Originally Posted by
alfadog1
This was a learning experience for me and I made a list of "lessons learned" from it. One was the realization of how dependent you are on the competence of your safety pilot when you are conducting this activity VFR in marginal weather.
As you learned, the safety pilot is not "just" a traffic spotter. Probably why the FAA considers the safety pilot to be at least a SIC.
Since I have my XC hours, I am going to keep the hood work closer to home in the future.
Don't take the wrong lesson from this - the changes in conditions you encountered by going further away, and having to deal with them, is, IMO, what the cross country requirements for all certificate, ratings and operating privileges, all the way to ATP and 121 qualification, are about.
Also, coming back at night, I did not allow enough time coming out of the hood to locate my home airport in the lights of the city and set up the approach properly. That led to some non-standard maneuvering that I would have rather avoided.
Great lesson - The the transition from the clouds to visual conditions is an extremely important skill that we don't get enough practice in and, to some, one of the more dificuly things about IFR flight.
On these flights, the more lessons the better
