Avoiding VFR into IMC accidents

[Lead Balloon]

Originally Posted by 421dog

Would that this were were the case.

There were 163,695 estimated private pilots in the US as of 12/31/18, and, according to the FAA, 47.961 had instrument ratings.

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/av...men-stats.xlsx

You seem to be misreading the tables. Table 11 says that (as at the 2018 period) 68% of US pilots have instrument ratings. Sensibly and appropriately, that table ignores holders of licences that authorise operations only in VMC.

It is true that thorny’s ‘nearly 80%’ is an exaggeration of the actual 68%, but so is your implied suggestion that the percentage is only around 30%.