Instrument rating??

Absolutely, Larry...
There are those who do, and those who talk about it - endlessly...
As Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations."
denny

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message That said, if you lack
the good sense to know your limitations, no
amount of training will save you.

Larry Dighera wrote:

Instrument training in and of itself is a "good thing™." It will make
you a more knowledgable and professional airman.

All training is in and of itself a good thing. But then, it depends on
your priorities.

If you want to learn to be accurate in procedures, and eventually being
able to fly in IMC, then go for the IFR ticket.

If however you plan to stay a recreational VFR pilot only but aer
looking to enhance your stickj and rudder technique, then I would spend
the money in lessons of acro flying or mountain flying. You'll learn a
lot and besides, it's more fun.

Stefan

Paul,

(Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)


Well, that logic isn't. You could take-off VFR into crosswinds you can't
handlo for lack of practice. You could to low passes of barbecues without
practice. That kind of decision-making is an everyday part of flying.
You're either good at it or not - it has nothing to do with an IR.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

There is nothing wrong with getting an instrument rating. There is
also nothing wrong with being a VFR only pilot if you want. Decide
what's right for you.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.



Paul Folbrecht wrote in message link.net...
I had always planned on getting my instrument rating- within the next
year, probably. But last weekend I had a chat with someone who really
got me thinking about it.

This guy is a friend of a friend and is a retired 20,000 hour ATP.
Retired in the 80s flying 707s and I forget what else. Instructed in
Cubs for years. (Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well. He thinks I'll be more likely to end up dead with it than
without it. (Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)

Thoughts on this??

Paul Folbrecht wrote in message link.net...

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well.

Obviously, any training has value but...

After 30-ish hours of instrument training, I decided that I'd never
have enough time to stay current and make it safe enough for me to
use... so I went out and bought a 'fun' airplane and I've never been
sorry for a second. Maybe an IFR rating would somehow make my flying
safer, but with no vacuum/gyros in the airplane I kinda doubt it.
:-)

There's just a *ton* of flying out there that has nothing to do with
looking at the inside of a cloud. Learn to fly a round loop, a true
slow roll, and exit a 3-turn spin exactly on heading. Formation
flying... simply the most fun thing I've ever done in an airplane.
Get your taildragger endorsement, or a glider rating (and earn your
5-hour badge in a 1-26... *that's* learning to be a pilot!!!), or your
high performance/complex endorsement (in a T-6 Texan!?!). There's
just no end to it, and IFR pales in comparison on the 'interesting'
scale (personal opinion).

Are you looking to use the airplane as a close-to-on-a-schedule
traveling tool? Get the IFR rating. Do you instead fly because you
love to fly, enjoying the trip as much as the destination? 8-

-Dave Russell
8KCAB

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

I had always planned on getting my instrument rating- within the next
year, probably. But last weekend I had a chat with someone who really
got me thinking about it.

This guy is a friend of a friend and is a retired 20,000 hour ATP.
Retired in the 80s flying 707s and I forget what else. Instructed in
Cubs for years. (Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well. He thinks I'll be more likely to end up dead with it than
without it. (Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)

Thoughts on this??

In a sense your friend is right but a little over the top. Unfortunately
most people who get there IR for personal use only, never fly in clouds
and this is the reason why.

I try to make every cross country flight an instrument flight even in
clear VMC. I fly in actual IMC maybe 4 times a year and very rarely for
over 30 min. I do use a simulator Elite Pro Trainer and I fly the
approaches on the sim before doing them for real at an unknown airport.

John Roncallo

(Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

Tells you something about his maintanance practices and/or his pre-flight
skills!


"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
I had always planned on getting my instrument rating- within the next
year, probably. But last weekend I had a chat with someone who really
got me thinking about it.

This guy is a friend of a friend and is a retired 20,000 hour ATP.
Retired in the 80s flying 707s and I forget what else. Instructed in
Cubs for years. (Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well. He thinks I'll be more likely to end up dead with it than
without it. (Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)

Thoughts on this??

This boils down to different strokes for different folks... I have a close
friend who has 10,000+ hours as an airline captain. He retired last year -
I am working on my IFR now and he goes with me to practice and hone my
skills. HE REFUSES TO TAKE THE CONTROLS OR ASSIST IN FLIGHT/TRIP PLANNING.
He usually looks mine over and we go. When I asked why his reply: "Been
flying heavy planes with a wealth of resources like auto pilot, co-pilots,
and ground support for years. You can get away with alot more in one of
those than you can in this little thing..." Needless to say - after I get
my ticket, Takeoffs are still optional - Landing....MANDATORY.....


"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
I had always planned on getting my instrument rating- within the next
year, probably. But last weekend I had a chat with someone who really
got me thinking about it.

This guy is a friend of a friend and is a retired 20,000 hour ATP.
Retired in the 80s flying 707s and I forget what else. Instructed in
Cubs for years. (Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well. He thinks I'll be more likely to end up dead with it than
without it. (Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)

Thoughts on this??




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"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous

Do you need to stay current to fly IMC? Yes.

Do you need to fly 3 times per week? Definitely not. There are
professional pilots who do not fly 3 times per week.

If nothing else, an IFR rating is a very worthwhile tool to increase your
safety while flying in summer marginal VFR with 3-5 miles visibility in
haze.

--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com