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Thread: IFR IMC Flying
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Old 9th Apr 2009, 09:02
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scooter boy
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Maders UK
Age: 57
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Fear keeps you alive...

Personally I think it is normal to feel scared and have a heightened sense of arousal when in IMC, particularly when crossing through a frontal system or flying an approach in real IMC.

On Monday night I shot the ILS into Plymouth after a night/IFR flight back from Jersey. Overall the weather wasn't too bad but we were IMC in and out of cloud, out of sight of the surface and in constant rain/mod TRB (no ice at our level).

We broke out at about 600ft, but in that couple of mins before I was all eyes on the instruments watching over all aspects of the approach.
The GS wasn't picked up by the autopilot so I hand flew the approach (rather than sitting back and being a manager which is how I prefer to play things).
I got home at 10.15pm but couldn't get to sleep for a couple of hours - I was buzzing too much.

When I was very new to IMC this would have absolutely terrified me. It still frightens me but I am more used to it and sure that I can fly the go-around and divert if necessary.

Fear keeps you alive. It is a positive Darwinian trait.

SB
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