It's a paradox that you must have a mental vision of what's happening in IFR flight, which by its very nature means that you can't see. If you could, you'd be flying VFR and wouldn't need to use all the dials, CRTs, and needles. Unfortunately, the one thing you need in the misty skies is exactly what you don't have by looking out of your windshield ―a view of what's really going on in your world. You have a few feeble tools to help you look ahead, such as radar and sferics, but they don't eliminate surprises. Pilots have tossed about bromides like, "Staying ahead of the airplane," and the one I really hate, "Situational awareness." Fine phrases for the classroom, but in my opinion they can cause you to miss the big picture―another tired phrase. But it's a big sky up there, and if you don't have at least a rudimentary picture of what's going on around you, it could prove uncomfortable.
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