The Joy of Aviation

Three inescapable elements have converged and I have acquiesced that the time to commit to instrument rating (IR) training has arrived. Here are the three influencing factors:

Element 1: Peer Pressure (aka: Advice from seasoned pilots)
Almost every conversation enviably comes around to “have you gotten your IR yet?… you should. It’ll make you a safer pilot. It also gives you more options as you do island hopping (The islands in the NE have a rep for becoming almost instantly foggy seemingly without notice) and expand your travel distances.”

Element 2: The Insurance Company
Thinking about getting my own plane, the first thing I did was call AOPA Insurance and asked them rates for the plane I had in mind – a Velocity XL-RG, 260hp. They said as a 170 hour pilot I was, essentially, uninsurable. I would have to have at least an instrument rating with 500 hours and 100 hours of that in a plane with retractable gear. Ikes!

Element3: Reality Check – the clincher
It was time for another “free lunch” for my mentor/instructor. We’ve got a pretty good arrangement… I buy him lunch at a place of his choice and I can ask him all the questions I want – unlimited coaching and guidance while we chow down.

We talked about what my typical missions are:
• Me and someone else for 1 to 2 hour flights each way
• Sprinkle in an occasional longer flight, say 5-6 hours
• Mix in the occasional 3 passengers
• Top it all off with speed and efficiency as a priority

Then we brainstormed what types of conventional (not kit built, canard winged, composite, retractable gear) planes might fit that that bill. Arrow 140, Piper Dakota, and Cessna 182 we’re tossed on to the table. There’re all respectable step ups from the Cessna 172 that I’m used to but none have the speed, efficiently, and sexy factor that the Velocity I had my heart set on has.

Then Mark said… “There’s the Mooney 201. Fast, smooth airframe and probably goes 145kts.” Ah ha! Mooney! YES I’ve always been attracted to the smooth skinned, backwards tail Mooneys. But I’ve always dismissed them because I thought they were very small inside (I’m a big guy and want as much elbow room as I can get) and lacked any kind of useful payload. Some further research is needed.

Once our “next step airplane” brainstorming was done, the conversation came back around to longer flights and how IFR rating would serve me well. Since with a faster plane I’m going to be traveling a lot further, I’ll be more apt to be flying through multiple weather systems. With any single weather system being unpredictable, having to transverse multiple systems just multiplies the chances that I’m going to have some weather related issues (read: I’m going to have many more restrictions on when/where I can fly). So… reality check says getting an IR makes sense now more than ever.

That settled it. I can’t ignore it any more. IFR training is the next logical step in my aviation path. I’ll be activating my IFR training plan the first week in January, after we get passed the holiday crazies. For now, I’m off to start researching study materials.

Me, checking out a Velocity at Oshkosh:

Are you an IFR Pilot?
What was your motivation to get the rating that everyone warns is the hardest to get?

Related Posts:

• It’s official – I have a complex (endorsement)
• 2008 Oshkosh Photos – Four Amigos
• 2008 Oshkosh Photos – Director’s Cut