I had never considered whether or not I would fly single pilot IFR. I know people that would have no problem with it but I think personally, at this point in my training, I would not. Maybe if it was an emergency of some sort. But I wouldn't just go out for fun and play in ridiculous clouds. The chart in the article that shows a pilot's confidence compared to his or her competence I don't think is very accurate. I think mine might be opposite (I have higher competence usually than confidence). I don't feel that I would be able to handle all of the tasks that are required of a pilot in IFR conditions alone.
I thought the article had really good tips about flying SPIFR:
- Plan well before the flight.
- Always watch weather trends and go over charts again and again.
- Make sure all maintenance and inspections have been done on time
- Be comfortable with the type of aircraft you are flying
- Keep very well organized in the plane
- Get clearances, load GPS, radios, Nav aids etc while you are on the ground
- Monitor weather while in flight
- Maintain positional and situational awareness
- Stay ahead of the aircraft. Always be thinking of the next step
- Give yourself more than enough time to brief approaches
- Stay current and proficient
These are all things that I think we learn in our training but may not think about when we find ourselves in actual IMC. So, basically, maybe someday I would consider flying SPIFR, but definitely not soon.
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