Maintaining currency in the clag

[RichyRich]

Hi All

So far, the long term forecasts for this coming weekend look much like last weekend: warm front, which probably equates to no flying.

Unfortunately I have to work for my sins, and only get to fly on the weekend (I'm sure I'm not alone there - sins and flying :D )

How do you keep current through the winter? I'm toying with the idea of taking spurious half-days off work, weather and plane availability permitting. (My club has a 28-day rule).

Rich

[Evo]

That's just about it. There's a fairly high chance of getting four wet weekends in a row midwinter, so you either have to be ready to take a day off and grab those great winter flying days whenever they come or accept that you'll probably drop below the currency requirements sometime between here and March. :(

On the plus side, flying on a crisp, gin-clear blue-sky day midwinter is wonderful. There may not be many of them, but they're worth it when they come :)

[IO540]

Richyrich

How do you keep current through the winter?

Get the IMC Rating :O I haven't yet missed one week, in two years.

[Evo]

...and a "flight into known icing" certified aeroplane for when the icing level is down at 1000ft...? :)

[bar shaker]

Richyrich

There's a lot of 24 hour flu going around ;)

Thursday and Friday this week look like very high risk flu days in the South ;) ;)

[RichyRich]

There's a lot of 24 hour flu going around

:D :D :D

I think I just might have a healthy dose of that flu.

Get the IMC Rating

I will, when I get some dosh, and some experience. Only just got my licence (in fact, have yet to fly as PPL, thanks to last weekend's delightful weather).

[IO540]

Evo

I agree, I find the icing level is the biggest stopper in the winter.

Full TKS is about £25k... (reportedly it is the very best though)

[MasterCaution]

RichyRich,

How about booking a "lesson" and arranging that you do all the flying and the instructor, while offically P1, is really acting as a safety pilot? A comprehensive preflight brief to make clear what's going to happen during the flight is important*.

Obviously this is not going to guarantee a flight as the weather may be below the instructor's minima or outside of aircraft limits (e.g. icing) but will be more flexible that the minima you can, or wish to, use.

You may be able to perform bad weather circuits (a useful skill) or have the instructor help you fly through cloud to the nice sunny weather on top (definitely worth doing if conditions permit).

OK, it costs a bit more than flying solo but you may benefit from the extra contact time with the instructor and it'll help your currency.

MC.

* I think student-instructor interaction really should be studied in MCC courses if it isn't already ;)

[RichyRich]

MC

Yes, going with an instructor is a good idea, planning on doing that soon anyway, just to kick out any bad habits that may already be arising from flying by myself. (I almost said playing by myself, but that would open up the abuse - oops too late, aggghhh really digging a hole here).

RR