instrument rating worth pursuing?

On Dec 29, 2:20*am, " wrote:

Your comments and suggestions are much appreciated.


I doubt the instrument rating will help your flying gliders unless you
intend to do cloud flying in gliders in which case, in USA, it is
essential. (see archives for that hot discussion).

I had several thousand hours VFR flying in gliders and airplanes
before I tackled the instrument rating. I already had a commercial
airplane rating and wanted to remove the restrictions. I found it the
most challenging rating to qualify for and now I do almost no actual
instrument flying. In Arizona the conditions are usually severe clear
or severe thunderstorms and not much in between. I certainly don't
regret getting the rating though and I keep legally current.

I can tell you that an instrument rating or at least knowledge of
instrument procedures and training may increase your safety when
flying gliders. It should warn you that in busy training areas there
are lots of small airplanes flying around with a student under the
hood and an instructor paying too much attention to the student and
not enough time looking outside. It should also make you aware of
arrival routes which are places you would want to avoid flying
anywhere near cloud base.

Whether you go for the rating should probably depend more on what your
power flying ambitions are.

Andy