On 10 Feb 2004 16:17:54 -0800, (Michael) wrote:

I think you're really overstating your case. There is a huge
difference in the skill level required to fly on a clear night without
visual references in cruise, but land at a well lit field in good VMC,
and what is required to fly the same trip in weather, and terminate
the flight with an approach to minimums. The former is a skill set
that (at least in a simple airplane) can be taught in a few hours; the
latter will require an order of magnitude more training.

Here's are better examples, and perhaps they're more to the point:

Years ago, before I had my IFR rating, I was returning over a route I
had flown earlier that day. I knew there was a forest fire about 20
miles to the west of my north-south route. Visibility was reported as
10 miles at various airports in the vicinity of the forest fire along
that route, ceilings all reported at about 8000 to 10,000, and this
number appeared to be realistic, based upon my earlier flight that
day.

So I took off and headed northward. I climbed to 5500. Once I'd
leveled off in cruise, I noticed that the airplane kept turning slowly
to the left. I'd reset my heading based upon the HI (and I double
checked it every time against my magnetic compass) and then continue
for another few miles, again notice I was off course and keep doing
this. There were city lights ahead of me on the horizon so I thought
I had a pretty good view.

But after about the third correction in five minutes, I realized
something wasn't right. It was the damned smoke cloud. A combination
of the pattern of city lights and the smoke was creating an illusion
as it ascended across my route. The horizon I thought I saw turned
out to appear as if it was one or two degrees to the left.

I set the autopilot to wing-level mode to check this suspicion, and
sure enough, the need for constant 20 and 30 degree corrections
stopped. Later, after the fire was well to the south of me,
everything "leveled out" and I was able to fly with reference to the
visual horizon.

That's an example of legal VFR flight creating a potential problem.

Another such VFR case was related to me by a pilot who did several
tours of duty in Vietnam flying F-4 Phantoms. He was patrolling on a
dark, moonless night, over very calm water in crystal clear CAVU
conditions. The stars were out. The water reflected everything
perfectly. Too perfectly. They were flying inside a bowl of stars
and it was nearly impossible to tell which way was up. You looked
down and saw stars, you looked up and saw stars. The horizon was
nearly indistinguishable.

He had to do a mid-air refueling that night and damned near didn't
make it because he couldn't see the horizon well enough to maintain
level flight. Again, this was nearly perfect VFR conditions, but not
for those who don't have instrument proficiency.

IIRC, Visual Flight Rules are mostly for keeping aircraft separated.
That's pretty much it. As long as you have the ability to see and
avoid other aircraft who may be headed in your general direction,
you're flying on VFR rules. That doesn't imply that you're not
watching your instruments carefully, or even that flying in these
visual conditions is a good idea. Those issues are rightfully left to
the pilot's discretion.


Jake Brodsky,
PP ASEL IA, Cessna Cardinal N30946, Based @ FME
Amateur Radio Station AB3A