IFR Firsts (2006-2007)

I got my IFR rating in 2004, and I think it is a great thing in a number of ways. It made me a better pilot. I feel more comfortable on long trips that it is an option. But in Colorado it is hard to get real practice in the clouds. Most of our days are usually sunny. During the winter they can be cloudy and snowy, but this is not good for small planes. During the summer, the clouds are usually thunderstorms which is also not good.

So how do you gain confidence in real clouds in Colorado? You have to go searching for them. Or be flexible and decide on a cloudy morning to come in late to work. The hard part is if you plan by the forecast many times it does not work out.

Here is a link to some of my first real IFR flights after my rating. IFR Firsts: More Details (2006-2007) The initial times were with 1500' ceilings and later I worked down to 200' and true missed approaches.

/Brian