IS IMC WORTH THE MONEY NOW?

[TRIMSHEET]

I know that this is a bit late, but I am off out to Naples on Thu to do an IMC course and with it not being a requirement anymore I was wondering if it was worth the expence??

[ickle black box]

Picture this, your flying in the evening. You set off with the cloud getting lower, and mist occouring on the ground, bit of rain too. It's getting darker, you're flying over large unpopulated area's with no lights on the ground, and it's just got that bit darker, viz has reduced to 2.5 miles, you can't make out the horizon, the cloud has got lower, the mist thicker, the horizontal viz worse. It's now fully dark, no visible horizon, 1/2 mile viz, cloud at 900', mist on the ground ... basically there's no point looking out the windscreen. I've been there as a pax in a Warrior, P1 was half way through an IMC, and I'm here typing this. Think of it as an insurance policy!

[RVR800]

Its the most cost effective rating of the
lot - It will enable you to aquire skills in instrument flying prior to doing the IR

And as ickle has rightly pointed out it may
save your neck..

[This message has been edited by RVR800 (edited 05 June 2001).]

[TRIMSHEET]

Thanks fellas, just needed some experience to keep me on the right track.
Will say HI to all the girls in Florida for you.

[beamer]

IMC RATING - Think of it as a basic introduction to IF - a confidence building
exercise which may just help you if you get
caught out in unpredictable weather. It is
NOT however a licence to womble about in
poorly equiped aircraft in c**p conditions
thinking that everything will be OK because
you think you've got in effect an Instrument
Rating.

Take care - fly safe.

[Ivan Ivanovich]

I agree with beamer. A PPL should never go flying in known or likely IMC. Unless you are regularly using your instrument flying skills, do not go looking for trouble.

The IMC rating can get you home if you get cought out. Trick is to use your met knowledge and common sense to avoid getting cought out.

Some of the scenarios people describe concerning flight conditions that they have lived through courtesy of the IMC beg belief. If you want to go flying in such conditions, then get an IR and fly a suitably equipped twin. An engine failure in a single when the cloud base is less than 1000' leaves little room for success.

If you are thinking of going commercial the IMC will develop your instrument scan and help prepare you for the IR before you end up spending silly money.

It also develops your radio nav such that you should have even less chance of getting lost when on a cross country trip - probably its most useful function!

[clear prop!!!]

Under JAR you now have to do 15hrs 'real' instrument training for your CPL...so is it really worth it for modular ATPL's?

Why not do an FAA IR while you are in the States. You'll get your IMC and can log your IR training as P1 (FAA regs in N reg a/c)

[This message has been edited by clear prop!!! (edited 05 June 2001).]