Scudrunners

I've always done well with the attitude everyone is trying to kill you and that includes yourself.

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9391.msg25946#msg25946 date=1543851942]
There are certain things that make flying harder.  You might
call them risk factors.  In no particular order, here are some:

1) night
2) wx
3) terrain
4) shitty aircraft/equipment
5) inexperienced pilot

Let's look at the 300nm CPL x/c which is flown by a licensed PPL.

A pilot under 500 hours, IMHO, is only capable of dealing with at
most ONE of the above risk factors.  In fact, he IS the risk factor (#5)
so to avoid getting in over his head, he needs to avoid the other four
risk factors to avoid death.

[/quote]

LOL.  Yet the bro's think it's fine to send your teenage students up in the US,  in a shit aircraft with this 400 HR snot nosed class four flying from the right seat,  In shitty night IMC,  probably the morning after the kid was in a strip bar half the night.  No Night currency.  Never been in IMC.  Well done!  Except you're DEAD and took two kids with you.  Bravo, FTU! 

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9391.msg25946#msg25946 date=1543851942]
There are certain things that make flying harder.  You might
call them risk factors.  In no particular order, here are some:

1) night
2) wx
3) terrain
4) shitty aircraft/equipment
5) inexperienced pilot

Let's look at the 300nm CPL x/c which is flown by a licensed PPL.

A pilot under 500 hours, IMHO, is only capable of dealing with at
most ONE of the above risk factors.  In fact, he IS the risk factor (#5)
so to avoid getting in over his head, he needs to avoid the other four
risk factors to avoid death.

Specifically, during the 300nm (I prefer 1000nm) x/c for his CPL training,
he needs to be flying ONLY during the day, good weather, over flat terrain
with no high towers, in a functioning/well-equipped aircraft.

This really isn't very hard to understand.

As the pilot gets more experience and knowledge and skill and his judgment
improves, risk factor #5 fades, and he can start to think about safely taking
on ONE other risk factor, like:

night in good wx over flat terrain in a good aircraft, or
day in bad wx over flat terrain in a good aircraft, or
day in good wx through the hills in a good aircraft, or
day in good wx over flat terrain in a sketchy aircraft

Taking on TWO risk factors requires lots of skill and
experience, such as:

night in bad wx over flat terrain in a good aircraft, or
day in bad wx through the hills in a good aircraft, or
day in good wx through the hills in a sketchy aircraft

Taking on THREE risk factors is above the skill level
of most pilots:

night in bad wx through the hills in a good aircraft
day in bad wx through the hills in a sketchy aircraft

FOUR risk factors is generally suicidal, and requires
a little luck to survive:

night in bad wx through the hills in a broken aircraft

This really isn't very hard to understand.  I know this,
even though I am not bright enough to be eligible to
hold a flight instructor rating in Canada, according to TC.
[/quote]


A good progression for any pilot.  One can adapt this when beginning to fly IMC. 

DAY;  VFR depart / arrive,  IMC enroute (Really MVFR)
IMC depart,  VFR arrive;
Then to easy approaches,  then hard.  After all that,  learn to deal with real weather,  too,  hopefully with appropriate tools.
Then Night,  which I'm still not a fan of,  nor SE IMC over shit terrain (although I've done it)

I look at the risk factor this way.

I don't fly single engine over water beyond gliding distance to land.

I don't fly single engine at night outside of the airport cuircuit.

I don't fly single engine IFR in IMC.

I dont know about the single engine IFR.  Never flown one, but the PC 12 seems pretty IFR capable, and used by lots of medevac people around the world in hard IMC. 

That crash video was very hard to watch.  So sad to see such a beautiful little aircraft destroyed.

I think routinely acceptable risk boils down to having a backup plan at any given time and knowing what conditions require that plan, then acting on it if need be.  Whether that’s a suitable landing place within gliding distance or an IFR alternate, or a top gate, or whatever, the point remains the same.

[quote]and changing for the worst.When you are 1000 miles from pretty much anywhere, sometimes the options are relatively limited.  And flt lvl 350 doesnt always get you above the Cbs in the middle latitudes.[/quote] --

I hear ya Trey - been there done that with a long distance between gas stations and no wx reporting and looking up at a line of CB's topped at twice your height but in a jet you cover enough ground to circumnavigate and pick your way through most lines. The comfort level decreases when tornadoes are being  reported  within 25 miles of your position and looking down to see a rotor cloud below you. We all have those days where a comfy chair a rum and puffing on a good cuban would be much better than having that piece of metal bolted to our ass.