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No criticism of YOUR decision was implied. I agree that a rated, competent, confident, and truly current instrument-rated pilot should not have any real issue with it. I'm rated, but non-current enough to realize I lack the competency (and confidence) to be comfortable in IMC with any non-standard instrumentation... But that's just ME, and it's why I no longer am interested in flying in IMC (or even marginal VFR, for that matter).
But my experience as a helicopter instructor pilot in the Army, where I flew hundreds of hours as 'safety pilot / instrument instructor' with pilots flying under the hood leads me to believe that in the "heat of the moment" during inadvertent IMC (especially at night, and/or with a bad case of vertigo) otherwise extremely competent pilots could get themselves into some pretty incredible predicaments... And they had the additional "advantage" of flying a helicopter with the doors removed, so it should have been really easy to figure out whether the altimeter and/or VSI indication was accurate or was lying to them...
But I found that if the airflow near the static port was badly disturbed (perhaps by icing - or maybe a dastardly IP sticking their foot out the door near the static port?) they would lock in on the ASI and VSI indications that said the helicopter (which had been flying straight and level, with zero attitude or power changes) was suddenly climbing like a bat out of hell or slowing to near zero airspeed, and point the nose down at the ground to "recover" to level flight. This despite the fact that ALL the other indications showed that nothing had changed. And for the next five minutes, they would have an incredibly difficult time flying the aircraft... often getting themselves into "unusual attitudes" without any prompting or input from the instructor...
After a few experience like that, with lots of simulator time as well (where instruments could be failed at random, with any indication one requested), those pilots got a LOT better, and would quickly diagnose the problem as a failed static system, disregard the erroneous indications, and fly the aircraft. They increased their currency, competency, and confidence dramatically.
To your other point - about pilots "needing" an autopilot to fly IFR, I would agree: If you can't fly IFR without the autopilot, you shouldn't fly in IMC with the autopilot. Autopilots are an amazing help when you might otherwise need a co-pilot, but if you become dependent on them to fly the airplane for you, you could be in BIG trouble if the AP fails while in the clouds.
That said, I probably WILL put at least a wing-leveler autopilot in my Patrol, just because I do plan to fly some cross-country flights - mostly by myself - and there are times that it's nice to have 'George' keep the plane straight and level (and on-course) while you alternately scan for traffic and plan your arrival (or diversion for weather, or whatever else comes along).
But my experience as a helicopter instructor pilot in the Army, where I flew hundreds of hours as 'safety pilot / instrument instructor' with pilots flying under the hood leads me to believe that in the "heat of the moment" during inadvertent IMC (especially at night, and/or with a bad case of vertigo) otherwise extremely competent pilots could get themselves into some pretty incredible predicaments... And they had the additional "advantage" of flying a helicopter with the doors removed, so it should have been really easy to figure out whether the altimeter and/or VSI indication was accurate or was lying to them...
But I found that if the airflow near the static port was badly disturbed (perhaps by icing - or maybe a dastardly IP sticking their foot out the door near the static port?) they would lock in on the ASI and VSI indications that said the helicopter (which had been flying straight and level, with zero attitude or power changes) was suddenly climbing like a bat out of hell or slowing to near zero airspeed, and point the nose down at the ground to "recover" to level flight. This despite the fact that ALL the other indications showed that nothing had changed. And for the next five minutes, they would have an incredibly difficult time flying the aircraft... often getting themselves into "unusual attitudes" without any prompting or input from the instructor...
After a few experience like that, with lots of simulator time as well (where instruments could be failed at random, with any indication one requested), those pilots got a LOT better, and would quickly diagnose the problem as a failed static system, disregard the erroneous indications, and fly the aircraft. They increased their currency, competency, and confidence dramatically.
To your other point - about pilots "needing" an autopilot to fly IFR, I would agree: If you can't fly IFR without the autopilot, you shouldn't fly in IMC with the autopilot. Autopilots are an amazing help when you might otherwise need a co-pilot, but if you become dependent on them to fly the airplane for you, you could be in BIG trouble if the AP fails while in the clouds.
That said, I probably WILL put at least a wing-leveler autopilot in my Patrol, just because I do plan to fly some cross-country flights - mostly by myself - and there are times that it's nice to have 'George' keep the plane straight and level (and on-course) while you alternately scan for traffic and plan your arrival (or diversion for weather, or whatever else comes along).
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