VFR into IMC article

EuroFlyer wrote:

Leaves to find out if the average single IR pilot REALLY, at least in regular periods, disconnects the autopilot in IMC

I do that regularly. I always hand-fly departures in IMC and turn on autopilot at cruise altitude or if still in IMC hand-fly some more time just for practice. Regarding the approaches, I also try to practice regularly but didn’t have much opportunity last few months to do it in real IMC – usually becoming visual 2000 ft AGL and that’s different regardless that you can pretend not to look out.

there must have been some structural damage to the airplane and some buckled skin on the fuselage, no?

Not if it is rented…

Holy cow! They were really lucky. And given the long arm on the wing, there must have been some structural damage to the airplane and some buckled skin on the fuselage, no?

In such case the only way to go is UP as a rocket.

petakas wrote:

Some of the (very few) lucky ones …

“Why are those goats grazing clouds?”

Some of the (very few) lucky ones …

It is interesting because it demonstrates how easily it can happen. Personally I stick to the old Norwegian planning minima that were something like 2000 ft ceiling and 8 km visibility. If the weather forecast is below that I ain’t going on a VFR NAV. I will do a relatively short hop in 1000 ft and 5 km visibility.

It was with an instructor and it was unexpected. Nobody was trying to make a point but it was a lesson nonetheless.

Dimme wrote:

This was during my training. Around the 9th hour in the air:

IMC @ 3:53

I suppose this was with instructor and not sole? Did the instructor want to make a point?

achimha wrote:

I’m with boscomantico, this is similar to learning to ride a bicycle. Once you have become friends with your gyros, you automatically revert to them when visibility declines. It starts to feel natural to only take cues from your instruments.

I find hand flying in IMC to be very easy, what I still find stressful is situational awareness — where exactly am I, what is my position relative to ground, am I on the correct path on the approach?

I also agree. At no point during IFR training or afterwards have I had any difficulty whatsoever controlling the aircraft on instruments. The difficult thing is doing so with the required precision while at the same time navigating and communicating.

Dimme wrote:

This was during my training. Around the 9th hour in the air:

IMC @ 3:53

This shows very well how dangerous scud running can be. Since the visibility is poor already and you don’t have a well-defined horizon, it is difficult to see in time if the clouds ahead are below your level.