It bemuses me why pilots assume so much - the last group I would expect to do so.
I wasnt arguing that a PAR was a bad option, but when you go partial panel you first have to get to a PAR. As some have pointed out a Cirrus is no rocket ship and you may well find yourself some way from the nearest PAR. However by all means enjoy an hour or so partial panel, its going to be hard work for sure, and its just wrong to suggest an hour or so partial panel in IMC followed by a PAR to minima should be a piece of p*ss.
Peterh - as to SRAs - I was referring to the UK since there had been a mention of the lack of PARs in the south of England.
Does anyone else recall when you pottered off to Manston to shoot two or three PARs and then over to Dunsfold if you weren't bored - happy days.
However in the south since that was the example given you will get a SAR at Southampton, Gatwick, Bournemouth, Farnborough and Manston (well when their head is working in Manston's case), I have done SARs at all of those including Gatwick (
).
.. .. .. and to be fair a SAR is very much like a PAR and equally easy to fly partial panel as long as you have some grasp of power settings to give you a half reasonable descent profile.
I also happen to think a descent over the sea is a great option although a very good friend of mine admits to nearly killing himself. Trip back over Europe, cant remember why but ended up doing a descent over the sea at night, and he was tired after a long flight, weather was bad, and very nearly put it in. He was an instructor at the time, 7,000 hours, with lots of experience, shook him up and he still says was the reminder he needed that he wasn't the Sky God he thought.
Pace - I doubt we will change your mind, and hopefully you will never need to do a reality check in a Cirrus, but happily should you, you might be glad of the discussion.