VFR or IFR more stressful?

[Gone]

IFR means I get to worry primarily about what I am doing. VFR means I have to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about what others are doing.

Much less stressful for me to plan, file, and fly IFR.  Even when flying a lot in the clag.  Today’s weather tools allow us to make better decisions before departure, so the probability of running headlong into a cell while in the clag is much reduced from what it used to be.  Remember Scott Crossfield? My last three flights in serious clag combined my watching stuff develop (considering significant deviations) with ATC pre-emptively diverting me anyway.  What a team!!!

Typical IFR is the same as the lost comms rule - fly predictably.   Typical VFR allows folks to make it up as they go along.  Don’t mind that, so long as it is not happening where I am flying. All of my unexpected “close encounters” have been under VFR.  Then it scares the living beegees out of me.  

Training and flying in the Mooney caravan puts a bunch of us close together as well, but it is entirely predictable for the most part.  Not the same as:  “FSWR, 12 o’clock, 3 miles, northwest bound, type and altitude unknown.”  ie: no transponder and no contact with ATC.

IFR for me, please.  

[Pinecone]

On 6/24/2022 at 5:00 PM, Mooneymite said:

There is actually an unpublished corridor that runs N/S right over the Atlanta airport that is given out more frequently than denied right through the B.  If you get it, stay on heading and altitude as assigned.

Same over Baltimore.  If you go in or out of Tipton to the north, they will give you right over BWI at 3000+

[Hank]

Did both today. Made it a little over an hour VFR, then had to get a pop up. Total flight time was 4:20.

Felt much better afterwards than my two previous 4:45 flights! But I'm still not up to Mike's odyssey.

Both segments today were pretty easy, even the first 30 minutes of actual. But I'm always nervous and tense when infirst enter the clouds, but it didn't last long.

[hubcap]

The only time I fly VFR is when doing maintenance flights locally for some reason. When flying cross country we are usually in the mid-teens so we don't see a lot of traffic at those altitudes, but I do not worry about airspace violations and I like the fact that I have someone keeping an eye out for me in crowded airspace. When I fly into my home airport the primary approach requires flying through the KC Bravo airspace so I usually just request vectors to final and cancel at the FAF if it is VFR. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by hubcap

[tgardnerh]

Atlanta has an unusual class B top

Any idea why? Theirs is higher than KSLC, and we have a field at 4200 feet, and at least one case of approach kinda-sorta directing an IFR flight into a mountain side.


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[Hank]

On 6/24/2022 at 5:00 PM, Mooneymite said:

However, there is one fellow on Mooneyspace who loves to rant about how Atlanta never lets him in, so I didn't want @Hank to feel bad.   

This morning, my direct route went right over ATL on 062. I was told to stay out of the Bravo, and went around it on the north side. Add 30 minutes to my 500 nm trip . . . .

[donkaye]

I read the attached article that was in IFR in 1994 by Mike Bush.  This well written article is the best I have read with regards to communication with ATC and helped me get over shyness many years ago.  When I first got may IR rating I filed everywhere to learn the system well.  After awhile you know what to expect and rarely do you hear anything new.  ATC listens to pilots all day long.  They can tell, just like I can tell now who is comfortable and who is not.  If you're comfortable, expect to get pro treatment.  You get comfortable by working within the system as much as possible, either VFR or IFR.   I always get flight following if VFR.  Only rarely has ATC been too busy to give it.

On my trip to MooneyMax 2022 I did every leg VFR with flight following except the last one where it was prudent to file IFR due to expected IFR at Longview.  On the trip back I flew the whole trip VFR with flight following.

I couldn't answer the survey because I'm not stressed out flying either VFR or IFR.  It's all the same.  When appropriate I'll file, when it doesn't make a difference I don't.  When VFR and on Flight Following you can easily change to IFR if necessary.  I expect pro treatment and except for one time in the last 30 years, I get it.  So can anyone else.

Let's Make a Deal.pdf

[carusoam]

IMC is the less comfortable aspect of flying…

Just add bumps…

Throw in some darkness…

Having the strike finder become too bright…

 

Using Flight Following adds to the comfort of VFR…

Being able to cancel and go VFR adds to the comfort of IFR…

 

I selected IFR as the lesser comfortable way to fly… only because of the weather that can go with it….

 

Fear of…

• talking on the radio…
• Missing a timely turn…
• Missing an altitude assignment…
• Missing a call from ATC…

Not enough discomfort involved with these…. 

PP thoughts, not IR current…

-a-