For pilots, why is flying on IFR (“Instrument Flight Rating”) so difficult? Can’t a pilot just focus on their instruments and stay oriented and on course?

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(Edit: “Rules,” not “Rating.” Sorry.)

Obviously I don’t know beans about flying, but I see many stories about inexperienced pilots who get disoriented flying through clouds, sometimes even to the point of flying upside-down. Aren’t there instruments on your control panel which tell you your speed, altitude, and orientation? How can you be plummeting towards the ground and not notice?

I hope this question isn’t so ignorant as to be insulting. I know flying is difficult and complicated and it’s easy to criticize from here on the ground. I wish I was skilled enough to know how to fly a plane. I just see many stories about accidents where inexperienced pilots seem to be making apparently ridiculous mistakes.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Just adding another comment to say you absolutely can learn how to fly a plane. 

It honestly is not that hard. I’ve taught dozens and exceedingly few people just can’t do it. Odds are you are not one of them. 

Complacency and bad decisions is what causes most deadly accidents. Most of them were very skilled. In fact the skilled ones are the most deadly for a long time in their career 

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