know how to fly instruments, either learn (get training from a CFII) or stay out of clouds. And wear a chute.

Staying out of clouds requires, discipline, knowledge, and some luck.

If you think there is a serious chance that you will find yourself in IMC, investing in some sort of attitude indicator would be money well spent. $1000 gets you a portable (non-TSO) Dynon attitude indicator; or a TruTrak Gemini (http://www.trutrakap.com/product/gemini/). Either will save your butt if you know how to use it. Same for a Butterfly vario, if you win the lottery :^)

Unless you practice a lot in actual IMC, trying to switch to needle, ball, and airspeed (or a TruTrak turn coordinator) when suddenly enveloped in a cloud, may not be as easy as some may think... An attidude indicator MAY be easier, but practice would still be necessary (Foggles in a glider? Leave you canopy cover on inflight? Have your glider buddy in formation in his glider to keep a good lookout?).

Really, it boils down to managing risk. And we all know how well humans do that...

Me, I want an AOA gauge!

Kirk
66

Flying in IMC involves a lot more than just
staying right side up.

Not flying into cumulo granitus or towers
or cables and not getting in the way of
IFR traffic are the next priorities.

A midair in cloud would be disastrous for
our sport. Center needs to know where
you are to keep other traffic clear. I leave
it as an exercise for the reader to find
your local center frequency.

A transponder would greatly enhance any
dialog with center.

Hopefully your pitot and static don't ice
up.

That said IFR traffic greatly prefers to
avoid rotor and wave, but if you have to
run downwind to landable terrain and
can't find a hole, the possibility of other
traffic increases.

That TruTrak Gemini looks like something I might like in my next glider.

On 11/3/2015 9:46 AM, kirk.stant wrote:
Some thoughts:

If you don't know how to fly instruments, either learn (get training from a CFII) or stay out of clouds. And wear a chute.

Staying out of clouds requires, discipline, knowledge, and some luck.

If you think there is a serious chance that you will find yourself in IMC, investing in some sort of attitude indicator would be money well spent. $1000 gets you a portable (non-TSO) Dynon attitude indicator; or a TruTrak Gemini (http://www.trutrakap.com/product/gemini/). Either will save your butt if you know how to use it. Same for a Butterfly vario, if you win the lottery :^)

Unless you practice a lot in actual IMC, trying to switch to needle, ball, and airspeed (or a TruTrak turn coordinator) when suddenly enveloped in a cloud, may not be as easy as some may think... An attidude indicator MAY be easier, but practice would still be necessary (Foggles in a glider? Leave you canopy cover on inflight? Have your glider buddy in formation in his glider to keep a good lookout?).

Really, it boils down to managing risk. And we all know how well humans do that...

Me, I want an AOA gauge!

Kirk
66

--
Dan, 5J

I shall be replacing my T&S with one of these over the winter:
http://www.kanardia.eu/products/horis-adahrs

They don't appear to have a US dealer but the price seems reasonable &
2.25" suits my panel better.


At 19:12 03 November 2015, Dan Marotta wrote:
That TruTrak Gemini looks like something I might like in my next glider.

On 11/3/2015 9:46 AM, kirk.stant wrote:
Some thoughts:

If you don't know how to fly instruments, either learn (get training
from
a CFII) or stay out of clouds. And wear a chute.

Staying out of clouds requires, discipline, knowledge, and some luck.

If you think there is a serious chance that you will find yourself in
IMC, investing in some sort of attitude indicator would be money well
spent. $1000 gets you a portable (non-TSO) Dynon attitude indicator; or
a
TruTrak Gemini (http://www.trutrakap.com/product/gemini/). Either will
save
your butt if you know how to use it. Same for a Butterfly vario, if you
win
the lottery :^)

Unless you practice a lot in actual IMC, trying to switch to needle,
ball, and airspeed (or a TruTrak turn coordinator) when suddenly
enveloped
in a cloud, may not be as easy as some may think... An attidude indicator
MAY be easier, but practice would still be necessary (Foggles in a
glider?
Leave you canopy cover on inflight? Have your glider buddy in formation
in
his glider to keep a good lookout?).

Really, it boils down to managing risk. And we all know how well
humans
do that...

Me, I want an AOA gauge!

Kirk
66

--
Dan, 5J