What compelled you to get your IR?

[Bill]

This goes with Aunt Peggy's threads, in that she became disoriented in hazy VFR conditions. Others had said they experienced some trouble in MVFR, and I am just wondering what compelled folks to get their IR.

Thus, the poll, I thought it may be interesing.

 

[Missa]

You need a, I don't have it, option.

Orignally I started it because I like learning but tailwheel distractions kept me from getting more then a few lessons. Now the Club I'm in does not allow Night VFR flight greater then 3 miles from the airport.

Missa

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

Here in Michigan, I'm of the opinion you really need it--either you are dealing with thick, summer haze that reduces your visibility significantly or you're dealing with low, but thin, overcast cloud layers that are safe to penetrate but otherwise would keep you on the ground if you were VFR.

I went directly from my PPL to instrument training.

BTW, Missa, is that Pontiac Air Center at KPTK in your avatar? What brought you up to our neck of the woods?

 

[tonycondon]

it was next in the syllabus.

ive never heard of a club with that kind of restriction missa. how do they train private pilots? or do they?

 

[gprellwitz]

I went on enough long (> 250NM) trips VFR where we would have had difficulties had we net had an IR pilot with us that I felt it was a necessity. We like going places with the plane, and don't always have the ability to sit around waiting for the weather to clear to go VFR.

 

[jdwatson]

For me it was a culmination of several things.

1. Weather canceled enough of my lessons that I figured to maximize the use of my certificate an instrument rating would be necessary.
2. While I was a private pilot student I read "The Killing Zone".
3. Hazy North Carolina summers.
4. My instructors greatly encouraged me to press on.
5. Flight school rental agreement limited to 250nm without an instrument rating.
6. Cannot rent the T206H without an instrument rating.

 

[poadeleted20]

The left seat, really (although it seems I've ended up back in the right seat, albeit teaching rather than co-piloting), but I was definitely on the path to a professional aviation career.

 

[Anthony]

Not being able to reliably make fly-ins like the Wings event. I also have Gaston's on the horizon, so, hopefully that won't get nixed due to lousy weather. I think I'm going to do the PIC thing this summer once my plane has some new radios for the job.

 

[Chas]

My wife ...... sort of. Strongly encouraged would be a better phrase. Sometimes it's a distinction without a difference.

 

[EdFred]

it was next in the syllabus.

ive never heard of a club with that kind of restriction missa. how do they train private pilots? or do they?

I think she forgot to add the "unless you are instrument rated" to her no night flight restriction in her club. And since a CFI is required to have an IR...

As for me, I wanted to pick up ice!

 

[Bill]

Not being able to reliably make fly-ins like the Wings event. I alos have Gaston's on the horizon

Coming home from Gastons '05 was it for me, I called my instructor the very next day...

 

[alaskaflyer]

Some extra time + some extra $ + twisted sense of what constitutes "fun" = IR. For me at least.

 

[ScottM]

None of those choices work for me. What made my decision was enhanced class bravo after 9/11. I could not fly without an IR.

 

[tonycondon]

I think she forgot to add the "unless you are instrument rated" to her no night flight restriction in her club. And since a CFI is required to have an IR...

well i still feel sorry for the folks with privates only. night VFR is often one of the most beautiful times to fly.

 

[Missa]

BTW, Missa, is that Pontiac Air Center at KPTK in your avatar? What brought you up to our neck of the woods?

I was born in MI, raised in MI and my mom still lives in the house I was brought home from the hospital to.

I got my licence in MI and the AC in my Avatar was the one I got my Tailwheel in.

I only Moved to Williamsport for a Job about a year ago. Still feel like a Michagander.

Missa

 

[Missa]

it was next in the syllabus.

ive never heard of a club with that kind of restriction missa. how do they train private pilots? or do they?

There is an IR rated pilot in the AC durring the night XC (the CFI)... there is no night solo requirment for the private.

Missa

 

[Missa]

I think she forgot to add the "unless you are instrument rated" to her no night flight restriction in her club. And since a CFI is required to have an IR...

As for me, I wanted to pick up ice!

And you have to be on an instrument flight plan. Which would make it a flight under IFR not VFR, in VMC. The instructor has to file.

I think she forgot to add the "unless you are instrument rated" to her no night flight restriction in her club. And since a CFI is required to have an IR...

well i still feel sorry for the folks with privates only. night VFR is often one of the most beautiful times to fly.

I agree, I flew in it all the time before joining the club. Now I just have to get an IR. It really is a pain having to be back at IPT at sunset. The only problem I have now is finding an instructor! (but really who can complain about stupid rules for $40/hr wet)

Missa

 

[bjohnson]

1. Weather canceled lessons (6 PPL check ride appointments canceled due to weather)
2. Hazy Tennessee summers.
3. Low ceilings
4. instructor encouragement
5. tired of dodging clouds
6. Insurance break
7. extra time & extra money
8. I felt I would be a better pilot

 

[Baron 55]

When I got my Private, I swore I'd never be one of those fools who scud-ran. Then, couple yr. later, on a long X-co with a non-pilot and willing-but-nervous friend, I came upon some scud, very low clouds and etc. Flight svc. said, oh, don't worry, it is just a tiny band of stuff and if you can slip through it, you'll be in severe clear in a matter of a couple minutes. Fool, I did it, ended up descending more and more along a highway and eventually got past it, not too long but more than "a couple minutes" and it seemed like an hour [probably fifteen minutes, give or take]. We were...low...not 500 AGL or anything but...low. I looked over at my friend and noticed his death-grip on the seat and his very, very white face. I got home, walked in to the club to turn in the keys to the plane, and set up a meeting with a CFII immediately.

 

[gismo]

Besides the desire to stretch my aviation wings further by getting another rating, I saw the need for an IR to make cross country flight practical. Each time I had to wait out weather (well except once when I was in Florida and it was still winter back home) I promised myself that I would get the IR so it wouldn't happen so often. The final straw was getting a Bonanza of my own and not being really up to it's potential.

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

I was born in MI, raised in MI and my mom still lives in the house I was brought home from the hospital to.

I got my licence in MI and the AC in my Avatar was the one I got my Tailwheel in.

I only Moved to Williamsport for a Job about a year ago. Still feel like a Michagander.

Missa

PM sent.

 

[TMetzinger]

I had to land short of a destination once due to weather. While it wasn't scary (I had plenty of fuel and great weather behind me) it became clear that if I wanted to go places I'd need the IR. Fortunately my GI bill paid for 60% of it (and the commercial and multi too).

 

[Dwight B. Van Zanen]

I live in Washington state. Need I say more?

Actually, at my airport we often have fog held in by the adjacent trees when 500 feet up the air is clear. I have gone to the airport several times with great weather at home, only to find I could not got up into it. We have no ATIS.

Not finished with the IR yet, but making progress.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Uncle Sam made me do it!

Best,

Dave

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I am just wondering what compelled folks to get their IR.

I like to go places, and it's a heckuva lot easier with the IR. Sometimes it just gives you options, sometimes it makes the trip possible. It certainly causes me to pull less hair out when planning a trip.

I have managed 1000nm VFR trips. I've also had the home 'drome go IFR within 30nm of home, three times now. Luckily, all of those have been since I got the IR. It's a real luxury to be able to say "Approach, 71G, request popup IFR into Madison" and get home rather than have to divert and do who-knows-what next. I think the only time I haven't been able to get home since the IR was a month ago when a storm beat me there. IR doesn't help much when you hear "Attention all aircraft, winds at Madison now 190 at 19 gusting 47."

The IR comes in very handy even when you don't *need* it. I could have made it home VFR from Wings the other day, but it would have sucked. Bumpy as all get-out down low. Instead, I filed at 6, 6, and 4 thousand for the three legs. I got 1.1 actual out of 7.5 hours of flying, but it sure was a heckuva lot more comfortable in many ways to be up higher out of the bumps (but in and out of the clag) than it would have been down low getting bounced around and affected by the up and down drafts from the mountains.

Of course, there's a lot of bonuses not related to "just getting there" when you get the IR too:

 

[gprellwitz]

Of course, there's a lot of bonuses not related to "just getting there" when you get the IR too:

Awesome photos, and I agree! Leslie and I have also had a couple of 1000nm+ trips VFR, though we generally had IR pilots with should we need them. It's doable, but having the security of the IR in your back pocket is priceless.

 

[Fast n' Furious]

Roughly six hours after I got my PPL, I moved to Germany. I promptly joined the local flying club and pressed on with seeing Europe from the air. Anyone ever been to Europe? While VFR has been known to exist, it isn't the natural state there and I spent a lot of time going nowhere.
Anyway, when I moved back to the land of the big PX I kinda knew I was hooked on flying and if I was going to do it for work I was going to need an IR. Basically, it was part of the overall bigger picture and a means to an end.

 

[kevin47881]

I didn't respond to the poll as I am starting my IR next month.

While I have been tossing it around for several months, last Friday's flight into Blacksburg, VA clinched the deal.
​

 

[Ghery]

I live in Washington state. Need I say more?

Actually, at my airport we often have fog held in by the adjacent trees when 500 feet up the air is clear. I have gone to the airport several times with great weather at home, only to find I could not got up into it. We have no ATIS.

Not finished with the IR yet, but making progress.

Me, too. And OLM is a major fog hole, so IR or no IR, sometimes you just can't fly.

Now, why am I working on my IR?

1. Increased utility
2. My wife agrees that we've skipped one too many flights across the state just because we weren't going to be able to punch through a couple thousand feet of clouds in order to enjoy a clear shot the rest of the way (either going or coming home).
3. I've got a ways to go, but I KNOW it is making a better pilot out of me.
4. I've waited too long to get serious about it, so it's time.

 

[bbchien]

"Other". Uncle was pretty insistent. And he didn't give me a lotta time, either.

 

[Everskyward]

By the time I was at the point of deciding to get my IR (seems like you needed 200 hours way back then) I had pretty much figured out that I was going to try to do it as a living. At the time I was working as an aerial camera operator and spent a lot of my time in and around small airplanes anyway, so it seemed like the natural thing to do.

 

[AirBaker]

Why not?

 

[NC Pilot]

'Cause it makes the plane about 100% more useful, makes me a better pilot, and allows me to complete missions I could not have done without it.

 

[AdamZ]

My wife kept wanting to go on weekend trips to go on weekend trips to cape cod and i was always worried about getting stuck up there in Wx.

 

[poadeleted20]

And you have to be on an instrument flight plan. Which would make it a flight under IFR not VFR, in VMC. The instructor has to file.

14 CFR 61.109(a)(2): Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes—
(i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance;
So do they do that IFR with those Studend Pilots?

 

[gprellwitz]

14 CFR 61.109(a)(2): Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes—
(i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance;
So do they do that IFR with those Studend Pilots?

According to what she said earlier, yes!

And you have to be on an instrument flight plan. Which would make it a flight under IFR not VFR, in VMC. The instructor has to file.

Personally, I think it's a disservice to the student, as it robs them of a valuable training opportunity.

 

[Missa]

14 CFR 61.109(a)(2): Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes—
(i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance;
So do they do that IFR with those Studend Pilots?

That's how I read it... but then I have interpretaded the club rules wrong in the past. I don't know for sure since I had my Private when I got here.

 

[Bill]

"Other". Uncle was pretty insistent. And he didn't give me a lotta time, either.

Yeah, but that could fall on option one, the path to the right seat. Maybe not a life long career, but definately what you were going to be doing for some time to follow.

 

[poadeleted20]

That's how I read it... but then I have interpretaded the club rules wrong in the past. I don't know for sure since I had my Private when I got here.

I can't imagine trying to do that flight IFR -- the instructor will have to do everything except fly the plane and the trainee will get very little out of it due to total lack of preparation for the event unless the instructor gives the trainee almost a complete IFR ground school first, and the trainee still gets very little applicable to VFR night XC, which is the purpose of the flight.

 

[tdager]

I do not have mine yet, I will be starting it at the end of the year.

However there are two main reasons for me getting mine:

1. More use out of our plane
2. The wife wants me to get it