tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429311486394377221.post3050691612591633008..comments2024-01-25T19:59:19.744-05:00Comments on COPA Flight 8 Ottawa: Can you get an Instrument Rating while making major errors flying ILS?Michael Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881160865679740901noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429311486394377221.post-2313771890707899662014-02-09T20:48:30.437-05:002014-02-09T20:48:30.437-05:00I think the obvious answer to the question should ...I think the obvious answer to the question should be no. <br /><br />The real issue I believe is what you "as PIC" believe is required to remain current. A briefing and instruction on spatial disorientation may be more useful than 6 simulated approaches or 6 hours in 6 months.<br /><br />Can currency even be a function of age, hours, skill, or IMC hours? Or should you just raise your personal limits when filing IFR after a long absence? It is not an easy question to answer. <br /><br />There is a good report worth reading about controlled flight into terrain (cfit) here:<br /><br />http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/training/media/cfit/volume1/titlepg.pdf<br /><br />I also read another accident report that indicated spatial disorientation causes many night take off accidents when you do not have a clear horizon. One accident was with two very experienced IFR pilots at the controls. The reasons for CFIT are much more complicated than the few factors I have listed above and they can't be eliminated with more prescriptive regulations.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00411007144379108103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429311486394377221.post-51665801068716888502014-02-08T10:44:51.958-05:002014-02-08T10:44:51.958-05:00While I have neither a lot of hours IFR nor recent...While I have neither a lot of hours IFR nor recent time, I did earn my instrument rating and flew in our Cardinal for several years in IFR in both the United states and Canada.<br /><br />I have no comment on this accident in particular - I am looking forward to the presentation very much and may have an opinion after that.<br /><br />I do have some thoughts on General Aviation IFR though - maybe some of you will agree with me:<br /><br />- It seems to me that the IFR limits for GA pilots are too low - for the very limited practice hours we get in IMC. My personal limits I set much higher than 200 and a 1/2 - especially without an instructor on board.<br /><br />- The British had a rating - which was the IMC rating (don't know if it still exists) - it allowed pilots to fly in IMC between VFR airports - that seems a much better compromise than giving a weekend pilot - the full class 1 limits.<br /><br />- The IFR training I had, concentrated way too much on approaches - which I got down quite well (my highest test score was about 3 points off perfect on a ride). However when I tried landings in IMC on GA-length runways on Non precision approaches I found it very difficult to stop in time. I never was trained to do real IMC landings and with Gavin one time - I almost blew the landing - I recall he told me I was lucky he did not get to rate that on the ride - or I would have failed. Doing missed approach after missed approach under the hood and then circling for a VFR landing did nothing for my capability to actually land IFR.<br /><br />- My last point is that there was nothing in the training that required me to actually fly in IMC before the ride. Consequently the first time I tried it I was without the instructor. Not a good thing.<br /><br />Anyway some will disagree and definitely some use the IFR rating a lot - and are very safe pilots. I just think that the training and rating limits need to be adjusted to what most of us actually need and want to do with the rating.JohnQPublichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09831749955371309835noreply@blogger.com