Flying VFR into IMC - a top KILLER of pilots - My close call!

POV - FLYING - Watch in HD!
This is by far the hardest flying video I've had to make.
It was a very difficult story to tell about a pivotal flight from my more than 15 years of VFR flying experience. Luckily I had 2 GoPros along for the ride.
I tried to tell the story in a thorough yet engaging way; thus, it was the most work I've put into editing one of these; (~20 hours!) so I hope you enjoy it!
I am sharing so that others can learn from my close call, and avoid falling into the trap of "get-home-itis".
How did a safe and conscientious pilot such as myself get into this situation?
This "should have" been a routine flight, but the lesson here is that there is no such thing as a "routine flight".
Many variables contributed to the chain of events that lead to this flight going the way it did.
I try to explore them all and share the lessons I learned in doing so.
Thankfully, the outcome was good.
This flight inspired me to finally start IFR training which I'd been considering doing for years.
I still plan to fly privately for fun, and don't intend to do much "actual" IFR flying...
(I'll do my best to maintain IFR currency and practice, but I won't be shooting approaches to minimums on a regular basis).
DISCLAIMER: I am a "weekend warrior" private pilot, I fly for fun with no intentions of going commercial. I have had my PPL for over 15 years, but still consider each flight a learning experience - I generally take detailed notes after each flight to remind myself what went well or what I could do to improve.... Having the GoPro cameras to record flights like this is invaluable. I find these self analysis videos very helpful in my constant quest to improve, and am happy to share.Feed back is invited; however, please keep it positive

[@therealmccoy2004]

I'm here because of kobe.. I want closure therefore I wanna make sense of this. Thanks for the info.

[@FlightChops]

So sorry about the Kobe crash. Yes, unfortunately it will likely turn out to be what this video explores. The report will probably end up calling it inadvertent IMC, and loss of spatial orientation resulting in loss of control. For those that are coming here trying to understand what happened - an aviation expert friend of mine did a great write up and has linked to an analysis video with more info: facebook.com/dan.gryder/posts/10157955156959866

[@andrebryant516]

Ditto

[@PInk77W1]

Kobe’s pilot took a chance. Sometimes u eat the bear Sometimes the bear eats u

[@theretep6494]

Him Bike that’s how most IFR to IMC accidents happen. The Pilot feels rushed and takes a chance at the weather clearing up. Almost everytime the weather gets worse. It’s sad everytime someone dies due to weather. They are always 100% preventable just by waiting for it to clear :/

[@blueviolet7389]

@@FlightChops That write up definitely helps explain things and why he would suddenly turn left and head down. Not a pilot, but I can definitely see how SD played a role. I lived in upstate NY near the Canadian border for many years and had my fair share of being caught in a lake effect snow squall while driving from Buffalo to Syracuse. The whiteout conditions make you lose all spatial orientation of where you are on the road and it feels like you are starting to spin even though you know you aren't - it's a very scary sensation. I would have to just follow the dim tail lights on the semis ahead of me and pray that they weren't veering off and taking me with them.

[@rosh_corbinSC]

You maybe saved a life by having the humility to post this and give honest reflection.

[@tallyjbud]

As a 20yr flight instructor, I admire your humbleness, chain of decision making and reasoning, and most importantly the education derived from a difficult mission. In my years, I'd say most tire kickers would have embraced the ego boost upon completion rather than the true understanding and desire for continued education. Well done cap'n...

[@wildbill00000]

Cpt Jbud -What he said. Not an instructor, though.

[@jjrb230]

Nobody is as lucky as Lindy or yourself, you may be saving lives if pilots learn to prevent "get there - itis"

[@JWH-01]

My instructor often talked about the accident chain. You have to break the chain to not become another statistic. I love to fly, but I don't hesitate to cancel a flight if something isn't right, especially weather. I have always considered weather to be the biggest threat of all.

[@b767greg]

I am an airline pilot, I am a Captain on a B-767 for a major cargo airline flying internationally. I will tell you what I do at every opportunity, because my life, my crew and my aircraft depend on it. I fly instrument approaches EVERY chance I get, even in VFR conditions, down to 200 feet before I look at the runway. Being CURRENT in instrument flying is different then being PROFICIENT in instrument flying. Practice, practice, practice is the key! Anyone can fly a visual approach, but not everyone can fly an ILS down to minimums and land, if they are not PROFICIENT. You MUST practice! My guess would be Kobe's pilot was a current instrument pilot, but he was not a proficient instrument pilot.

[@paragliderpete]

b767greg Funny I started out fueling airplanes working as an avionics technician flying Beech 18’s and ended up as a captain flyingDC-8’s many years ago. Now I have been flying Barbie jets for about 19 years. But I do remember a bunch of screw ups. And seen many accidents that had fatalities. If you watch air disasters on the Smithsonian channel. Watch nuts and bolts. The Emery Freighter that crashed in Sacramento Mather field. I grounded that airplane the night before because of the window that was delaminated. Ended up crashing because of a cotter pin missing on the stabilizer in the back elevator and jammed the elevator,tor and the crew passed away as they crashed into an auto auction yard. Somebody was watching over me upstairs that day. Now living on an air park with a Cessna 206 and powered paraglider you have to be extra careful and not complacent. Be safe keep it sunny side up.

[@anniekirts6621]

@@paragliderpete Good point. Remember: "...oh, it's just an O ring..." ?

[@mistinabranham1053]

Thx for the input...I am very curious about the pilot of that horrific crash & u may have hit it on the nose there. Thx

[@daveshangar6820]

I totally agree with this pilot. I don't know everything about special VFR clearance, but I'm pretty sure you still have to pay attention to the VFR Cloud distance. Fog is a type of cloud and they were in the fog prior to the crash.

[@daveshangar6820]

@@paragliderpete OMG Beech 18 is definitely one of my favorites. That is a real workhorse. 2 x 450 hp P&W radials. Loud

[@kristina9605]

I like how you say “no flight is routine, always expect the unexpected”👍🏻

[@FastJetPerformance]

This sort of video saves lives, I have a lot of respect for you putting this up - excellent work.

[@FlightChops]

Tim Davies Thanks Tim! It was a great learning experience, and I'm happy to share it!

[@davidshields3243]

concur, very brave to post and totally open. Lesson learned

[@thojomech3590]

i also think that this video saves lives i did same situation on purpos but with my instructor just to see how an 180 in real IFR (it was verry bumpy ) would be. And then i went for IFR and from experience i can say even if you mainly fly VFR it is an backup and makes your other flying less stressful ,.. super video thx

[@Robert-re5vk]

yes God bless ty

[@14598175]

My professional opinion is that an additional part of the PPL should include being able to control the plane in IMC and the checkride should add the following: Recognize the emergency, maintain control under the hood for at least 15 minutes while simulated radar vectors to VFR conditions are given. Or (~2030 when most planes are GPS equipped) the checkride should include emergency, under the hood, and shoot a GPS approach.

[@dorothy2063]

After 6 years, your video remains timeless. We can only imagine but Kobe’s heli was in a ravine filled with mountain terrain with heavy fog probably saw nothing but white before impact. RIP 😞🙏 Thank you for sharing

[@Sinners4SaintsTV]

Dorothy Smith at the speed of which they hit the ridge that’s almost a certainty

[@chuckybuchanan7512]

As an airline guy, CFI for 37 years. FWIW, looks like to me you did a whole lot of things not only “right” - but also did them “well”. When you took your check ride for the PPL, your examiner probably told you “…this (the PPL) is your license to learn..”. We don’t always get the forecast weather, nor the weather we want. Your’s is a great story of Risk Management. Well done, Sir.

[@xXBuckOFiveXx]

“I’d rather be on the ground wishing I was flying than flying and wishing I was on the ground” RIP Kobe, Gigi, friends and pilot.

[@Aura-fg9os]

acgillespie stfu

[@thebogeymaniscoming]

@@acgillespie Kobe didn't rape children you moron.

[@GuinessOriginal]

Oren Ohana do you mean Jeffery or Andrew

[@bOObies2]

Who is quoted saying that?

[@leval1000]

Patrick Farrell I’m sure he would rather be there for his daughters growing up than burning out fast on some hillside.

[@darrellparkhill]

Once, when I only had about 100hrs in my log book, I got caught up in some building clouds heading back to Orlando from Gainesville in a VFR-only 152 and asked the ATC for a descent down to clear WX. He was busy, and said "I'll get you a new altitude in a minute", but never did. I called him up, told him I was descending, hit the IDENT button, reduced power, trimmed for 500fpm downhill, and poked the nose through a hole... that immediately began to close up. I lost sight of the ground for maybe 15-20 seconds - but they were the LONGEST 15-20 seconds of my life. I was laser focused on the attitude indicator, and kept it dead-nuts level while descending at a pretty good clip... But the whole time my brain was telling me that I was inverted, climbing, and slowing all at the same time. It was terrifying, and eye-opening. I cleared the bottoms, and let out the breath I was holding. My passenger (now my wife) never had a clue how hard I was working the yoke. We landed, and I was signing up for an instrument course at the FBO that day. I am a multi/commercial pilot now, rated in the Shorts 360 and Beech 1900 with a 07 JAN 2019 ATR-72 transition start date, and with more than one "bad day at the office" in my log book... But I will NEVER forget that flight, even 3,419.5 flight hours later.

[@TheJacklwilliams]

Thanks so much for your post as well. I haven’t begun flight school yet but it’s on my list for Spring 2020. I’ve flown commercially both here in the US and Internationally to Europe a few times. Additionally I obtained my Skydiving license some years back and managed about 125 jumps. Small stuff to be sure however I’ve had the pleasure of jumping out of quite a few types of aircraft as well as flying in them. That said, an early instructor taught me it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. This came true for me 3 separate times, and I swore it was beyond my control but a short while later realized no it wasn’t. The last one was similar to yours, however under canopy and trying to find my way through a cloud bank to the LZ while a hell of a storm blew up. At approximately 3k feet it began to hail and I was lost in white. I quickly lost orientation both vertically and horizontally at one point swearing down was up, etc... I learned that day to set my personal minimums accordingly especially re airspeed at altitude (both jump and approach to airport) as well as visibility. This stuff is real and when you end up in these situations you understand pretty much instantly how people die. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[@Mako2-1]

Darrell Parkhill i’m a new pilot and you really helped my visualize this to see how it can happen. It sounds pretty surreal. In school i always remember asking myself how it’s possible to lose orientation.

[@PInk77W1]

Shorts 360. The Irish Concorde. Bird strikes from the rear. LoL Good story.

[@specter290]

Any thoughts on the tragic kobe situation? what should the pilot have done? your analysis on his flight pattern and weather conditions?

[@PInk77W1]

specter290 the flight was on Sunday morning. There are or were many empty parking lots he could’ve landed and said it’s Too foggy. They’d all be alive now. He was rated for IFR but he was not authorized for IFR. He broke the rules. I’m sure he flew in fog 100s of times Fog in SoCal is like snow in Canada. But this time the fog was way thick witnesses said.

[@FlightChops]

Thanks so much for all the great comments! I found out this video was shared on Reddit and there was a good discussion there - so if you didn't come here from there, check it out: www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/1wjq1e/flying_vfr_almost_into_imc_a_lesson_learned/

[@denzel387]

***** you are a good pilot

[@521CID]

FlightChops Calm seas don't make good sailor's! good job keeping your cool, most important part!

[@r3poman671]

FlightChops Hey man, I'm sure if you know this statistic but VFR pilots that have done their Instrument training are by far the best pilots out there. The accident rate decreases for them by a huge 80%. It teaches them how to become better pilots by being more precise. I got this off the Jepessen textbook if you're wondering.

[@3DPDK]

LS6 Z28 ... and wisdom and discernment over impatience keeps them alive (CaptPDK 100 ton master) FlightChops Good Video. I have looked carefully at your instrament shots and it looks like your VOR is inactive. Even though you aren't instrument certified I would think you would tune to the runway 8 ILS. Even though your approach was rnwy 26 and you couldn't use the glide slope, it would still help to keep track of the runway and help line up. The DME would help too (sort of) as long as you know where it's located relative to the runway. Not criticizing, ... just curious why you wouldn't use every nav aid at your disposal, cert or no cert. Even if I'm simply changing docks across the river on a clear day, I never leave the pier without RADAR, GPS, Chart plotter, depth finder, and CCTV cameras all active.

[@avx737]

Thank you for the video. I'm a Pvt pilot and a retired airline avionics Mechanic technician. Also Ground Instructor Instrument. But, is smart to get the instrument Rating and keep current. Very important,

[@oneanddone7992]

I'm a private pilot with about 450 hours. I passed my instrument written test, and have about 30 hours of instrument training. For me, the difference between flying VFR vis a vis the control of the airplane vs IFR , is like the difference between throwing a bullet and firing a bullet. But having JUST IFR training, never mind the rating, upped my skills by orders of magnitudes. Well worth it.

[@deathtotruthers1]

One of the things that impresses me about pilots (those I watch anyway) is their willingness to admit mistakes and their strong desire to learn from them. I applaud you for doing so as well. - Someone Who Wants to Learn to Fly

[@rogerblackwood8815]

We say the day you get your licence is the day you begin to learn to fly! Every flight should teach you at least one thing new!

[@1bengrubb]

Get there itis!! On my last tower landing on my solo xcountry the wx brf showed a convective sigmet moving at 25mph to intercept my path to home base----i drew the clouds right on my sectional (pre- iPhone era) and calculated I could beat the storm--the owner of the aircraft was at the airport to watch me land...he wanted his airplane back he he..

[@malcolmburrows4005]

Thanks again. The list is a good time, but the most important things in the UK, but the use the search 91 9999999 , I am not a 9999999990000 00 00 , 06 the

[@beagle7622]

I totally agree with few exceptions most people are very honest about being scared by something or big mistakes they have made.

[@TomLongusa]

You never get to hear from the others for a reason....and it's rarely pretty!

[@Billsfan2012]

In the aftermath of Kobe and his daughter and fellow passengers and pilot, this video helps me understand. Thanks for making this video. Your work should show other pilots the problem of VFR into instrument flying.

[@marcoScomeback]

Good self analysis. As an airlines cpt with more than 15000 hours on Airbus, great respect !

[@warshipsdd-2142]

Flying is hours or boredom, broken by moments of sheer terror. Thanks for posting.

[@Nakapeesh]

You had 2 miles of visibility and it still looked terrifying, now imagine trying to fly in fog so bad you “couldn’t see across the street”... damn man

[@EGarrett01]

@Beautiful Greece - The danger of it is that it can happen when the pilot isn't ready.

[@thebaddestinamerica8422]

@tea marks right I'm saying

[@thebaddestinamerica8422]

20year experience and yo ass knew u knew dam well you shouldn't of been flying with them people asking for permission to fly in such a condition knowing possible risks u put all of them

[@belliott538]

Even the Most Seasoned Pilot can fall victim to "Get There Itis"... I've seen it happen too many times to scoff at... Speaking from personal experience: Once you reach the Decision Threshold and make that final decision that places you into "Get There Itis" decisions begin to make you act. And sometimes you don't walk away. Edit: Or worse yet, I walked away and someone I loved did not.....

[@abrahamanthony3011]

The Baddest in America its easy to say that, but when thats ur income and you want to keep your very important customers happy you will do what you have to. I think having the helicopter circle for that amount of time threw the pilot off...If the tower didn’t make them wait so long they would be alive today

[@vinyltapelover]

Hell of an A.A.R(after action report). Thank you. You've shown guts and character in sharing your experiences and thoughts with all of us.

[@franzjohnston]

At 65, I have just begun lessons and having a FANTASTIC time.....but constantly learning.....your video just confirms you never stop even after your many hours.....great video, thank you so much for your honesty and humility in reviewing your situation......great respect from Nottingham England!

[@sa7ina]

You have humility. So you don't afraid to admit your mistakes and question your own judgement. What makes you a better pilot every flight. Your an inspiration! Love your videos! Keep it coming! And stay safe!!!

[@robjontay5052]

When you said " the 180" my heart sank. I think this is what the helicopter pilot tried to do....glad it worked out for you two.

[@Nick215NY]

This is one of the finest aviation videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much for making it.

[@danashecrm]

Hey Bud, Thanks for your courage to post this. It is a quality video that teaches across disciplines. I appreciate your humility and ability, and willingness, to share your lessons learned.

[@abba3629]

More pilots should share their experiences Flying in inclement Weather Conditions. It will be a Great learning tool for aspiring Pilots and Students

[@TomLongusa]

Not all of them make it to be able too...

[@jginmt]

It is amazing how much you have improved in quality and content. Now in 2019 you videos are super pro. Even as you are learning this video is still good.

[@miguelramirez1582]

I learned in leaps and bounds in a short 15 awesome minutes. You sir are a brave man. Thank you.

[@robertcocciardi5062]

Just a thank you for being humble, but technically competent as well. Your video was very informative.

[@johnchristman8022]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. It's clear you were fortunate to know the area so well and could navigate by landmarks. The message here is that pilot's get into trouble usually by a series of small steps and not one big misstep.

[@djm7706]

Big pat on the back to you for posting and going through everything in detail. It's very helpful. You'll surely help other pilots (like me) think more clearly and make better decisions. I know most pilots would never have shared. I truly appreciate.

[@hannahminasfoskett]

Brilliant to see this and how quickly the weather can change and the forecasts can be wrong. A great lesson for us without having to go through this ourselves. Great video!

[@craigerscheuer2782]

Your upfront and honest flying is a refreshing training lesson. Thank you!

[@stephensimpson5283]

Good on you for swallowing you pride and posting this. You just saved some lives.

[@divineinterruption9816]

I wish it would have saved 9 more lives 😭

[@MaSmith231]

I’m here after trying to learn about VFR/IMC conditions after reading some pilot reddit discussions about the helicopter crash Kobe Bryant and others had yesterday . Thanks for this video RIP Mamba

[@dhardy6654]

How about this....IMC almost in any point risks icing. There isnt one fucking helo that can fly into knowen icing so there arnt many strictly helo pilots that fly and log actual instrument time....it other words helos mostly suck. They are for 2 things, either your are flying into a shitty situation like to resuce somebody or for your pax to go shoot people....or you are a pax in a shitty situation where you are getting ate by natives or you need to get to a medical center....there are really any good helo rides in a perfect world.

[@brendanwood1540]

@@dhardy6654 Especially icing of the pitot tube which indicates airspeed, and the wings causing turbulence in the laminar flow over the wing and reducing lift or increasing stall potential. But the real killer is relying on the senses using VFR in IMC; that is why you must rely on IFR in IMC and trust the horizontal indicator and altimeter vs. what you see outside. However, if the airspeed is wrong well; just remember what the usual throttle amount is and try to keep the range consistent. Use VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) to locate the airport and call ATC. Vector for a landing and try to slowly descend until the ground is visible and ground speed can be gauged. ATC can report actual wind speed and direction to help gauge what the actual airspeed is. Not something for the faint of heart.

[@dhardy6654]

@@brendanwood1540 and you are a piece of shit IFR pilot....what you tried to explain is garbage.

[@dhardy6654]

@@brendanwood1540 how about you just call it an HSI like everybody else.

[@dhardy6654]

@@brendanwood1540 here next time....provided you have fuel, just do a 180 and get out of the weather and land some place else? When you say real killer? That part takes about 15 seconds to a minute and its all over. Id also tell you....include the turn and bank coordinator....keep that ball on the bottom. If you watch this gay canadian guy that ball was all over the place....thats just embarrassing.

[@willrondeau8891]

I am a 50+ year professional aviator, and now i lecture on General Aviation Safety of Flight. This is a Great Learning and Training video. These two pilots did everything a pilot can do to prepare for a flight. The checked the weather hourly and forecasts, for departure, destination and en-route airports. Notams and pireps for icing. They did not have an Instrument licenses which would probably, would not have changed this flight. The first mistake they made was "Scud Running", many pilots have made this error to a bad outcome. The learning point is watching the flight instruments in the video. As the pilot is talking and getting nervous about the weather, his altitude control is not good and he is rolling the aircraft left and right, very typical when a person gets nervous. As he is approaching the airport he says that is the airport was more than 6 miles away he would have turned back? I dont think he would have, he had already broken his personal minimums; but continued on. This is how we learn and some of us just run out of Luck, which these guys did not!

[@LowWingFlyer]

Chops, was some of the turn coordinator movements due to the crosswind or do you think it was mainly due to your nervousness? Great teaching video!

[@jackmcvicker451]

Love your honesty and self preservation instincts. You’re already far ahead of many IFR pilots I know in terms of good ADM. Thx for the great video production and sharing. You’re making pilots better w each video thank you.

[@TerminusAvid]

Thank you for sharing this experience with us along with your decision making process throughout, thank you for being candid and honest about a situation any of us could find ourselves in! Glad you made it save and sound!

[@Assassin1959]

Thanks for sharing your experience. You are now a better pilot, I'll guarantee you'll know what to do next time. We learn from our mistakes and mistakes from others so we can become better pilots. Hope by now you have your Instrument ticket and that you are actually flying IFR, because it will built your confidence greatly. There is nothing more satisfying than been in the clouds IFR and arriving on short final to be welcome by runway lights. That's when you know you did everything right. Practice makes perfection. Wish you the best of luck and safe flight.

[@amariner5]

Thank you for posting. Good stuff. And good conversation/exercise/demonstration on personal minimums.

[@TomLongusa]

Glad you made it, the video and the flight... Kudos for posting this for others!

[@jerryfrugoli3339]

Well done!! Your honesty is refreshing, and this is exactly what is needed for pilots to get IMC training in their sights... I tip my hat to you... glad to hear & see your safe..... You are a pilot I would fly with...

[@tmoni7839]

Watching this on the heels of Kobe Bryant’s death this video gives a lot of insight

[@craigpennington1251]

Also probably getting ready to change the shirts too. Great flying with a cool head and not a bit of panic. Love your videos. Keep them coming. I can't fly anymore but stay flying through videos like these.

[@mbrownie22]

Appreciate your humility, definitely a learning experience that may save lives.

[@walterlburnham1847]

I just saw this episode, been watching your latest ones, my feet were shaking too when you got to that part, you're a good man for doing this work, saves lives is correct. "pray for a tough instructor to stay inside you" thanks man, you have another Idaho fan.

[@seniorpz1969]

Wow, thanks for sharing this eye opening flight experience..had me on the edge of my jump seat!

[@BrentOwens]

Really great job on the video. Not just in the detailed production, but the honestly behind it. It really illustrates how innocently folks get into trouble. Nice work! Good luck on your IFR training. You'll be a much better pilot for it.

[@sonnymoon6465]

Man thank you for living ! We need you ! Of course we need everyone hopefully but your story will probably save many people !

[@terrywatson4429]

Really appreciate the dash cam. This video is educational to anyone curious about out-of-window visibility and the gauges on the dash. Considering how fast the weather can get crappy here in the PNW, learning IMC skills is a must. And then trusting your gauges too, another conversation worth having. Hats off to you for a great landing after dealing with 2M visibility.

[@DerekMeyerOR]

I really appreciate you taking the time on this video. We need to see the good, the bad and the ugly!

[@NickMurray]

Really a sobering video Steve. Nicely done. The Reddit conversation also interesting. What do you do your fantastic animations with?

[@FlightChops]

Nick Murray Thanks Nick - truth be told I am a it of a hack with the animations as it is not really my skill set - I've been doing them all with cheats and work arounds in Final Cut Pro (which is my editing software) - there are better ways to do them, but being a "one man band" I don't tend to jump around between programs when I am editing. Adobe After Effects is generally what guys use to do that sort of stuff... I am working toward getting some sponsors to help with budgets so I can outsource the animations when I need them; I have a very talented graphic artist friend, but I don't want to ask him to do them for free.

[@ZachTate]

I have watch this one a few times now and such a great video and story. Thanks for sharing!

[@jaybob44]

Wow. Thank you for posting this. You had my feet shaking on virtual rudders. Good job. Great video.

[@wernerfroneman7248]

Great learning video, thankyou. It might be tough to share your mistakes, but it might save another pilot's life! So well done to you!

[@alberta1st]

Just to drive through these squalls is terrifying glad you made it safely, after years of it l finally said no more and stayed home till clear, thanks good video.

[@justincase5272]

Thanks for having the guts to post this. I'm glad you're getting IFR training and you you've finished. Highly recommended!

[@iwannacutube]

Your honesty can save lives and it is much appreciated.

[@danielquiroz1884]

I’m also here after learning Kobe’s pilot was flying in the exact same conditions and in VFR Learning a lot. Even after Kobe’s death, I’m still learning from him .

[@a.k.nesbitt9224]

this is an AWESOME video! thank you so much for sharing!

[@FLjock01]

Deep respect for your choice to post this. Thank you for sharing.

[@jollyroger1009]

As someone looking at learning to fly, these videos are such good info for just how quickly things can get life-threatening. VFR into IMC, icing, proximity to storms, feeling rushed: soberingly deadly and frighteningly easy situations to get into all of them. Thank you for posting, and with great detailed analysis as well.

[@cjcar63]

Monitored situation. Stayed calm. Had a back-up plan. Well executed landing. LESSON(S) LEARNED!

[@timbrady6473]

Your honesty will save lives .

[@obroberts5929]

Thank you for being honest enough in your flying experience to share this. I hope a lot of other pilots take advantage of the information you've given here.

[@robertflores8234]

Wow, this helps a lot to understand a bit more about the situation Kobe and the others were possibly going through. Even these conditions were frightening. R.I.P. Mamba.

[@wayneelliott2462]

Great that you shared, quite a hairy experience and proves that the weather can change in a heart beat, when I qualified I immediately took my IMC so that I would always have that life saver in reserve.

[@FACrazyCanuck]

Thanks for posting! Lessons learned.

[@bp-ob8ic]

Great video! Thanks for taking us along for the ride. One of my safety outs is the "I think I can" rule. When the chance of success gets down to I think I can make it, I find a better option.

[@lelandscottgregory7489]

Thank you for the effort! Video work and commentary is awesome!

[@linkedinfred]

That is an awesome video ! It should be shown to every VFR student.

[@DaleDirt]

Thank you so much for sharing this , I am a fire rescue chopper pilot and even at over 10,000 plus hours we still need to remind ourselves stop the process before we get stuck . Thank you again .

[@FlightChops]

Thanks for your service!

[@daviddiggle6277]

Total respect for the education and trying to save others from difficult or fatal situations. Thank you.

[@Mary-80]

Thank you for this video.. I'm glad you made it back. Please be safe ☺

[@dklord1]

I learned a lot on that video. Memories of past close calls due to miscalculation of intelligence at the time brought that past nervous feeling to the presence. I like you bringing a "learning moment" public. Btw, great channel!

[@FlightChops]

Thanks - the main theme of my channel is about sharing learning moments - Our pilot license is a license to learn - so I figure I might as well share the constant learning :)

[@selfrighteous88]

You told the story well, kudos! Narrative is important.

[@princekp1]

I was subscribed to you but never really watched you vids. When I started watching , I couldn't stop. Thanks for motivating me

[@gregnelson9200]

Thanks for sharing this! Really valuable learning experience for you and everyone watching this!

[@Sonors7]

Wow! So much information that I can use for future flying. I really appreciate your total honesty. Very well made, with excellent narration. Thanks so much!

[@hankbrown2871]

This low-hours new student pilot thanks you for posting. Nice job ... both the video production and the flying.

[@FlightChops]

+Hank Brown Awesome! thanks, and I'm happy to share

[@janmaaso]

Great video with lots of lessons to be learned. Thanks for the hard work in making this video. Jan.

[@jonesygw]

Getting an instrument rating , and keeping current , is a very wise decision. It’s great that you shared this video , so others can learn from it. Well done.

[@chrisburger4518]

Thanks for sharing. As a pilot in training, I find real world vids very informative.

[@bobsherlock642]

Hi

[@williamfahle151]

Reev Jax ATC appreciates it I'm sure. They have a lot of paperwork to do a pop-up IFR apparently.

[@thejoedonemusic1055]

This is frightening! RIP Kobe, Gianna and the remainder of the victims of (most likely) VFR into IMC

[@jeffreywilliams4327]

TJD Music kobe crash was so preventable. See what happens when you are cocky

[@dm55]

This video was really well done. Excellent detail.Great editing.

[@lamontelliott4919]

Great job of explaining what happened on that day. You gave very detailed information and the story went along smooth and clear. I could visualize and understand everything you explained. Your gonna be a great pilot. 👍🏽 Great video

[@KBTG]

Brings back memories from a Lake Erie weather effect. Great video. I once had a situation ( being a young student with 24 hours) develop while flying my three leg solo. It was winter. I was in a Cessna 150. The flight originated at Elyria, Ohio, then to Columbus then Findley, Ohio and back to Elyria. While enroot, I realized that one of my notes had been left at the airport. The weather to the north was not as it was to supposed to have been. Fortunately, Mansfield and Elyria were equipped with VOR. I kept climbing until I had a signal. I over flew Mansfield and then followed the needle straight back to Elyria's VOR.

[@astrogirl1usa]

I know this video was uploaded over a year ago, but I just wanted to say that you made the right call in uploading it. Who knows, your example of why to get some instrument training may just save a life someday. Especially, if someone is convinced to get the training and then needs to use it to get home safely. Thank you for sharing!

[@FlightChops]

Astrogirl1usa Happy to share!

[@patcypatcy2797]

Scary. Great video. Thank you for your efforts creating the video.

[@m3528i]

Made it to the end. Im glad that wasn’t your end.. thank you so much for making this.

[@thomashvnmusic]

Great video and very informative for young pilots. Most of aviation accidents happen due to a sequence of unfortunate events like this that lead to disaster rather than human error or mechanical failure and such examples is what the student pilots need so they develop a mental picture od ahead planning and guessing what might go wrong. Situational awareness and desicion making i think its the most important pilot skills that are rarely discussed.

[@lubenovac]

Pure honesty and fascinating interesting of your videos are amazing.

[@clarino2]

Vids of this type are HIGHLY educational. Thanks for sharing.

[@Rvcoops]

Thanks for sharing. I have had similar experience here in Australia and I thoroughly endorse every aspect of what you have discussed here. Thanks.

[@kenotube3160]

Really well put together and narrated. I got my license when I was 20 and my attitude was far too cavalier. I flew in weather conditions that were definitely not VFR many times. So stupid, but I'm still here :)

[@breezethompson9721]

You did a wonderful job..smooth and we'll explained.

[@PaulGemignani]

Great job putting this video together! It was great to see visual representation of visibility from video, and placed on the map

[@NPR47]

Thanks for putting up , Welcome back

[@jukkao.parviainen8669]

In the aftermath of Kobe accident, this video is very relevant. Think that IMC conditions what they had.

[@drjqool]

I think with Kobe's thing, there might be a situation with "get-there-itis" as well. Plus pilot over confidence.

[@jukkao.parviainen8669]

Better Than You I agree. Knowing the latest info from NTSB, you may think that pilot was looking the Sheriff helipad (only one mile behind them, they flew very close by) . If you are having hundreds of millions, so why did you not keep the standards like two pilots which would have greatly helped piloting this big copter in visual. Looks that pilot went to emergency instrument flying and came up up to 2200 feet but then lost control for reason or another, also mechanical failure is not excluded when you apply full escape power. So lot of if’s here.

[@jeffreywilliams4327]

Jukka O. Parviainen I’m convinced either kobe was being demanding or the Pilot was an idiot. The copter was noted at going over 100 knots at the time of the crash in imc conditions. I’m over it

[@jukkao.parviainen8669]

Jeffrey Williams He just lost it in 2400 feet ie 1500 feet above ground. 2400 is sea level so MLS. Kobe could demand 180 and he started to make it but he did not trust his instruments anymore, he was making hillybilly hollywood stunt escape. Adding to that in his psyche was also a fact that his climb to IMC conditions was unauthorised so he would get consequences anyway. He was thinking himself to be too good and never out of luck. He should stay VFR and if can’t stay then turn back so 180.

[@davidwright1752]

Most Valuable training video thank you for sharing experience

[@afbaustralia3073]

Great vid. Glad you posted this.

[@mistinabranham1053]

This was a awesome video...I feel like I learned a lot & I appreciate it. The details were easy to take in cause u explained your experience well & in basic terms so us average on land dwellers, lol, can understand as well. Thx so much for sharing...gave me a different outlook on what y'all have deal with when it comes to bad visibility cause of weather. Awesome!