Peter wrote:
I would install the Golze ADL even if I was VFR-only.
Don’t mean to disagree, and I too have it, but if single leg lengths are around or below one hour such a device is not necessary. Because when flying low (which is what you will end up in such short flighs) you even get weather in-flight on the tablet. We do that regularly at the moment this way, and you see webcams which gives a perfect weather image.
About IFR costs: I would agree. If you compare purchase price of a VFR-only aircraft to an IFR-equipped one the difference is typically quite huge. For example prior to Covid you could buy a VFR-only Comanche for as low as 20k. IFR equipped started like three times the price.
So without taking anything more into account like proficiency, annular check, whatsoever, the money that is “bound” to the airplane is a lot more. If you rent, this (beside a lot of other items) is reflected in the price.
@ermajn time will tell whether the BIR is the way to go. When I started my learning I was told that nobody knows how many hours of actual flying you’ll need to be proficient for the exam. I have plenty of “IFR hours” on simulators, even well equipped, but it’s just not the same thing sitting in a room. I was told that at least some 20 hours will still be necessary, maybe more, who knows. So the difference is not that huge. And still you don’t have the full IR.
maxbc wrote:
I read here that IR w/o de-ice brings your dispatch rate from 30% to 70% (and de-ice probably takes it to 85% or something).
I don’t have exact percentages, except to say I rarely cancel a flight, even without de-ice. Another important factor is ability (aircraft and pilot) to handle gusty crosswinds. My TB10 is demonstrated at 25kt crosswind component, and living in NL you must be proficient with wind or you’ll rarely fly. Ice isn’t actually that much of an issue most of the time in my area, because you’re usually just cutting through a low overcast, and it’s usually above freezing where there’s cloud. Except when it’s not of course. 
So far this month I’ve made 7 flights, and 4 of them could not have been done safely under VFR. Total time in IMC 1,5 hrs.
The reason I would have the ADL even for VFR is due to this kind of thing which low level flyers never see.
I always did long VFR flights at oxygen altitudes, especially pre-IR. It’s a much more relaxed way to fly. ATC co-operates (well, mostly) because anybody flying at 10k+ must know what he’s doing, hey?
The despatch rate varies according to what wx you are prepared to fly in, obviously. Very few GA pilots fly on truly long-ago-fixed dates. I used to know a 421C pilot who was doing 98% despatch rate, but that is exceptional; similar to a TBM. Unpressurised piston GA will not get near that unless you are reckless. Probably 80%. In reality a lot better because you avoid the really bad days.
Chris wrote:
Does anybody know (who has done his IR theory recently) which QB comes closest to “reality” at the moment:
AE, BGS, ATPL-Q,… others?
I sat the 3 BIR modules today (I passed ). Used BGS for distance learning (content is the same as CB-IR) but I felt their QB was more focused on the syllabus content rather than true “exam prep” so I used AE (aviationexam.com) for that. I did not spend a lot of time with the BGS QB so YMMV.
For the AE QB, I’d say roughly 50% of questions is a word-for-word replica of what appears in the exam. Another 25% is some slight variation in context or wording or answer but still easily recognisable as something you practiced. The main benefit of AE for me was practice to avoid dumb mistakes (altitude vs height kind of stuff) and also to practice avoiding falling for trick questions (of which they have plenty, some really devious, but I didn’t encounter any in the real exam so I don’t know to what degree that is a real concern).
The downside is that the answer provided as “correct” is not set in stone – it tends to change based on user feedback from what people remember from their exams, and in the discussion forum there can be significant debate about some particularly ill-worded questions. So I made up my own mind about some of the more “problematic” questions. But the forum contains some true gems of mnemonics – I will never forget that Austro Control wants me to answer the FMS navigation database contains no information about obstacles because it stands for “f*ck mountains” 
