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

[FrozenPilot]

Icing, t-storm, and terrain permitting, I generally say lets go fly!

 

[avbug]

One might well notice that the willingness in this regard generally equates to experience. Inexperienced pilots often reply that they will, experienced pilots often reply that they will not, generally speaking.

Why do you suppose that is?

 

[seethru]

I once had an instrument student flying a C172 who worked days and could only fly in the evenings during the week. He is an experienced pilot and I doubt I would have done this with a pilot with a fresh Private Certificate.

Often it was IMC and always in the dark (winter time in Pac NW). This included all maneuvers (slow flight/stalls/steep turns), and of course plenty of approaches.

There was nothing ever cavalier about it, and we both feel that the experience and confidence he gained helped him in his flying. If we could have flown during daylight I'm sure we would have, but that was not possible.

Did we ever get ice? You bet. But we had outs that would allow us to escape to safety if need be.

I guess what I'm getting at is that you should fly at the level you feel comfortable with, but do not pass up the opportunity to stretch your abilities (with proper preparation). After all, the plane flies just as well at night and in clouds as it does during the day in the clear.

 

[TrafficInSight]

One might well notice that the willingness in this regard generally equates to experience. Inexperienced pilots often reply that they will, experienced pilots often reply that they will not, generally speaking.

Why do you suppose that is?

Dick Collins must be a NOOB then

At any rate, the more of everything I can get the better, engines, vacuum pumps, alternators, alternates.

 

[BenWA]

Did we ever get ice? You bet. But we had outs that would allow us to escape to safety if need be.

C172 in known ice? If so, 'tis a fool's endeavor, outs or not.

 

[GravityHater]

One might well notice that the willingness in this regard generally equates to experience. Inexperienced pilots often reply that they will, experienced pilots often reply that they will not, generally speaking.
Why do you suppose that is?

Let me be the first to stand up and defend the older (presumably more experienced) pilot, I do not believe they are all "wusses that have lost their nerve" as some will surely say. Neither does it mean they are all on a fast track to a life in the living room recliner.

It may just be that they now have a different "risk tolerance" than when they were younger.
That is fine, normal, acceptable; even expected. No one should respect them any less for this decision.

 

[pilotyip]

Do it on a regualr basis, pax or no pax. Personal rules; no TRW, ice OK if frezzing level well above MEA, has to be soft IFR along the route. Desintation well above minimums, such as 800' and 2 for precision approach. Airplane has standby vacumn source. It beats the heck out of scud running in marginal VFR condtions.

 

[JAFI]

Somewhere between "C" and "D". It always seemd to me that "I really have to get there NOW" situation is at the same time as "The weather is getting worse more than better".

Condition of the aircraft, mountains, cloud base below 3000 agl (have you ever thought of dead sticking from a cloud base of 500 feet or less?), night, ice, thunderstorms/less than stable, friendly weather would cause me to say no to single engine IMC this time.

Depending on conditions, SE IFR is workable but IMHO if everything is not working in your favor it is like: Throwing lit matches at a powder keg to see if you can do it. You never know when it will catch.

Be careful out there, you are betting your life that you do it right the first time.

JAFI

 

[atldc9]

Back when I was instructing full time, on the rotten mornings when it was 200 and 1/2, and we would have to cancel students because of wx, a couple of instructors and I would rent a nasty old 172 and file IFR to the marker and back for practice approaches.

At the time it seemed like a good way to get practice in actual conditions.

Now, I wish someone would have hit me in the head with a brick. Low IFR in a crappy old 172, alternates at min's, destination at mins, nearest VFR a LONG way away, and a few 1000 hour wonders flying = recipe for disaster. The stupid stuff of inexperience.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Some freight dogs have no choice.