Sunday, September 19, 2010

Single Pilot IFR

The Single Pilot IFR article was very informative as to how to safely fly in IFR conditions.  The main things that I got from this article are that it is imperative that you feel very comfortable in IFR conditions before flying them solo, and to always stay ahead of everything you are doing during flight.  This means to be organized; have charts tabbed at exactly where you need to go when referencing them, knowing all weather phenomenon you will be encountering, having all available information on airspace and airports beforehand, and much more.  It is best to always stay two minutes ahead of what you are doing.  For example, know when you will be reaching your next fix (distance, time, etc.), weather at that fix (through frequencies), and what you will be encountering afterwards.  The biggest problem for IFR pilots is running into a problem or emergency during flight and getting too overloaded with tasks.  The average person can handle approx. three tasks at once, so if you are getting weather, figuring out where you are at, talking to ATC, and briefing an approach and you have an instrument failure, you are immediately overloaded with tasks.  This is why it is important to stay ahead.

I do not think I would be comfortable flying single pilot IFR as of now.  I have .2 hours of flight time in actual IFR conditions, and have not been practicing IFR flying for the past few months (other than some approaches and holds).  I would like to get more experience in actual conditions with another pilot with me, so that I can increase my knowledge and comfort level.

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