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?

Question

(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.

In: Other

Answer 1

Put your back againsf a wall and try walking 20 steps in a straight line. Now do a 180, close your eyes and walk back the way you came. You know exactly what’s there, you know it’s flat, you know there’s an obstacle right in front of you, but you probably felt extremely disoriented. You probably didnt walk straight, thought you were going to hit the wall, felt a little off balance, etc.

I’m not a pilot but a buddy of mine. Flying through a cloud is like moving through an area where god stopped drawing. It’s completely blank and disorienting. It’s hard to fight the human brain, even with instruments.