Are you safer flying IFR in VFR weather?

sba55 said:
Yes, I am. I fly with Maui Jim's that I bought last year and I understand all their glasses are polarized. In addition, when I tilt them as you described, LCDs become completely black.
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Sounds polarized all right.

That I can't say anything about because I know nothing about the problem. It seems like it makes a huge difference. But I haven't tried looking at the same plane with/without/without polarization. Maybe regular sunglasses would do just as well? It doesn't seem like that to me, but I'm not sure. What I have noticed, however, is that there aren't any spots on the canopy of the two planes I fly regularly (maybe it's because they're Beech-$$$ windshields? ;) )
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I have seen visual artifacts looking through windshields with polarized glasses but the effect is often subtle or non-existent. WRT spotting airplanes, I think that certain spectral filters and light attenuation can enhance that ability but I doubt that polarization by itself is of any benefit there.
 
gismo said:
I have seen visual artifacts looking through windshields with polarized glasses but the effect is often subtle or non-existent. WRT spotting airplanes, I think that certain spectral filters and light attenuation can enhance that ability but I doubt that polarization by itself is of any benefit there.
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That makes sense. They probably do those other things you mentioned with high-quality sunglasses. Those glasses are often polarized, so maybe it's a classical correlation vs causation issue...
 
sba55 said:
In addition, some people are just better at spotting planes than others. I'm horrible at it. I've improved a lot since I bought polarized sunglasses, but I'm still not nearly as good as a non-pilot friend of mine. It just depends, and things like polarized glasses make a huge difference.

-Felix
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Practice spotting until you get better...
 
Dave Krall CFII said:
Practice spotting until you get better...
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I try to spot every airplane that shows up within 5nm on my traffic system but I have a pretty low percentage on anything more than a mile or two away even when I know where to look. Could be my aging eyes but I always get corrected to 20/20 according to my opthamologist.
 
bbchien said:
(1) I feel safer at IFR altitudes above 10,000 feet. Fewer VFR only(s) wandering about maneuvering, not seeing. No true security, however.
(2) Nearly all the time IFR.
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That makes sense. It also makes sense to have a twin.

(must get more students, must get a twin . . . . )
 
I file IFR on most cross country flights especially if in busier airspace. It doesnt really make me feel safer I just like being in the system. I was flying into Whiteman (just north of Burbank & Van Nuys) a couple of years ago and had already been cleared for the approach (we were in & out of IMC, mostly in) when the approach said "you have traffic 12 o'clock & 2 mi at same altitude and I'm not talking to them. I would suggest suggest heading XXX and descent to 4000 immediately". I did and thought to myself here I am cleared for the approach in IMC and some guy 2 mi away is VFR? Anyway after a minute or so approach says traffic no factor resume approach, so I did and remained mostly IMC down to 3000 or so. You just never know!
 
bbchien said:
...man, twins are CHEAP now....!!
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You can get a whole lot of plane for not a lot of money right now, that's for sure (example: me with my Aztec). Everything else still costs as much, but if it's something you wanted to buy anyway, now's the time! :yes:
 
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