Wife wants me to get IR, but I'm not so sure

labbadabba

labbadabba

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labbadabba
So, my wife refuses to fly with me and she won't let me take the kids up unless I have an IR. I'm tempted to call her bluff, to the point where I've begun some serious study and work towards my rating.

Problem is, I don't/can't fly enough to stay current/proficient. Legal, yeah, I could probably stay legal. I do a lot of sim flying to keep my skills sharp between hops but in terms of having my butt strapped in with the spinney thing out front going, I get maybe a 2 hours a month on average.

So, is it worth it for me to even pursue it? I realize that the IR opens a lot of possibilities not to mention giving my wife the comfort that I have a few extra tools in my pilot bag o' tricks. Problem is, I've learned that instrument flying can get you in trouble in a real hurry and if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I think I can stay sharp enough...
 
labbadabba said:
So, my wife refuses to fly with me and she won't let me take the kids up unless I have an IR. I'm tempted to call her bluff, to the point where I've begun some serious study and work towards my rating.

Problem is, I don't/can't fly enough to stay current/proficient. Legal, yeah, I could probably stay legal. I do a lot of sim flying to keep my skills sharp between hops but in terms of having my butt strapped in with the spinney thing out front going, I get maybe a 2 hours a month on average.

So, is it worth it for me to even pursue it? I realize that the IR opens a lot of possibilities not to mention giving my wife the comfort that I have a few extra tools in my pilot bag o' tricks. Problem is, I've learned that instrument flying can get you in trouble in a real hurry and if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I think I can stay sharp enough...
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I think you are very lucky to have such a smart wife.
 
It certainly my won't hurt anything. You still can make the call to not fly hard ifr to minimums if you don't feel proficient.
 
Do it. Certainly can't hurt.

If she really is worried about the kids. Then fly on nice days during the day with lots of fuel and don't do stupid pilot tricks. That is about as safe as it gets.
 
I dunno--sounds kind of like you've already made your mind up. Personally I don't understand your wife's logic unless she is banking on you never getting the rating to begin with. In any event I wouldn't get the rating simply to be able to fly with your kids--that should just be the bonus. YMMV......
 
Well I can see it from both sides. Its definitely not necessary to be safe. Especially if you are just taking the kids up for an hour.

On the other hand, a newly minted private pilot is pretty green, and also statistically much more likely to have an accident. Obtaining the IR is a way to show that you take flying seriously, even though you might be low time, you have earned a difficult rating and shown that you can handle the airplane above and beyond the basic private pilot standards. Its a good goal to set, and you will find it very practical should you discover an airplane is a good way to travel, which it is.
 
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Time for one of 2 things to happen:

1. Get a new wife
2. Tell the wife that as the kids' father, you are both capable and empowered to make decisions regarding their safety and she can back the **** off.
 
labbadabba said:
So, my wife refuses to fly with me and she won't let me take the kids up unless I have an IR. I'm tempted to call her bluff, to the point where I've begun some serious study and work towards my rating.

Problem is, I don't/can't fly enough to stay current/proficient. Legal, yeah, I could probably stay legal. I do a lot of sim flying to keep my skills sharp between hops but in terms of having my butt strapped in with the spinney thing out front going, I get maybe a 2 hours a month on average.

So, is it worth it for me to even pursue it? I realize that the IR opens a lot of possibilities not to mention giving my wife the comfort that I have a few extra tools in my pilot bag o' tricks. Problem is, I've learned that instrument flying can get you in trouble in a real hurry and if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I think I can stay sharp enough...
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When I was eligible to fly IFR, I found that sim flying on my home PC was very helpful in maintaining or regaining proficiency higher than the legal minimums provided.
 
SkyHog said:
Time for one of 2 things to happen:

1. Get a new wife
2. Tell the wife that as the kids' father, you are both capable and empowered to make decisions regarding their safety and she can back the **** off.
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This. Lol. Tell her the kids are going and she is going too so she can play stewardess and hand out snacks.
 
The worst it can do is make you a more accurate pilot. Go for it.
 
Lawrence is just 1.5 hrs drive from Manhattan, KS, right?

Take a week off, go see the folks at GATTS, and get er done.
 
Add to the list of things which are almost never said;

"I wish I had NEVER gotten that additional rating (additional training, advanced certificate, etc)"
 
Go do an accelerated program, just to get the rating, and it won't hurt if you forget it all if you say you'll never use it ('cept ur wallet). Problem solved.
 
I would get the IR. The training is fun (well, not always) and it makes you a more accurate pilot.

There are several flight schools that offer the training in 7 - 10 days. I personally can recommend Scott Best / OBX flight school, you will be exposed to a lot of actual IMC if NC weather allows. :D

Have fun during your training,
Martina
 
money or time is the only valid excuse I can think of not to get the rating. You'll be a better pilot.
 
labbadabba said:
So, my wife refuses to fly with me and she won't let me take the kids up unless I have an IR. ... Problem is, I've learned that instrument flying can get you in trouble in a real hurry and if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I think I can stay sharp enough...
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Ok, got it! Wife wants you to take her to Kokomo in the Keys and is smart enough to realize an instrument rating will allow you to fly there more often more reliably and is holding the kids hostage. Take the deal, it's mostly VFR all the time anyway.

dtuuri
 
It can only make you a better pilot,it's still your choice on when to fly,you set your personal minimums and weather you fly in the clouds or not.
 
I have much the same dilemma in that I don't fly enough to be a GOOD instrument rated pilot and that's asking for trouble.

To my way of thinking, and what little experience I have flying IFR, if you do not do it often enough, you're just a dangerous IFR pilot. Ratings don't mean squat unless they are practiced often in real conditions. You want to scare the crap out of yourself and your kids? Fly them into IMC and then get screwed up.

IFR is either all in or stay the F out in my humble opinion.
 
I have not read all the replies, but...

Get the IR. No matter whether or not you're out of currency by 10 years, you will be a much more well rounded pilot. You will understand the system on a whole new level.... Plus it just might save your bacon a some point.
 
labbadabba said:
snip.....
So, is it worth it for me to even pursue it? I realize that the IR opens a lot of possibilities not to mention giving my wife the comfort that I have a few extra tools in my pilot bag o' tricks. Problem is, I've learned that instrument flying can get you in trouble in a real hurry and if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I think I can stay sharp enough...
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How long have you been flying and how many hours do you have?
You make this sound like a one way street. You do realize you will be a much better and safer VFR pilot with an instrument rating?
 
Go get it and post back in this thread about happily flying around the country with your wife and kids on board.
 
Will it make you a safer pilot? Absolutely.

Night flight one month ago, Inverness Florida. 1400' AGL. I looked down for a few seconds, then looked back up. Didn't notice that the few lights I'd been able to see just before had gone away. Realized what had happened within 15 seconds or so, and descended 100 feet to get back to visual conditions.

There was a line of thunderstorms moving towards us, and whether or not we'd make our intended landing point 20 minutes northwest was in question. We'd been handed off from ATC to advisory already. Safe sector altitude was 900 feet. As it started to rain, I scrubbed plan A, dialed up the RNAV at Inverness, and followed the glide slope to the ground.

It wasn't a critical situation, but it was some workload. That identical scenario has killed pilots. And for me (Commercial SEL IR) the rating and IR time gave me more tools to evaluate the situation and make good decisions.


You remember how when you soloed, the workload felt pretty high, then once you had your ticket for a while, it felt much easier and then got comfortable?

The instrument rating is like that. A bunch of hours of hood and actual time will bring you back to the place where you're just barely hanging on to the increased workload, then you'll get more and more used to it, and then it'll be easy.

And, you're not going to go blasting off into actual IMC alone right away. And you may not stay current every 6 months. But an instrument rating is a massive help in knowing how to read weather and conditions, and what to do if they change more dramatically than expected.

And, your most important passengers are asking you to get more training so that you are a safer and better pilot. Will it make you a better pilot? Absolutely. Will it help your wife feel safer with you? Yes. Is that worth the money to ride with a CFII? Yes.


Originally Posted by RotorDude
I think you are very lucky to have such a smart wife.
 
Kritchlow said:
I have not read all the replies, but...

Get the IR. No matter whether or not you're out of currency by 10 years, you will be a much more well rounded pilot. You will understand the system on a whole new level.... Plus it just might save your bacon a some point.
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I did read them all but the answer is above.

Yes, a less than proficient IR pilot can be a more dangerous pilot in IMC and MVFR. You need to be just as adamant about not just being current, but being proficient before filing IFR with the family aboard. Given your description of your flying right now, it will be difficult for you to achieve that. But you will be a better VFR pilot for it.

Of course the best thing is get rated then up you flying time and sim work to a point where you do stay legally current and confidently proficient. Then file IFR on every single trip and tell her to bring her shades B). It is the best way to travel in a plane.
 
You said yourself you don't fly enough to stay proficient. Do you want to put the kids in just to "call your wife's bluff?". I will be getting my IFR in April but I can tell you if i were in your shoes and self aware that I'm legal, but not proficient, I'm not putting anyone else at risk... Especially my kid. Extra training never hurts and may make you a better pilot, but you know if you are proficient enough to bring the family along.
 
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linuxjim said:
You said yourself you don't fly enough to stay proficient. Do you want to put the kids in just to "call your wife's bluff?". I will be getting my IFR in April but I can tell you if i were in your shoes and self aware that I'm legal, but not proficient, I'm not putting anyone else at risk... Especially my kid.
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As has been stated, nobody is saying you all of a sudden need to go into the worst weather known to man.

Even if you never file an IFR flight plan after your rating, you will better understand the system by magnitudes untold.

And you just *might* stop from killing yourself in the mean time...
 
True but as the OP stated he doesn't fly enough to stay proficient. And at 1 - 2 hours a month, as he stated, I wouldn't be comfortable putting my family in the plane VFR or IFR. I've gone a month without flying a couple times. Maybe it's because I'm a relatively low time pilot but after after a month I feel a bit rusty. There's still no reason NOT to get further training for the IFR. But if the OP still maintains 1-2 hrs a month, if it were me, I still wouldn't feel comfortable with my family in the plane (VFR or IFR)
 
linuxjim said:
True but as the OP stated he doesn't fly enough to stay proficient. And at 1 - 2 hours a month, as he stated, I wouldn't be comfortable putting my family in the plane VFR or IFR. I've gone a month without flying a couple times. Maybe it's because I'm a relatively low time pilot but after after a month I feel a bit rusty. There's still no reason NOT to get further training for the IFR. But if the OP still maintains 1-2 hrs a month, if it were me, I still wouldn't feel comfortable with my family in the plane (VFR or IFR)
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I interpreted that as he would not be able to stay IFR current. If he can't stay VFR current than you're correct, he has no business getting an IR.
 
No-brainer here. Just do it! I look at the PPL as a High School Diploma, and the Instrument Rating as a Bachelor Degree.
 
bigred said:
No-brainer here. Just do it! I look at the PPL as a High School Diploma, and the Instrument Rating as a Bachelor Degree.
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Actually, the IR is a completely different realm of flying, rather than an extension on what you already know.

The PPL would be the high school degree, the CPL the Bachelors.

The IR would be the Masters degree, the ATP would be the PH.D.
 
SkyHog said:
Time for one of 2 things to happen:

1. Get a new wife
2. Tell the wife that as the kids' father, you are both capable and empowered to make decisions regarding their safety and she can back the **** off.
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So, how long have you been divorced?
 
Kritchlow said:
I interpreted that as he would not be able to stay IFR current. If he can't stay VFR current than you're correct, he has no business getting an IR.
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He said he thought he could stay legal but not proficient. That implies current in the sense of legally current, but not current in the sense of being proficient.
 
An IR will not make you a "better pilot" - that's just what the IR guys say to validate their choice to pursue it.

What IS true is that 40 hours of task-targeted instructor guided training will make you a better pilot.

Why not develop your own program to be a superior VFR pilot ? That could certainly include 10 hours of hood time learning to shoot approaches with the gear in your plane, maybe 10 acrobatic or upset-recovery, another 10 in mountain flying, another 10 of night operations or emergency procedures .....

I don't see where you need to be skilled at VOR tracking and holding if what you really need are skill and confidence to keep the plane upright in IMC while following radar vectors to VMC. Spend your time and money wisely, on your own agenda.

Ok, bring on the flames ....
 
CCluck said:
An IR will not make you a "better pilot" - that's just what the IR guys say to validate their choice to pursue it.

What IS true is that 40 hours of task-targeted instructor guided training will make you a better pilot.

Why not develop your own program to be a superior VFR pilot ? That could certainly include 10 hours of hood time learning to shoot approaches with the gear in your plane, maybe 10 acrobatic or upset-recovery, another 10 in mountain flying, another 10 of night operations or emergency procedures .....

I don't see where you need to be skilled at VOR tracking and holding if what you really need are skill and confidence to keep the plane upright in IMC while following radar vectors to VMC. Spend your time and money wisely, on your own agenda.

Ok, bring on the flames ....
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Right on. The IR mafia are so blinded by their lust for submarine driving they can't comprehend that the OP has a marriage problem not a flying problem.
 
CCluck said:
An IR will not make you a "better pilot" - that's just what the IR guys say to validate their choice to pursue it.

What IS true is that 40 hours of task-targeted instructor guided training will make you a better pilot.

Why not develop your own program to be a superior VFR pilot ? That could certainly include 10 hours of hood time learning to shoot approaches with the gear in your plane, maybe 10 acrobatic or upset-recovery, another 10 in mountain flying, another 10 of night operations or emergency procedures .....

I don't see where you need to be skilled at VOR tracking and holding if what you really need are skill and confidence to keep the plane upright in IMC while following radar vectors to VMC. Spend your time and money wisely, on your own agenda.

Ok, bring on the flames ....
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In my experience, learning to keep the blue side up and holding heading and altitude was a LOT more work than tracking a VOR (which ultimately just gives you a heading anyway).

So, you can make false trade offs if you want, but you'll spend more effort rolling your own. And perhaps not satisfy the original problem, which very well might involve an official recognition of the increased skill.
 
Phoenix said:
Right on. The IR mafia are so blinded by their lust for submarine driving they can't comprehend that the OP has a marriage problem not a flying problem.
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LOL, you might be right on that one...

I have a feeling this might be a moving goal post. Okay honey, I have my IR. Oh wait, you want me to get my CPL now?

On the bright side, it makes it easier to justify the $$ that goes towards the flying budget...
 
An IR does make you a better pilot. It requires you to master all of the principles of single pilot resource management, which can really pay off when things go wrong regardless of the current flight conditions. Once you develop the skill and habit of always thinking ahead of the plane, all phases of flight can be performed with a higher level of competence and safety.

A typical approach towards the end of my IR training would be something like a non-precision pilot nav LOC or VOR approach with a procedure turn to missed approach then hold. No DG, AI, GPS or DME and a single working CDI. Hopefully this will never happen IRL, but the like CCLuck says, once you're able to perform an approach like this to standards, radar vectors to an ILS or LPV is not challenging.
 
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