Originally Posted by
Hummingfrog
Paco
To be pedantic the min IMC speed is 40kts with other limits as table below:-
IMC flight
The approved IMC envelope is shown at Figure 1
At least one lane of each autopilot channel must be operative.
Minimum airspeed 40 knots (IAS Hold engaged)
Minimum airspeed VY (normal operation)
Maximum airspeed VNE.
The only a/c I have flown that you could climb vertically IMC ( if within HOGE ) is the Seaking which had a doppler meter giving groundspeed in any direction up to 40kts. I only every used it once to climb IMC and that was in the Cairngorms (Scotland) where I had to do an IMC climb from amongst the mountains on a SAR callout. The idea was to fly at min IMC speed commensurate with keeping the doppler meter as near zero as possible, accelerating once past MSA.
I am sure that anybody who tried to hover IMC with no doppler meter would soon meet their maker!
HF
I also did one in the Sea King in the carribean once - an emergency freestream of our sonar ball up to 600 feet night IMC. I can't recall why we had to do it exactly, but it was probably a reeling machine failure with 600 feet of cable in the water...yuck.
We did practice it regularly though, so it wasn't anything spectacular. Great machine.
The best advice is above. Use the Mr. Miyagi method:
"Best defence, no be there!"