My biggest fear during flight training was of the airplane falling apart into pieces, leaving me no options but with a certain conclusion. I’m happy to say it was a completely unfounded and imaginary consideration. And now that I’m better educated on what goes into the design of an airplane, and the structural integrity of modern airframes, I no longer give it a second thought.
Many student pilots experience some type of fear or trepidation during flight training, or even beyond. I’ve had students who were afraid of the wind (you can’t see it), stalls (unlike anything experienced on the ground), and heights (more common than you’d think). Each element of flying presents its own challenges, risks, and fear. As we learn more about these elements, our knowledge puts us at ease. But one area where some amount of fear may actually be a good thing is weather.
Much of flight training is devoted to minimizing risk and increasing safety, as it should be. Unfortunately, weather is such a dynamic variable that teaching to every scenario is impossible. That’s one of the many reasons we get in trouble as pilots.
Every private pilot applicant is required to fly three hours concentrating on flight solely by reference to instruments. The FAA specifies the maneuvers that must be completed during that time. Those three hours equate to 15 percent of the minimum dual training requirements. It may seem like a large percentage considering that private pilots aren’t even allowed to fly in the clouds. Look at the accident rate, and a different story emerges.
The truth is that although noninstrument-rated pilots are not allowed to fly into the clouds, or below certain minimal visibility and ceiling requirements, they do it with alarming frequency, often with tragic results. Bob Schmelzer tackles the phenomenon known as VFR into IMC (visual flight rules pilot flying into instrument meteorological conditions) in “Exit Strategy” on page 32. Schmelzer makes the point, and rightly so, that virtually every one of these accidents is preventable.
As part of our new enhanced digital edition, subscribers will also be able to hear an audio clip of one pilot’s VFR-into-IMC encounter. His story is unique in that an instructor was on board—not while he was cruising along on a cross-country, the scenario usually given when teaching student pilots to fly by reference to instruments.
Schmelzer’s story makes another point very clear, and it’s one that shouldn’t be ignored. If you, as a noninstrument-rated pilot, are expecting three hours of training to keep you upright in the clouds for what could be an extended trip in IMC, you are being naive. Instrument training—like stalls, landings, and navigation—is a skill that atrophies if not practiced.
With all that being said, is it a good idea to be afraid of weather? I think it’s more important to have a healthy respect for it. Even minor cloud layers can prove a challenge for certain pilots. But just as you may no longer be afraid of airplanes falling apart and stalls turning into spins, so too will challenges like weather seem less daunting with knowledge and training.
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