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

[BenWA]

I wish this forum had a way of setting up a poll so that people could answer anonymously/candidly, but let's see how we do with an informal poll. Do you/would you fly a single piston in IMC? Try to answer using one of the following choices:

A) Yes, frequently, sometimes (or often) with passengers.
B) Yes, frequently, but never with passengers.
C) Occasionally, but I generally try to avoid it.
D) Only if I absolutely have to.
E) No frickin' way!


Let the replies roll...

 

[whaleroast]

When I got my rating I would say B. That was years ago and now I'm a little more cautious and a lot less excitable.
So today I'd say D.

 

[flyf15]

Depending on my mood and the situation... any one of those could apply.

Good airplane, flat terrain thousands of feet below me, and just the occasional cloud to pop through? A.

Questionable airplane, night, mountainious terrain, at MEA, in solid IMC? E.

In general, I'd say C.

 

[JimNtexas]

I don't hesitate fly IFR/IMC in my Cardinal, but I have some fairly strict mental rules of engagement.

1) If there is any chance of ice I don't go.

2) I have to stay well clear of any thunderstorms, by 'well clear' I mean 100nm or more. Someday I'll have XM weather and maybe I can cut it a little closer, but not yet.

2) If the weather at destination is forcast much below 1000'/3miles I don't go unless I have a solid VFR alternate.

This often happens because I frequently fly from Austin to Rockport Texas which often gets covered by low clouds. I'll launch once the forcast goes to 500/1 because I know the area well, and because I haven enough gas to easily go all the way back to Austin if things don't work out. And of course its nice and flat on the coast. Less than a forcast of 500/1 I just wait it out in all cases.

3) If I'm carrying passengers I must be on the ground no latter than an hour or so after sunset.

4) I always file IFR into class B.

 

[GravityHater]

I have little hesitation to (if I know and trust the airplane), even with pax - but I can't say I do it "yes, frequently". So, A) subset i).

 

[JimG]

I don't hesitate fly IFR/IMC in my Cardinal, but I have some fairly strict mental rules of engagement.

1) If there is any chance of ice I don't go.

2) I have to stay well clear of any thunderstorms, by 'well clear' I mean 100nm or more. Someday I'll have XM weather and maybe I can cut it a little closer, but not yet.

2) If the weather at destination is forcast much below 1000'/3miles I don't go unless I have a solid VFR alternate.

This often happens because I frequently fly from Austin to Rockport Texas which often gets covered by low clouds. I'll launch once the forcast goes to 500/1 because I know the area well, and because I haven enough gas to easily go all the way back to Austin if things don't work out. And of course its nice and flat on the coast. Less than a forcast of 500/1 I just wait it out in all cases.

3) If I'm carrying passengers I must be on the ground no latter than an hour or so after sunset.

4) I always file IFR into class B.

I'd say D even in my 340, with downlink weather...

If my destination isn't at least marginally VFR (with a precision approach), and I can't fly over, or under the worst of the weather during the enroute....I'm going to wait it out.

I live where there are always rocks in the clouds and most of the year, ice present at most MEA's.

If I HAVE to get there on a certain day/time....I'll go commercial.

 

[avbug]

NO!

I do not.

 

[Catnhat]

A.

Daytime only. The more rugged the terrain under me, the higher I need the bases. No thunderstorms along my route. No forecast of and little chance of ice.

Where I live, if I didn't go because of IFR, my airplane would be basically useless.

 

[BenWA]

NO!

I do not.

Never?

 

[RichardRambone]

A. 182 over mountains at night picking up light ice in the clouds. Never again scenario for sure. Otherwise I generally have no prob with it if the weathers better than 500/2 or so, no ice and able to nav around TS.