Instrument rating??

One question conspicuously missing from this thread is:

"Where do you live and/or fly?"

There are parts of the US where a casual flyer might fly two years without
encountering actual IMC conditions. Does anyone seriously think that adds up
to currency.

Another question is: "How much flying will you be able to afford to do, in
terms of both other financial and other time commitments." This, too, will
be a factor in maintaining currency.

As I always note, I'm still a wannabe, waiting for the Sport Pilot
Certificate to be approved, but you can pick up a lot of good information
from even a little bit of reading.

But the issue here is not about a reasonably current and experienced pilot
launching into "hard" IMC. The issue is about a current pilot who hasn't
flown actual IMC in a year who goes into a fairly benign cloud, becomes
disoriented, and breaks his airplane.

And from what I've read, this happens far more often than you would imagine.

No offense to anyone here, but any advice that doesn't include the factors
I've mentioned is not very good advice. You always have to consider
everything...


"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
I had always planned on getting my instrument rating- within the next
year, probably. But last weekend I had a chat with someone who really
got me thinking about it.

This guy is a friend of a friend and is a retired 20,000 hour ATP.
Retired in the 80s flying 707s and I forget what else. Instructed in
Cubs for years. (Guy has nine count 'em nine engine failures in Cubs!
Two inside 20 minutes once!)

So, this is what he told me: unless I'm going to be flying 3 times/week
at least, getting my instrument ticket is a waste and possibly dangerous
as well. He thinks I'll be more likely to end up dead with it than
without it. (Logic being, obviously, that the ticket will give me such
a sense of security that I won't be afraid of hard IMC even when I'm not
current enough to handle it.)

Thoughts on this??

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 08:37:37 -0600, "Bill Denton"
wrote:

But the issue here is not about a reasonably current and experienced pilot
launching into "hard" IMC. The issue is about a current pilot who hasn't
flown actual IMC in a year who goes into a fairly benign cloud, becomes
disoriented, and breaks his airplane.

The OP's issue was whether or not to undergo instrument training. He wrote
nothing about exercising the kind of poor judgement you describe.

The issue you are writing about has to do with "judgement". Do you really
believe that an instrument rating will lead a pilot who ordinarily
exercises good judgement to exercise poor judgement? If so, I would
disagree and would argue that that pilot will exercise poor judgement
whether or not he has an instrument rating.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)