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Bill Greenwood
02-10-2014, 12:25 PM
I did my Instrument Proficiency Check yesterday. My insurance company requires me to do it annually even though I almost never fly actual imc, just to keep insured, and it has to be the full check with an instructor, not just me flying 6 approaches during the year.
So we did it in the simulator in two days. The FBO had a half price deal on the sim this month so $25 vs $50 per hour so my 4 hours saved a bit not counting wear on the plane.
Two good things about the sim: it is really all the instruments ,there is not much realistice feel or engine noise feedback like a plane, and it prints out a track on the control unit so you can review where you flew after you pause or finish.
It is harder than the real airplane, and in particular the sim doesn't have an autopilot like the plane, so I can't put it on auto when I have a cruise portion. In the sim, ever time I looked away to do something the pitch would change and it was a struggle to get back.
It felt not so great to me, but the CFI was complimentary and the track showed better than it felt at the controls.
So, I passed, and am good for another year.

MEdwards
02-10-2014, 12:47 PM
I did my Instrument Competency Check yesterday. ..... it has to be the full check with an instructor, not just me flying 6 approaches during the year. ..... So, I passed, and am good for another year.Bill, you may have inadvertently misled somebody reading this. Your insurance company can ask for anything they want, but so far as the FAA is concerned, your instrument currency is only valid for six months, not a full year.

Also, it's really Instrument Proficiency Check, not "competency," but who on this board would take issue with that?

Your description of your simulator IPC was interesting. Sounds great. Wish I had access to that option where I live.

Mike E

Bill Greenwood
02-10-2014, 11:52 PM
Mike, I was only writing about my insurance, nothing to do with the FAA, and I didn't mention FAA in my post. I don't need to do any recheck ,other than a biennial ( 2 years) to be legal to fly as per the FAA. But if I only did that I wouldn't have liability or hull insurance since the FAA doesn't provide ins coverage. For some strange reason my ins co requires that if I have an instrument rating, then I have to have the full recheck Each Year, ( not each 6 months) and it has to be signed off by the CFI. Now, if it didn't have the inst rating, then obviously the ins co would not require me to do the check each year. However they might not offer coverage in my plane, a Bonanza, if I didn't have the int rating or they might make it more expensive. It is kind of silly since I almost never fly actual IMC, but they are adamant about this since about 5 years ago. I was told that if they had a claim, they want to be able to tell a jury of lay people that I had the latest training, even if the flight had nothing to do with imc, or the ifr training.

I think you are thinking of the 6/6 rule for ifr currency every 6 months which is an FAA matter, not the ins co. requirement. And as I understand it, once I have done the IPC, I could wait 11 months and 29 days, and then do the 6/6 for recurency on my own, no CFII needed as far as the FAA is concerned to be IFR legal. However on my own, the next month I would not have insurance, even in VMC conditions and on VFR flight plan.

I do know the terminology for the IPC, and thanks for reminding me.

MEdwards
02-11-2014, 11:36 AM
Good, Bill. Yes, I think that's just right about instrument currency, 6/6. I plan to do my flight review and IPC in a couple weeks with an instructor in Tucson with the Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP). It sounds like we're in the same boat regarding instruments, have the ticket but hardly ever use it. I hope I'm competent, no, proficient, enough to get the IPC signed off. It's been a long time.

I'm curious what insurance company requires you to take an IPC every year, but it's really none of my business. We had our Debonair insured with the standard big companies through a broker in Denver for many years and just switched to the Bonanza Society's preferred broker (EAA's too, I think), and have never had such a requirement. Of course, maybe I pay more, too.

Mike

Bill Greenwood
02-12-2014, 09:33 AM
Mike, my insurance agent is Lance Toland near Atlanta, and the underwriter is U S Specialty Co. My policy costs $3004 yr with $1million liability and a hull value of $215K for my 1988 B 36TC.
Now, I might get a cheaper rate through EAA or maybe BPPP , but another airplane I own is a warbird, and USS insured it when I was flying it along with my Cub. Neither of those are flying right now.