Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 09:26:44 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: <2thman@olympus.net> Received: from mail2.bllvwa.cablespeed.com ([66.235.59.9] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.1.5) with SMTP id 2631233 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 10 Oct 2003 02:26:24 -0400 Received: (qmail 13649 invoked by uid 0); 10 Oct 2003 06:25:32 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO JohnHome) (66.235.31.92) by 0 with SMTP; 10 Oct 2003 06:25:32 -0000 From: "John Barrett" <2thman@olympus.net> X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" Subject: RE: [LML] IV-P IFR training X-Original-Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 23:25:31 -0700 X-Original-Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01B2_01C38EBC.A19554A0" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2727.1300 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01B2_01C38EBC.A19554A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit TRAIN IFR IN THE AIRPLANE YOU FLY. Caveats: 1. know the airplane inside and out before you start your IFR. 2. have your basic airwork skills honed in that airplane before you start your IFR. If you're behind the airplane VFR, you'll be even farther behind IFR, but if you have it well under control in visual conditions, the transition should be relatively smooth. If you need to start out in something more docile to get the flow of scanning and basic IFR headwork, for gosh sakes, do it in a simulator. You don't even need an instructor for that. Use Microsoft Flight Simulator or Xplane if you don't have access to a complete flight simulator. All you need is to get the hang of using the instruments to make the airplane go where you want - it doesn't much matter what simulator it is. Then the only thing added in your glass rocket is airwork and speed. If you've attended to the above caveats, this won't be a problem. The military puts its pilots into the instrument program in high performance airplanes and they do just fine. No reason why you can't do the same. One respondent says some folks aren't meant to be IFR pilots -- that's certainly true, but most of those folks aren't meant to be Lancair pilots either. If you have the eye-hand coordination to fly one of these slippery devils well, there is absolutely zero reason why you can't learn to fly it IFR. Another says he wouldn't fly IFR without two engines, or where there is any risk of ice, etc. Often times the second engine is only there to get you to the scene of the crash. Usually that's in a takeoff situation where all the engines you've got are stressed to the limit - the most likely time for them to break. That's the time when having two engines can be a negative. While the airplane is heavy, close to the ground, slow, nose up, if one engine quits, it's damned difficult to keep the airframe flying. By many accounts, that's the situation where it's better to be a glider than to have one engine that's about to turn you over on your back. I'm not an NTSB investigator, but I've hung around airports since I was a kid, and I've seen quite a few fatal twin crashes on takeoff with an engine failure. Single engine airplanes fly just fine in IFR conditions; the engines don't stop running just because they encounter the clouds. A healthy respect for ice is a wise approach, but our airplanes will fly just fine with a bit of that stuff on them. If you do encounter it, keep the airplane clean and keep the speed up. Find a long runway to land on. Try to find one that has warmer temperatures, so the ice will go away before you have to put down the gear. While caution and moderation are valuable attitudes for pilots, I find it disturbing to hear so much fear and trepidation spread about regarding IFR flying and ice encounters. Regards, John Barrett Barrett/Garrett Enterprises, Inc. PO Box 428 Pt. Hadlock, WA 98339 www.carbinge.com ------=_NextPart_000_01B2_01C38EBC.A19554A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
TRAIN IFR IN THE AIRPLANE YOU=20 FLY.  
 
Caveats:
 
1. know the airplane inside and = out before=20 you start your IFR.
2. have your basic airwork skills = honed in=20 that airplane before you start your IFR.
 
If you're behind the airplane VFR, = you'll be=20 even farther behind IFR, but if you have it well under control in visual = conditions, the transition should be relatively smooth.  If you = need to=20 start out in something more docile to get the flow of scanning = and=20 basic IFR headwork, for gosh sakes, do it in a simulator.  You = don't even=20 need an instructor for that.  Use Microsoft Flight Simulator = or Xplane=20 if you don't have access to a complete flight simulator.  All you=20 need is to get the hang of using the instruments to make=20 the airplane go where you want - it doesn't much matter what = simulator it=20 is.  Then the only thing added in your glass rocket is airwork and=20 speed.  If you've attended to the above caveats, this won't be a=20 problem.
 
The military puts its pilots into = the=20 instrument program in high performance airplanes and they do just=20 fine.   No reason why you can't do the same.
 
One respondent says some folks = aren't meant=20 to be IFR pilots -- that's certainly true, but most of those folks = aren't meant=20 to be Lancair pilots either.  If you have the eye-hand coordination = to fly=20 one of these slippery devils well, there is absolutely zero = reason why=20 you can't learn to fly it IFR. 
 
Another says he wouldn't fly IFR = without two=20 engines, or where there is any risk of ice, etc.  Often times the = second=20 engine is only there to get you to the scene of the crash.  Usually = that's=20 in a takeoff situation where all the engines you've got are stressed to = the=20 limit - the most likely time for them to break.  That's the time = when=20 having two engines can be a negative.  While the airplane is = heavy,=20 close to the ground, slow, nose up, if one engine quits, it's damned = difficult=20 to keep the airframe flying.  By many accounts, that's the = situation where=20 it's better to be a glider than to have one engine that's about to turn = you over=20 on your back.  I'm not an NTSB investigator, but I've hung around = airports=20 since I was a kid, and I've seen quite a few fatal twin crashes on = takeoff with=20 an engine failure. 
 
Single engine airplanes fly just = fine in IFR=20 conditions;  the engines don't stop running just because they = encounter the=20 clouds.  A healthy respect for ice is a wise approach, but our = airplanes=20 will fly just fine with a bit of that stuff on them.  If you do = encounter=20 it, keep the airplane clean and keep the speed up.  Find a long = runway to=20 land on.  Try to find one that has warmer temperatures, so the ice = will go=20 away before you have to put down the gear. 
 
While caution and moderation are = valuable=20 attitudes for pilots, I find it disturbing to hear so much fear and = trepidation=20 spread about regarding IFR flying and ice encounters.
 
 
Regards,
John Barrett
Barrett/Garrett Enterprises, = Inc.
PO Box=20 428
Pt. Hadlock, WA 98339
www.carbinge.com
 
 
 
 
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