so I took my wife and daughter to myrtle beach from Long Island (21N) last Sunday . Planned to leave Thursday but don't have to be back till Monday. So gives me nice window if weather craps out, no problem , WRONG!!! So left yesterday headed as northeast as possible ended up in Roxboro,NC (KTDF). Weather looks bad for next 2 days . When I get home calling my CFI to start training.
This is why I need IFR rating!
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Code90
Pre-takeoff checklist
You hit it on the head. Without IFR, it's hard to really travel. We plan all our trips with an extra day or two free at the end for weather too. Can make life a lot easier when the weather looks suspect. With IFR, you still have the same issue, but it gives you more options. We went to the Bahamas with kid for spring break, but were stuck for an extra day with a front coming across FL. Kids and wife didn't seem to mind extending the trip by an extra day.
mulligan
Cleared for Takeoff
Hate to break it to you but I'm typing this as I sit in the airport. I'm near the end of my IFR training and my instructor and I were going to take a nice long trip together IFR to finish my cross country and sim hours. There is a shearing front in the area that will impact our return home for the next 48 hours. Even with an IFR rating sometimes it is still better to let the big boys handle it and go commercial!
Dont get me wrong, I still think it is a huge benefit but it's no guarantee!!!
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Dont get me wrong, I still think it is a huge benefit but it's no guarantee!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Code90
Pre-takeoff checklist
Mulligan is absolutely right. In the last two trips to the Bahamas (IFR), I have had to sit and wait for weather. This year in the Bahamas; last year in Jacksonville. Both times due to fronts or much CB. Much better to be on the ground looking at weather than to be bouncing in the clouds, hitting your head on the roof, hoping the plane holds together. IFR gives you options, but doesn't make you bullet proof.
James331
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IFR is great, even if you never use it, if just for the extra skills you learn.
That said, depending on where you live between ice and not having real onboard radar, as most GA planes don't have, IFR ain't a silver bullet, but I would still say worth it. For my personal flying, even though I fly low level VFR/VMC mostly, with the new plane being well equipped for IFR it does give me a little more wiggle room and shooting ILSs for the heck of it back to base is fun anyways.
That said, depending on where you live between ice and not having real onboard radar, as most GA planes don't have, IFR ain't a silver bullet, but I would still say worth it. For my personal flying, even though I fly low level VFR/VMC mostly, with the new plane being well equipped for IFR it does give me a little more wiggle room and shooting ILSs for the heck of it back to base is fun anyways.
Abram
Pre-takeoff checklist
As several people have noted, having your IFR rating is no guarantee that you are getting where you want to go at the time that you want to get there. That is especially the case when I have passengers or my family on board.
I have spent many days with the family sitting on the ground waiting for a front to pass. Sometimes it's for a few hours; sometimes it's for a day or two.
However, some of the best, most memorable experiences that we have had traveling in the plane have been on those unscheduled layovers! If we are stuck somewhere, we try to make the most of it and enjoy the local flavor!!!!
Abram Finkelstein
N48KY
I have spent many days with the family sitting on the ground waiting for a front to pass. Sometimes it's for a few hours; sometimes it's for a day or two.
However, some of the best, most memorable experiences that we have had traveling in the plane have been on those unscheduled layovers! If we are stuck somewhere, we try to make the most of it and enjoy the local flavor!!!!
Abram Finkelstein
N48KY
Get it done! It's useful for getting through the layer and make non flyable days easily flyable. However even when you have the rating, there are plenty of days that are still not flyable.
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Bro do you even lift
Mr. Finkelstein, or should I say 'Dad'...........looks like the adoption paperwork is moving rather slowly, but I DO look forward to our next family trip in the Eclipse!
Abram
Pre-takeoff checklist
Mr. Finkelstein, or should I say 'Dad'...........looks like the adoption paperwork is moving rather slowly, but I DO look forward to our next family trip in the Eclipse!
Haha.
I do love my Eclipse!
If you just showed up, there is a really good chance I wouldn't know the difference.
If you ever find yourself in S FL I would be happy to give you a ride. Then you wouldn't even have to deal with me and my bad attitude for the long term!
Abram Finkelstein
N48KY
Nothing is more frustrating than having to wait for storm fronts to go by you.Got my IFR as soon as I couldn't make sun n fun one year VFR. Best rating I ever got.
I've had far more delays and cancellations on commercial flights than private. Happens for both. The big iron can certain handle more weather than the small GA planes.
James331
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James331
For some food for thought on minimums.
For a pilot in command to be able to be hired to fly your family on the same IFR flight the minimums are
1200TT, 500 XC, 100 night, 75 instrument, 50hrs of that need to be in flight.
NOW, since it's YOUR family and YOUR plane and YOU are going to be PIC, it's just pt91, so you only need a PPL with 50hrs of cross country, which can consist of mainly tiny 50.1nm "cross countries", 40hrs of actual OR SIMULATED instrument time, one 250nm x/c with a CFII, a written and a checkride.
Pt91 gives us a lot of room to make our own decisions, you can see the huge difference from how many MINUMUM hours are required to hire a pilot to make the same flight with your family aboard in IMC and how many hours for you to launch into IMC with the family aboard, my point is I would want above the pt91 minimums to fly my family around in IMC.
So to continue my journey.... Weather along my route is not good some MVFR at best, flying with 1100 ceiling in unfamiliar area with cells towers topping at 1700 is out of the question. So Saturday flying is out and weather on Sunday is predicted to be worse with long range forecast showing no clearing till Thursday. So what to do, sitting it out in Roxboro with wife and teenage daughter for possibly 5 days is a pretty ****ty option, daughter misses school, my office becomes chaotic as I cancel at least 3 days of patients . Soooo what to do?
Somedudeintn
Cleared for Takeoff
That is a valid point, but the 135 Ifr pilot will likely be flying a faster plane and have to think faster than the 91 pilot. Additionally the 135 pilot will also likely be doing more night flying in worse weather than the 91 pilot. There are many IFR days that are just a thin low level layer of calm clouds that you say you wouldn't fly your family through right after getting the rating. Again it comes back to good decision making and knowing your personal limitations.
I decided to rent a car and drive home . Will fly back to Raleigh on commercial flight and bring plane back when a nice window opens up. So definitely an experience to remember and solidifies the need for IFR ticket. And no I realize that this doesn't mean I will never get delayed , but here in on the east coast it will make a difference on a lot of days. Note on the 4 days in question it was VFR on Long Island With tops of clouds enroute at around 4000.
mscard88
Touchdown! Greaser!
FAR Part 61 lists the requirements and hours for all certificates and ratings. It's free online too.
So if I go by 135 standards I need to get 700 more hour to get TT up to were I need to be , assuming I average 70 hrs a year this means 10 years of flying till I can consider using my plane as a means of transportation
You don't need to go by 135 standards. You fly 91.
Somedudeintn
Cleared for Takeoff
I think it's crazy that the 135 IFR minimum for instrument time is only 75 instrument. That's not even double what's required for the instrument rating. I guess you can do a lot of VFR flying to get to where you are legal to fly pax for hire IFR for a 135 operation.
Tflhndn
Pre-takeoff checklist
Not fun, but I got socked in at New Bern yesterday. Ended up renting a car and driving home... I will go back next weekend to get the plane
mscard88
Touchdown! Greaser!
If you just want an instrument rating look at Part 61 for the requirements. You don't need Part 135 unless you plan to fly for a commercial Part 135 outfit. If your flying your own plane all you need to do is get an instrument rating. Look at Part 61!
James, could you clarify your point. You state you would want pt 91 minimums to fly your family in IMC . Did you mean pt 135 minimums and if so how many pilots out there met these minimums before taking family into IMC?
Code90
Pre-takeoff checklist
Got my IFR ticket pt 91 and feel comfortable flying the family around through IMC (although I pick reasonable daytime IMC). Have only about 250 hours now and have been flying family IMC for last couple yrs. It does make you think more about weather when you load up the whole crew in the plane. Even more so when you had a friend load up his family and go down. It's all a calculated risk.
James331
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James331
What I was getting at is that the pt91 mins are low enough that no one could legally hire you to fly their family around in IMC, so just remember the whole license to learn thing and don't go loading your entire family into the plane before the ink even drys on your IFR ticket and launch into LIFR.
Get some time flying solo on VFR days first, MVFR days, IFR days than as you get more comfortable LIFR days, maybe do some IFR flying with a real IFR pilot, not nesscarly a CFII, maybe a old freight dog or medevac pilot or 135 charter guy, get very comfy doing a go around in LIFR, a cicle to a missed with a low ceiling, or maybe have that first accidental encounter with ice, especially flying in the NE, do these things before you try it with non aviation folks or God forbid screaming kids / family pets.
Get some time flying solo on VFR days first, MVFR days, IFR days than as you get more comfortable LIFR days, maybe do some IFR flying with a real IFR pilot, not nesscarly a CFII, maybe a old freight dog or medevac pilot or 135 charter guy, get very comfy doing a go around in LIFR, a cicle to a missed with a low ceiling, or maybe have that first accidental encounter with ice, especially flying in the NE, do these things before you try it with non aviation folks or God forbid screaming kids / family pets.
I agree that an IFR rating doesnt always get you home. Trouble with IMC is you have all that bad weather. Wind, rain, ice, snow, hail, turbulence, T storms, towering cumulus etc. Its not just dealing with the clouds. That part is doable. Its dealing with all the other bad weather too. Sometimes you can find "nice" IMC, just clouds, no ice, no turbulence, maybe a little rain, nothing severe. THATS small plane IMC, at least for me. I can deal with wind if its not turbulence. So there is still weather when you cant go.
Best learning IMC is when you have VFR below you that is above the minimum vectoring altitude.
Best learning IMC is when you have VFR below you that is above the minimum vectoring altitude.