IFR Flying

[notpaying]

That time of the year is around the corner yet again and with it bringing low ceilings, snow, icing and etc. I would appreciate it if we'd start a melting pot of IFR do's and don't's, rules of thumb, good and bad experiences, acronyms for holds and approaches, gps usage and whatnot.

[TopperHarley]

Don't bust minimums on approach

[cdnpilot77]

Don't fly into ice if your airplane or your skills aren't equipped to handle it. Remember that 50% of pilots are below average skill...so 50/50 chance you or I are one of them, don't be stupid know your REALISTIC limits

[ahramin]

Understand what the weather is doing and have enough fuel to get to an alternate with good weather. Not legal weather. Good weather.

[rapid602]

Know where the freezing level is on Departure, Cruise and Destination. and know where you can go to get out of ice. Either up, down or laterally. Make sure you have flash light you can stick in your arm pit. It gets dark early.

[chinglish]

Always have a backup plan. Never paint yourself into a corner.

[172]

Fly the plane first, communicate second.

[notpaying]

And how about flight into moderate to heavy rain? Flying IFR either with a piston single/multi or with a turbine single or multi? Personally I have never flown into heavy rain but I've experienced moderate and found it quite challenging. How dangerous can rain be in lower levels 6000-10 000ft?

[TeePeeCreeper]

And how about flight into moderate to heavy rain? How dangerous can rain be in lower levels 6000-10 000ft?

Haven't done it in a piston, but when I was flying in South America during the rainy season, ignition was left ON and had the by-pass handle pulled out it was never an issue...

[notpaying]

I found this article about flight into rain and related human factors in a SPIFR environment. An excellent read for those of you interested.

http://www.genebenson.com/articles/rain_hf.htm

[notpaying]

A few other links I think are worth consulting:

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa05.pdf
http://www.flyingmag.com/pilot-techniqu ... r?page=0,1
http://www.cfidarren.com/r-spifr.htm

[Cat Driver]

Human factors for flying in the rain????

Jeses.

How about human factors for having a piss at forty below during a pre flight walk around?