Best one I ever heard was, "I can keep my wings level in cloud provided I can see my wing tips!"

Me personally I always take a cat flying with me. If he is wandering around on the ceiling, I know I'm upside down!

Cat and Duck Instrument Flying




Basic Instruments:

• Place a live cat on the cockpit floor. Because a cat always remains upright, it can be used instead of the artificial horizon. Simply watch which way the cat leans to determine if a wing is low, and if so, which one.
• The duck is used for the instrument approach. Because any sensible duck will refuse to fly under instrument conditions, it is only necessary to hurl your duck out of the aircraft and follow it to the ground.

Limitation to Cat and Duck Method

• Get a wide-awake cat. Most cats don't want to stand up at all. It may be necessary to carry a large dog in the cockpit to make the cat pay attention.
• Make sure your cat is clean. Dirty cats spend all their time washing. Trying to follow a washing cat usually results in a snap roll followed by an inverted spin.
• Use an old cat. Young cats still have many of their nine lives left, but an old cat has just as much to lose as you do and will be more dependable.
• Avoid cowardly ducks. If the duck discovers you are using the cat to keep the wings level, it may refuse to leave without the cat. Ducks are no better at IMC than you are.
• Make sure your duck has good eyesight. Nearsighted ducks may fail to realize they are on the gauges and go flailing off into the nearest mountain. Very nearsighted ducks may not realize they have been thrown from the aircraft and will descend to the ground in a sitting position. This is very difficult to follow in an airplane.
• Use land-loving ducks. It is very discouraging to break out and find yourself on final to a rice paddy, especially if there are duck hunters around. Duck hunters suffer from temporary insanity after sitting in freezing blinds and will shoot at anything that flies.
• Finally, choose your duck carefully. It's easy to confuse ducks with geese because many waterfowl look alike. Geese are competent instrument fliers, but they seldom go where you want them to. If your duck sets off for Canada or New Zealand, you can sure you've been given the goose.

http://a4skyhawk.org/2d/tins/tinduck.htm

Wouldn't work with either of the two cats in the PtP household!:}

If they are not eating, they are sleeping!:p

Here is another Idea for those who are untrained and like to fly in IMC.

Hold your microphone by cable so it dangles in front of you!

If it leans to your left, turn right. If it leans right, turn left.
If it stretches out, push forward and if it shrinks up, then pull back.

If it goes round and round and up and down, Good luck! You will need it.

If you aircraft has an autopilot (which you preflighted AND verified operation in VMC) TURN IT ON IF YOU GET INTO IMC.

Then change the heading bug to an appropriate way to return to VMC.

For 1 degree axis autopilot all you need to control now is attitude (and therefore altitude) plus monitor.

For 2 (or 3) degree axis autopilot all you need to do is think "well that was silly" and monitor.

Regarding pets for IMC, definitely do NOT get a drop bear. They have a best glide speed of zero knots.

Please do not do this.

The horizons in the glass-cockpit apps I've seen aren't properly referenced or stabilised, and are little more than novelties. In essence they have the same limitations as your inner ear, and are potentially lethal if used in IMC. (Have a look what happens to them as you go round corners in your car, to see what I mean.)

Ok, we've had our funny and witty comments but it's time to be serious really.

I'm really surprised that no-one has said what I consider to be the most important thing; The thread's title is What is: Flying VFR into IMC?

IMHO, the short answer is; Unless you are sufficiently trained in Instrument Flight...
It's bloody dangerous!!:=:=

Some posters have related their experiences and have stated that they were lucky. They are the ones who survived their experiences!

leadsled put it quite succinctly I believe.

Nuff said!:ok: