Student Resources

Inadvertent VFR Flight Into IMC:

...	Accident statistics show that the pilot who has not been trained in attitude instrument flying, or one whose instrument skills have eroded, lose control of the airplane in about 10 minutes once forced to rely solely on instrument reference. The purpose of this section is to provide guidance on practical emergency measures to maintain airplane control for a limited period of time in the event a VFR pilot encounters Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The main goal is not precision instrument flying; rather, it is to help the VFR pilot keep the airplane under adequate control until suitable visual references are regained. The first steps necessary for surviving an encounter with IMC by a VFR pilot are as follows:
...	•	Recognition and acceptance of the seriousness of the situation and the need for immediate remedial action
...	•	Maintaining control of the airplane
...	•	Obtaining the appropriate assistance in getting the airplane safely on the ground

...	Combined Maneuvers
...	...	Combined maneuvers, such as climbing or descending turns, should be avoided if at all possible by an untrained instrument pilot already under the stress of an emergency situation. Combining maneuvers only compound the problems encountered in individual maneuvers and increase the risk of control loss. Remember that the objective is to maintain airplane control by deviating as little as possible from straight-and-level flight attitude and thereby maintaining as much of the airplane’s natural equilibrium as possible. When being assisted by ATC, the pilot may detect a sense of urgency as he or she is being directed to change heading and/or altitude. This sense of urgency reflects a normal concern for safety on the part of the controller. But the pilot must not let this prompt him or her to attempt a maneuver that could result in loss of control.