IFR practical experience

[Land of LA]

Question for those of you who fly IFR. How did you get enough experience to feel comfortable not just legally proficient to carry out IFR ops. Once comfortable how do you stay comfortable if you do not have constant opportunity to file and fly IMC? I am primarilly interested in civilian pilots since I have not been in the military. Looking at going to the GOM to get some actual experience.

[SASless]

Take it in manageble parts....start with enroute IFR with a cloud break at the far end to VFR and work your way up to IMC takeoffs and landings to minimums. Don't be in a hurry to eat the whole apple at once. Study...study...study procedures, rules, regulations, and good operating practices. The flying part is easy....if the thinking part does not occupy 110% of your brain's capacity.

[Impress to inflate]

Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice. After 9 years holding my IR ticket I still have to think about it. Getting the scan right is nine tenths to battle.

[froggy_pilot]

Come to Nigeria, we fly VFR in IMC :E

[paco]

They do that over the channel to avoid eurocharges as well ;)

Phil

[Brian Abraham]

They do that over the channel to avoid eurocharges as well
Come to Nigeria, we fly VFR in IMC

We do too. It would be a shame if oil industry ops grew up and became professional wouldn't it? Not as if they can't afford to put the necessary infrastructure in place.

[170']

Follow the advice from Sasless...Once the 'can't see anything outside' becomes more or less 'comfortable'..The procedures become just that! ...Procedures...With the 'uneasy' element removed...

We used to 'dry fly' the procedures in the kitchen... Take a chair,app plate and stopwatch, and visualize yourself hitting the fix and turning outbound.intercepting the loc etc...follow thru with the full actions as the approach progresses...

If you can get a couple of buddies around with beers and pizza...Get one to play ATC...another to call malfunctions......'DME just dropped out' etc...If you take it seriously, you can get to the point where the procedural actions are really second nature. eg. You just passed the OM and the wx goes below minimums...can you legally continue or not?

Dry fly this 3 times in the kitchen and you'll never forget on a sim check,real life etc.!...All of which helps you to reduce the amount of available RAM needed to do the basic job, and leaves you with most available RAM for real life problems...such as the phone call during approach, telling you the limo won't be there for the boss! ...
Could be worse than a flame out :ouch:

You can build up pretty complex LOFT programs in the comfort of your own home. You call out what your doing, and the guys will critique your actions... Fun for all the family! ;)

Probably sounds pretty primitive today. But it works and doesn't cost a dime...Beers and pizza excluded ..170

[Chairmanofthebored]

If you take it seriously, you can get to the point where the procedural actions are really second nature. eg. You just passed the OM and the wx goes below minimums...can you legally continue or not?

Ever seen a commercial fixed wing do a go-around cause its below quarter mile and 200ft on the ILS?

There is the answer ;)

eh! Galapagos!!