Informal poll for the IR's: do you fly single piston in IMC?

[SeaSpray]

I agree. I have a little over 100 hours of actual instrument in single-engine turbines, but I don't do that anymore.

It's all a risk management process and it's more risk than I am willing to accept.

I use sports psychology and positive imagery in much of what I do - forming a positive mental image of the desired outcome of the activity I'm engaged in. It just doesn't work in this case. I just keep seeing myself with no seat, in an engine-out glide in the clouds wondering what I'm going to see when I break out, if I break out, and all the while thinking what an incredible idiot I am.


GV

My sentiments exactly (emphasis added).


SS

 

[avbug]

Obviously because we're too stupid to know any better? [/sarcasm]

Ignorance or lack of experience isn't always synonymous with stupidity, but you're right.

 

[NJAFracPilot]

E) No frickin' way!

 

[SkyGirl]

I would never consider filing into hard IMC in my SkyHawk SP even though it is equipped with the Garmin G1000 NAV III glass cockpit.

My instrument qualification is for the time when I inadvertently encounter a JFK, Jr. type situation or when I need to fly VFR-on-Top.


_SkyGirl_

 

[GEXDriver]

So far it looks like about 63% of respondents are in the generally try to avoid it, only if I absolutely have to or No frickin' way camps.

 

[tathepilot]

this past wed, thu & fri

single pilot, single engine imc.
1st leg's @ night. thu & fri w/ice

departure, destination & alternate @ mins.

a/c has 2 alternators, 2 vac pumps, full anti-ice and 1 engine and when i take off, i feel great because i love to fly.. im not a seasoned vet yet, but i have more than a 'little' experience (take it for what its worth)

i try to minimize as much risks as possible, but when push comes to shove, 1 engine is one engine... i dont think having an engine failure in imc will kill me, i believe when the man upstairs pulls my card, that will be when it is my time to go..

minimize risks that whats its about.. and the more we do it, the safer we will all be..

i could have hurt myself the other day.. i could have minimized my risk for this flight by not accepting an a/c out of maint that had 'stiff' pitch control.... i didnt believe it would be a problem, but it was.. (imc)

i chose to depart, but i should not have accepted the a/c. it was my decision which was a bad one... so on this flight i accepted some risk which turned out to be a bad move...

luckily everything turned out ok, and i learned a valuable lesson from this experience.

minimize risk + experience = longer life

 

[Lead Sled]

this past wed, thu & fri

single pilot, single engine imc.
1st leg's @ night. thu & fri w/ice

departure, destination & alternate @ mins.

a/c has 2 alternators, 2 vac pumps and 1 engine

That sounds like the opening statement in an accident investigation.

LS

 

[jaxpilot]

well since I fly C-210's for a check hauler, I would have to say "A".

 

[BenWA]

Why not night VMC? I can understand not wanting to fly a piston single in night IMC, but night VMC when done correctly is pretty safe.

Reading between the lines, you have never lost an engine at night (which is GOOD!) But I can assure you that you would feel differently had this ever happened to you personally. If you lose an engine--your only engine--at night, are you prepared to deal with it? Think deeply about this. Maybe you are. Maybe you aren't. It's difficult to say whether you are or not until you are actually faced with the situation. Only then does the truth of how you really feel about it come out of your bones.

A common hazardous attitude recognized by the FAA is "It can't happen to me." Engine failures or fuel exhaustion happen all the time in GA. Remember that this sort of event doesn't know and doesn't care whether it's day, night, 500 and 2 or, 50000 and 100. It can (and does) happen anytime.

 

[unreal]

Reading between the lines, you have never lost an engine at night (which is GOOD!) But I can assure you that you would feel differently had this ever happened to you personally. If you lose an engine--your only engine--at night, are you prepared to deal with it? Think deeply about this. Maybe you are. Maybe you aren't. It's difficult to say whether you are or not until you are actually faced with the situation. Only then does the truth of how you really feel about it come out of your bones.

A common hazardous attitude recognized by the FAA is "It can't happen to me." Engine failures or fuel exhaustion happen all the time in GA. Remember that this sort of event doesn't know and doesn't care whether it's day, night, 500 and 2 or, 50000 and 100. It can (and does) happen anytime.

Keep in mind that I never said that it couldn't happen to me. It certainly could, and I had a scare a couple weeks back with a misfiring engine at altitude during a night XC. Definitely learned something from that, and the thought of having to put down at night was very real in my mind at that point (maintenance said it was temporary fouling, but d*mn if that doesn't get your attention!).

But, does that mean that I'm going to quit flying night VMC in a single-engine airplane? No, not at all. It simply means that I'll ensure that I take more precaution in where I fly, and make sure to stick to it.