"Kobra" wrote in message ...

I had 8 when I got my ticket. My DE said don't even think of going out
alone until you have about 15 or 20. I think that's sound advise for "hard"
IMC.

Any particular reason for that advice?

Myself, I think the number in the logbook is just a number.

What really matters is how current and proficient you are that day.

But I flew IFR alone a few times with 1000 to 1500' ceilings and 5
miles visibility.

Well, FWIW, I started flying actual IMC with my husband as PIC when
I was about 20 hrs along working on my IR (for the first time). We
discussed it with my then-CFI, he thought it was a good idea provided
we didn't do "hard" IMC (ie low approaches). (I'm not recommending
this, BTW, just telling a story).

So then when it was my leg, and the forecast for our destination
wasn't too dismal (say, 1000 ft to 1500 ft ceilings) I'd fly.

During that time I think I shot about 10 approaches, 6
to minimums.

There have been other situations where my husband was flying with
forcasts of 1500 ft ceilings, only to watch the runway disappear
under us on the GPS moving map(400-500 ft mins) with never a glimpse
of ground. We shot the nearest ILS (70 miles away) and saw the
approach lights at 300 ft.

On my checkride, the DE asked what were my opinions on personal
minimums. I told her the truth: I'd prefer to set out with a
forecast of 1000, 1500 ft or so, but if I didn't feel current
and proficient enough to shoot an ILS down to minimums we weren't
going because that's just what's happened a number of times.

I also told her it's not an FAA thing, but I always want to know
where's the nearest stable VMC, and do we have fuel to get there
at maximum range? if the answer is "no" I start thinking "emergency"
because that's what we're one failure away from.

FWIW,
Sydney