Just to add as to why I like to teach the FAA recomended 90:10 scan
1.It is my belief that a pilot should be able to use and understand any and all instrumentation/equipment in the airplane I want my students 'type-rated' on their aircraft...
2. Most of the time- in the spring and summer,at least- haze makes the conditions at lower level effective IMC... so we really don't have a choice but to use instruments at least to some extent---and as I emphasize the haze is low level therefore presents a dangerous situation...here in NY it's a bit of a 'firehose as you must -inorder to survive do both 'instrument flying and trffic scanning' lack of either skill will kill you-I have never had a student who wasn't grateful for a finally having nice clear view out of the window at times...
3. As much emphasis as I place on not doing it ---I can't pretend my non-instrument rated students wont accidentally end up in a cloud...while not a good thing---I do not want such an error to be an automatic death sentence or even a situation that evokes panic, I want them to say "this is illegal and puts me at risk for a midair with IFR traffic so let me calmly fly out of this and never to it again" should they mistakenly do it ---and the three required hours of instrument practice wont cut it...
4. It is what the FAA recommends and since 99%(60% go commercial) of my students get an instrument rating it prepares them for IFR rules they don't really need to learn how to scan- just the rules particular to IFR---they already have a full and partial panel scan down pat I can then emphasize approaches...
5. From my aforementioned posts--- clearly I emphasize traffic scan for both [VFR and IFR students] and I also cover all the instruments with a map at times to emphasize power + attitude=performance regardless of whether you're using instruments or not most students quicky adapt they begin to glance at the instruments and absorb the information and how the indications are changing subconsciously...
That being said I do emphasize staying in trim---even when I was a student-pilot my hands were off of the flight control much of the time except when low down or in turbulence--i.e when they needed to be on the flight controls they were... even my 2G steep turns were hands off I'd 'set it and forget it'...
I found it fun to let the aircraft turn itself or I just tended to use my fingertips...and flew much of my flight through the pitch trim---for engine failure establishing glide speed was extremely easy since we were on the fast side generally when he'd 'fail' the engine...I'd just yank back the yoke to zoom up a bit-to get a little extra height while setting the glide speed with the trim wheel...most students if taught correctly love the trimmer...
That being said I do agree about all that was said about flight SIMS near useless and wasteful for VFR and could be a real money saver for IFR training if done under strict guidance...I don't necessarily forbid my students from using it it as I can't control what they do at home---I just assure they grow bored with it as they find the airplane much more engaging anyway so that they don't want to use it...
I'm a very sensitive yet laid back person...the way I teach flying reflects that...no worries ever...
I teach my students that planes are easy...it's the ground [and all the stupidity that takes place thereon] that's hard to deal with!!!!...
