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What do you find most challenging in IFR flying?

On challenging IFR weather, near Courcheval LFLJ in Dec2017 windstorm Ana, no flying but the plan was to get a taster of altiport flying and booked paraglide trial flight for Mrs, none of that happened, actually, no flying, no ski, no driving, almost no going out for full week, we could not even drive the car (the small one under the snow, that car was “dry VFR only” rental and hates altitude and black ice)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017–18_European_windstorm_season#Storm_Ana

Last Edited by Ibra at 03 Jun 16:56
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

While en route weather is certainly a big issue for IR pilots, I would also say that transitioning from the arrival/descent stage of flight to the approach in bad weather is also something that has caused me several nasty surprises. The problem arises because approach controllers don’t always understand the limitations of GA aircraft and expect rates of descent which are not feasible and get you into situations in bad weather in which you are high and/or late for the ILS. This has happened to me in both Dublin Weston and Leeds Bradford, during the arrival of cold fronts. I have had to learn to say “unable, request vectors for wider approach”. I didnt get any exposure to this kind of thing in training.

Upper Harford private strip UK, near EGBJ, United Kingdom

Weather-related go/no-go.
When the tops are near the plane’s practical ceiling.
Convective weather.

mmgreve wrote:

NDB holds
you can do a totally crappy job and still stay inside the box, the amount of airspace reserved for NDB holds is gigantic. Which also explains why they are never used in practice.
ESMK, Sweden

For sure, as s lighter aircraft, you very often get slam-dunk approaches where they’ve basically dealt with you as an afterthought after their “important regulars” have been serviced. It’s basically par for the course. All you can do is stay professional.

“Unable” is a very useful word to know.

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 09 Jun 05:47
34 Posts
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