Recently I lost a friend to ‘controlled flight into terrain,’” said James Mckinley, a 150-hour Southern California private pilot. “This was the first time I’ve known anyone killed in an airplane crash.” James explained that his buddy, Andy, had flown out of Banning Airport, and every Sunday the two would convene with the “Coyote Aviation Breakfast Club” at Redlands and fly to a nearby airport café.
“Andy was headed to meet us when he struck a ridge in low clouds and fog. Sadly, on bad-weather days like that we normally all drive to a local restaurant, but Andy decided to fly.” James described his friend’s reputation for making risky flights in poor weather by following freeways and dodging terrain with a handheld GPS.
“I feel guilty for not voicing my opinion on his poor judgment in this area,” said James, “but I wrongly assumed that after years of flying, Andy knew what he was doing. Anyway, I doubt anyone’s advice would have mattered.” I expressed my condolences, but James had more personal concerns.
“Last Sunday I flew my 7-year-old from Corona to Banning in a Cessna 150 to drop him at his mother’s. Normally I fly a Bonanza, but my son loves the smaller airplane because it’s ‘his size.’ I departed Banning after dark, intending to make night-currency landings at several airports on my way back. On startup I discovered the cockpit lighting was weak; fortunately, I was prepared with several flashlights.
“Then, after takeoff, the airplane didn’t climb as I expected. Though it eventually improved, I became rattled. This was my first flight out of Banning, which adjoins a mountain pass, and believe me, there was lots of red on my GPS terrain display. I knew I was safe by staying over the I-10 freeway, but suddenly pictured myself in a bad situation similar to Andy’s on his final flight. I considered landing at San Bernardino, but with other nearby airports available as ‘outs,’ I continued uneventfully to Corona.
“I was very frightened by this flight, though in reality there was nothing wrong with the airplane, and the weather was fine other than a high overcast. I think it was a mixture of flying an unfamiliar plane with poor climb performance compared to the Bonanza I’m used to, poor cockpit lighting, and my friend’s recent crash in the same area.
“Here’s my problem: I used to love night flying, and was comfortable managing the added risks. But this time I kept wondering if the engine might quit, and whether I’d survive an off-airport landing. I never did finish my night-currency practice because I just wanted to get on the ground.” For the first time ever, James had lost confidence while piloting. Now he was beside himself.
“I’m at a loss. Should I do more night training with a CFI? Or practice in my regular airplane? I love flying with all my heart; I read everything aviation, and fly as often as possible to stay current. How do other pilots overcome mental roadblocks like this?”
“Night practice is always valuable, James,” I replied. “But there’s a better answer to your safety and confidence concerns—it’s time to earn your instrument rating!” My friend hadn’t anticipated this suggestion, so I listed my reasons.
“James, you’ve probably heard VFR pilots say, ‘I don’t plan to fly in bad weather, so why get an instrument rating?’ Well, they’re picturing hours of ‘hard IFR’ in the clouds without seeing the ground. While such flights do occur, they’re the exceptions rather than the rule. Many instrument flights require only short periods in the clouds. For example, in the L.A. Basin where you live, instrument flight most often serves to pierce the marine cloud layer, usually only a few hundred feet thick. How frequently are you stuck on the ground under an 800-foot overcast?”
“All the time!” James replied.
“An instrument clearance allows you to take off, penetrate those clouds in seconds to blue skies on top, and get on your way. Your trip completion rate will soar. You’ll also benefit on marginal VFR days because under instrument flight rules, the tangle of Class B, C, and D airspace effectively ceases to exist. So instead of dodging airspace and unmonitored traffic in the haze, you’re largely above it all following a clearly defined route. For that reason, I often file IFR through busy terminal areas even on clear days. Formerly difficult trips will become easy, and formerly impossible ones will become mostly flyable. ”
Next we discussed how instrument training would address James’s night-flying concerns. Night flying is instrument flying, regardless of the flight plan filed, so IFR skills help pilots to confirm where they are and confidently avoid obstructions. In fact, safety-minded aviators often shoot instrument approaches into unfamiliar airports even on clear nights to assure terrain clearance.
“Best of all,” I said, “instrument flying is a blast! While visual flying develops coordination and perceptual skills, IFR piloting requires additional planning and strategy. Nothing beats the thrill of plotting a flight through some amazing cloudscape, only to pop out on final approach to your destination. And even the training is fun.”
“Instrument training is fun? I often hear IFR students complaining about how hard the rating is, and how much work it takes.”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy, James. It’s the most challenging rating you’ll ever earn. But once you complete the first few hours of mastering basic aircraft control and get into navigation and approaches, it’s the coolest flying ever. The trick is to seek out a CFI who really knows instrument flying and sees the joy in it.
“Finally, consider this. Based on your story, Andy’s tragedy was entirely preventable for a competent IFR pilot. It’ll be a worthy legacy if your friend’s misfortune spurs this important step toward making you a safer pilot.”
When we next spoke a few weeks later, James had started lessons with an enthusiastic instrument instructor. “Greg, you’d mentioned that the first 10 hours would possibly be a bit boring and I’d just need to stick through it—well, I’m really looking forward to the rest of this training if it just keeps getting better! I already shot a partial-panel approach the other day. And because of IFR conditions I had the opportunity to call the tower and get a ‘climb to VFR on top’ clearance—I managed to copy and read it back properly on the first try! This stuff is by no means easy, but man, it is rewarding. Best of all, I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about flying. And this is just the beginning of a new chapter!”
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