I?m wondering about the best way to build my IFR confidence back. I?ve been IFR rated for six or seven years and used to fly a Bonanza and Cirrus (and C-182) ? company owned and rented - fairly frequently for business trips. I?m a pretty decent IFR pilot, I think, in that I have the ability to fly on the gauges and shoot accurate approaches, etc.
About 4 years ago, I had a minor icing encounter while in the clouds in a Cirrus that kind of rattled me. The airplane struggled out of the cloud tops with a good bit of ice and would barely maintain altitude about 200 above the clouds.
Since then, I have just avoided any IFR operations ? subconsciously, really. I tend to schedule flying trips and then cancel them if the weather?s anything but good VFR in the forecast. I?ve driven a lot of trips where I?ve kicked myself for chickening out of flying because the weather turned out to be perfectly flyable for SE IFR.
I lack confidence in my ability to accurately interpret weather forecasts and evaluate the realistic risk ? be it T-storms in the summer or ice in the winter.
How do I get myself back to the point where I can feel good about my evaluation of the weather situation and make more ?GO? decisions?
About 4 years ago, I had a minor icing encounter while in the clouds in a Cirrus that kind of rattled me. The airplane struggled out of the cloud tops with a good bit of ice and would barely maintain altitude about 200 above the clouds.
Since then, I have just avoided any IFR operations ? subconsciously, really. I tend to schedule flying trips and then cancel them if the weather?s anything but good VFR in the forecast. I?ve driven a lot of trips where I?ve kicked myself for chickening out of flying because the weather turned out to be perfectly flyable for SE IFR.
I lack confidence in my ability to accurately interpret weather forecasts and evaluate the realistic risk ? be it T-storms in the summer or ice in the winter.
How do I get myself back to the point where I can feel good about my evaluation of the weather situation and make more ?GO? decisions?