DFC please stop acting like the Pope.
You say: I just love all the assumptions that people with IRs or IMC ratings will be any better off should the weather descend on a VFR flight.
Well OBVIOUSLY one would not continue the flight under VFR would one??
People hit terrain because they are too low in relation to the terrain. This may sound obvious but let me repeat it as it is quite important: people hit terrain because they are too low in relation to the terrain.
Subject to the 0C level being above the MSA, one would climb to/above the MSA and continue the flight under IFR. This may involve a change of destination. But it's a lot safer than slowing to 70kt and wallowing between hills under a lowering cloudbase, and hoping that 121.50 will work down between those hills (the coverage isn't specified below something like 2000ft over most of the UK - don't recall where but there is a CAA doc describing it).
And yes this does mean that one cannot embark on a VFR flight if the 0C level is below the MSA, unless the weather is practically guaranteed to be VMC al the way.
All the other IFR stuff applies too: a suitable aircraft, adequate currency, carrying the approach plates for every likely destination, etc.
I have no intention of taking the mick here but if someone writes
"Tyres all kicked, I took off. I couldn't see a bloody thing and flew a circuit back in."
then I think any talk of an IFR option is going to be rather wasted. Someone getting into that ought to learn basic weather checks before flying.
Last edited by IO540; 2nd Jun 2005 at 10:12.