"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...


Perhaps too few pilots have any experience at all with them in training,
and
then in real life are unprepared for the transition to visual while
circling in
low visibilty at low altitude. The first time I did a circling approach
(in an
IPC, at my request) it was an eye opener.

I agree with this completely, but then the same argument applies to flying
in actual IMC and especially to flying in night-time actual IMC. Why not
require an IPC be conducted at night or in IMC? Indeed, it is not even
required to EVER fly in IMC to get an IFR rating. It is not even required
to ever fly in IMC to get a CFII certificate.


I'm much less concerned with the profits of businesses that have invested
in
devices that are more expensive than airplanes and now complan that they
need
to use a real airplane. There's plenty a sim can do (and some things done
better in a sim), but there's no beating an airplane.

I agree completely that a combination of simulator and airplane time is
ideal, just like training in IMC is ideal. Does that mean an IPC should be
impossible to obtain in a flight training device or an IFR rating should be
impossible to obtain under the hood?

It sounds altruistic to say that it the profits of businesses are not
relevant, but actually the issue at hand is whether it is reasonable to
change the rules in the middle of the game, especially on such short notice.
How about if the FAA declared that in the interest of safety all airplane
owners need to install a Mode S transponder and inertia seatbelts by October
1? You say you agree there are some things done better in a simulator --
well, how likely do you think it is that new/innovative simulators will be
developed/installed if the owner cannot have reasonable confidence in the
legal uses of that simulator for a reasonably long enough period of time to
obtain a return on his investment?


--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com