IFR just 5.4% of the time

"Bob Noel" wrote

I guess the northeast gets more IMC days than Iowa.

WithOUT a DOUbt! g

I _"think"_ it might have something to do with that big cold pond just to
the east of you! ;-)
--
Jim in NC

The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I said "largely" illusory -- not *entirely*.

Here's why: It's IFR 5.4% of the time, and your IFR ticket will
definitely help you fly out of that, as opposed to my VFR-only
ticket. However, what makes the IR's weather-handling ability
"largely illusory" is that your aircraft (and mine) can't fly in a
(currently unknown, but suspected to be large)percentage of that
5.4%.

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay, in the northeast, about 10% of my preplanned trips are cancelled
due to IMC conditions my M20J and/or me are not able to handle. More
than half would have been had I needed to fly VFR. Think of these
trips being 300 to 700 mile XC on a predetermined schedule to various
meetings.

An instrument rating improved the effectiveness of the airplane for my
use profile from about 50% to about 90%. I don't know enough about
other parts of the country, but IMC, soft or hard, are likely to be
found within a few hundred miles miles of my home base much of the
time, and summertime low vis .with haze happens around cities where I
want to go.




On Mar 1, 11:58 am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant --

say what? You think me and my cherokee can't handle IMC?
IMC isn't just ice and thunderstorms.

I said "largely" illusory -- not *entirely*.

Here's why: It's IFR 5.4% of the time, and your IFR ticket will
definitely help you fly out of that, as opposed to my VFR-only
ticket. However, what makes the IR's weather-handling ability
"largely illusory" is that your aircraft (and mine) can't fly in a
(currently unknown, but suspected to be large)percentage of that
5.4%.

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Around here, I'd say it's well upwards of 50% of IFR conditions are
unflyable in my plane, regardless of pilot rating.

In the spring, summer, and fall, very little of the IMC is unflyable in my plane
here in the northeast. Thunderstorms are not that wide-spread and much easier
to see coming with strikefinders, stormscope, in-flight weather. It's the dang
ice that's a problem and the occasional low low low IMC.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ps.com...
As another VFR pilot I am not surprised.

I know you're not, Gene -- but you're the exception. You've flown
more cross-country VFR flights than any active pilot I know.

One thing I think the IR *does* give many pilots is the confidence
boost they needed to launch on a truly cross-country flight. The fact
that their enhanced weather-handling ability is largely illusory
(again, unless they're flying a Pilatus) is irrelevant -- the rating
gives them the extra confidence necessary to launch themselves into
the unknown.

"Oz didn't give nuthin' to the Tin Man, that he didn't already
have..."

My observation is that most pilots rarely leave their home state.
Many local pilots rarely leave a five-county area.

Hoooboy...

My average CC is about 500nm, but then I don't do any business in my home
state. I'd guess I've done IFR approaches to my old base, maybe a half dozen
times in the past seven years, but nearly 100 at my destinations.


--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC
Colorado Springs, CO

My observation is that most pilots rarely leave their home state.
Many local pilots rarely leave a five-county area.

My average CC is about 500nm, but then I don't do any business in my home
state. I'd guess I've done IFR approaches to my old base, maybe a half dozen
times in the past seven years, but nearly 100 at my destinations.

You are clearly NOT the average pilot, Matt.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ps.com...
My observation is that most pilots rarely leave their home state.
Many local pilots rarely leave a five-county area.

My average CC is about 500nm, but then I don't do any business in my home
state. I'd guess I've done IFR approaches to my old base, maybe a half
dozen
times in the past seven years, but nearly 100 at my destinations.

You are clearly NOT the average pilot, Matt.

I'm probably average but our mission profile is much different since we use
ours for business over eleven Midwestern states.
--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC
Colorado Springs, CO

Point made, and it coincides with my observation that most of my IFR
flying ends up in visual conditions.

Just 1765 of those observations were IFR, or 5.4%.

That's at one airport. To complete a =flight= VFR, both airports have
to be VFR, and so does the intervening space. The further apart the
airports are, the more chance for IFR conditions, but also the more
opportunities to go around them.

and a truly tiny set that were
canceled due to "soft IFR" conditions that we
would feel safe flying Atlas in.

What conditions are those? Sounds like you would be comfortable making
up your own rules. Would you be comfortable letting everyone make up
their own rules?

However, I no long harbor the notion that an IR is going to help us
fly more, or longer, or more regularly -- at least not until we can
afford something like a Pilatus.

That is probably true for your style of flying. (flexible as to time
and destination)

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.

and a truly tiny set that were
canceled due to "soft IFR" conditions that we
would feel safe flying Atlas in.

What conditions are those? Sounds like you would be comfortable making
up your own rules. Would you be comfortable letting everyone make up
their own rules?

Ah, I guess that wasn't clear. That line should read:

"...that were canceled due to 'soft IFR' conditions that we would feel
safe flying Atlas in IF WE HAD THE INSTRUMENT RATING."
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"...that were canceled due to 'soft IFR' conditions that we would feel
safe flying Atlas in IF WE HAD THE INSTRUMENT RATING."

Ok. Big difference.

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.