On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 22:29:20 -0700, Blanche wrote:

Even if you never fly honest IMC, only VFR, the improvement in your
flying abilities (precision, accuracy, dealing with ATC, etc) will be
well-worth the rating.

I got my PPL January last year. I immediately started to do XC hamburger
runs and also hooked up with a CFII. Our arrangement was that I should
continue to rack up XC PIC time. He started me off in March with a weekly
sim lesson in the school's Frasca; we did about 10 of those. He told me
that when I got to 35 hrs XC PIC, we would start flying. Well, I managed
to time the 35 hr mark with the end of the sim lessons. My first time
flying with him was a 2.7 hr XC with 2.2 of actual IMC. Anyways, I ended
up with my rating just before Christmas.

I was able to get my rating with just over the minimum required hours.
But, I learned to have much more respect for those clouds; I learned a
whole lot about airplane performance and how to fly more precisely; and it
helped my radio work. I don't intend to get anywhere near freezing levels
or convective weather (I've done that VFR and that is a story for another
day). I also learned how fast one can get rusty. But, I feel that with
enough practice, I should be able to use the rating to get up and down
through some tame stratus on some marginal days when I would've elected to
stay on the ground. It also allows me to use our club aircraft for
200nm trips and for night trips. It also helps a little in dealing with
the DC ADIZ (adds some options for flight following, getting in and out).

I consider the training to be money well spent. If you can afford it, it
is kind of like going to college after high school. It opens different
doors.

--
Rick/JYO
PP-ASEL-IA
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