Originally Posted by
aterpster
I certainly do not agree that because an aircraft is on an IFR flight plan, that it is assumed to be IMC at all times.
In Controlled airspace (ie airways) it must be. The controller has no way of knowing your flight conditions so must assume you are always IMC. because you can be IMC the whole time they must assume you are. You cannot therefore be expected to achieve any lookout at all, let alone required to. Surely that is self-evident?
Weather radar and serviceable de-ice equipment is mandatory in airways - why? because you are assumed to be in permanent IMC - light icing is assumed to always exist in airways, is it not? You can't launch without either of these on the basis that it is a nice blue sky day - the are required equipment.
How can you possibly be required to conduct a lookout if you are in permanent IMC? This is very basic indeed...
The Concorde case proves this. There was no altitude "below which". Is there some altitude "below which" the clouds are required to clear for Concorde tp permit a lookout? Why? Wasn't Concorde capable of IFR flight or sumpn'? Why are other aircraft types exempt from this extraordinary scenario? What then happened to Concorde when cloud extended to minimas?
You cannot be serious - surely? Utter hokum. Sorry.