Question to the IFR Pilots Out There

"Kobra" wrote in message ...

Not sure how he came up with that number, but let's face it, one should have
*some* hours in actual conditions before venturing out alone in the clouds
and soup.

Well, IMO single pilot IFR is always tough. It's certainly never a
bad idea to ask someone competent to go with you (another IR pilot
or a CFI).

I think probably how much experience is needed depends on the
individual, and how comfortable they are. I know I started flying
in clouds as a passenger, with my husband, and the first few flights
I durn near took the arm rest off the rented plane. At some point
when I started my own IR, that went away, but I can't say exactly
when. Then sometime afterward I remember a flight where I was
in solid clouds for about an hour and it was a knife-fight for
the whole time because I felt dizzy and like I was tumbling backwards
the whole time. It was pretty bumpy, and I must have had some water
in my inner ear from a week of swimming in the Bahamas or something.

I guess I'd have to agree that it's prudent to have someone more
experienced along if you've never seen the inside of a cloud at
all, just in case. And if there's something about it that makes
you uncomfortable, then I would agree it's good to fly with someone
else until you work through it.

I do know people that have never had any discomfort at all about
clouds, though. They are natural instrument pilots where I'm very
much a visual pilot and instrument flying does not come easy to me
but took a lot of remedial CFI beating. So I wouldn't project my
feelings onto someone else.

Also for me at least, instrument skills are a real 'use it or lose
it' phenomenon. So it's currency and proficiency (in the real, not
the FAA sense) which most concern me.

In my examiner's opinion and experience he feels that 10 hours is the
minimum needed experience in actual IMC for an average pilot to become
familiar and comfortable enough with instrument conditions to venture out
alone.

I guess my point is that I don't feel any arbitrary number has
any real meaning.

I feel there are three factors:
1) how comfortable or uncomfortable you personally feel flying
in clouds, once you've tried it
2) how current and proficient you are
3) what kind of IMC you're facing

Maybe you have 30 hrs flying in IMC, but you haven't shot an
approach in a month and you find that for you, about 10 days
is the "magic number" you need to stay sharp. Does it make
sense for you to go? Maybe --- if your destination has a
good forecast and there's pretty ironclad VFR within range
as a backup plan.

OTOH if you have two hours in IMC, but they were yesterday
shooting ILS down to 300 and 1 with no problems, I think you're
in pretty good shape for a carefully-planned trip in the clouds.
What I mean by carefully planned is, I think it makes most sense
to have higher standards for fuel reserve and for having really
good wx w/in comfortable range at first.

I know when DH was a newly minted instrument pilot, we flew
some trips that were perfectly legal and scare the socks off me
now to think about. Stuff where the nearest VFR was two states
away. God looks after fools sometimes.

Just my opinion of course.

I think it depends on the weather conditions as we both talked about. 1000
to 1500' ceilings with 4 or 5 miles visibility is a comfortable starting
point with minimal experience.

Well, just remember IME you can have that forecast when you set out,
but the weather doesn't read the forecast. Be prepared to fly what
you find.

or the "...I don't need no stinking
GPS or Autopilot! That sissy-ass $hit is for wimps and losers and if you
were a real pilot like me you'd pull those @#$%ing things right out."

ROTFLMAO!

I hope we are all conservative when it comes to flying in IMC and we start
out slow and build our experience, skill and confidence patiently and
safely.

Absolutely! I think my point is, I'd bank more on currency and
proficiency than on some absolute number. 10 hrs in actual a year
ago might not do you as much good as 1 hr last week, KWIM?

It sounds to me like you have a sensible approach to easing into
it, finding IMC enroute to a VFR destination at first and so
forth.

Good luck,
Sydney