As a very inexperienced pilot but one who is experienced in risk management in other pursuits, I believe training is necessary, not necessarily positive “I can do IFR” training but a series of structured “oh s##t!” encounters with flying VFR into IMC with a suitably qualified instructor to recover you. You CANNOT do this artificially with Foggles! You have to cop it full force so to speak.
’The purpose of such training is to:
’(a) recognize the warning signs that you are about to encounter IMC.
(b) respond appropriately to the threat of entering IMC, AND/or recover into VFR.
You cannot do (b) if you are startled, fearful and have never experienced IMC before.
There are a multitude of ways IMC can sneak up on you, just ask me. Luckily for me I once had an instructor who let it happen and we calmly discussed what was happening and what the available options were best.
If all you’ve been taught is “don’t enter IMC’ and don’t know what it feels like, your chances of recovering are not as good. it can sneak up on you and if you don’t know the signs then you are asking for trouble.
While everyone has war stories, some might include:
- gradually deteriorating afternoon light with smoke, fog and haze (even in the circuit at YMMB!).
- gradually decreasing ceiling perhaps with drizzle limiting visibility and surrounding hills - makes navigation very hard.
- “That’s not really a cloud!”
- “ My autopilot will get us through that!”
- “I know the ceilings low but it will get higher as we go north/south/east/west.
etc. etc. I’m sure there are plenty more that I don’t know.
Three escape doors are my minimum, cup of tea and a wait is the best.