One of the fallacies of flying IFR in marginal-to-good weather is that its safe to presume everyone else out there is on the same page, under the watchful eye of ATC. Instead, its completely legal for someone else to be scud-running in barely VFR weather while youve gone to the trouble to get the rating, file the flight plan and follow the clearance. 288
Lurking In The Murk
One of the fallacies of flying IFR in marginal-to-good weather is that its safe to presume everyone else out there is on the same page, under the watchful eye of ATC. Instead, its completely legal for someone else to be scud-running in barely VFR weather while youve gone to the trouble to get the rating, file the flight plan and follow the clearance.
Key Takeaways:
- IFR pilots flying in marginal VFR conditions face a collision risk from VFR traffic, especially at uncontrolled airports where ATC radar service terminates and radar coverage may not extend to low altitudes.
- ATC radar has inherent line-of-sight limitations, meaning controllers often cannot see low-altitude traffic, and advanced technologies like mosaic radar that could improve terminal coverage are not yet widely implemented.
- To mitigate this risk, pilots should proactively understand local ATC radar limitations, request to stay on frequency for advisories, and diligently monitor/broadcast on the CTAF.
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