There's been a fair bit of backlash regarding the 178 seconds video over the years, mostly along the lines expressed in this PoA forum:
Pilots of America forum "How long can you keep it up" March 27 2018
A couple of excerpts:
Everskyward said:
Strongly agreed, and that was my reaction the first time I saw it. The last thing we should be doing is inducing panic.
Yes, 178 seconds was the average time that a pilot was able to fly blind without instruments. But what they didn't tell you is that this group was the control group...pilots with zero training, zero instruments and zero visibility. Even an IFR trained pilot is likely to crash in that situation.
In fact, the study was actually to test whether or not a VFR pilot could be trained to use instruments to make a 180 turn. After "crashing", they taught each pilot the techniques to execute a 180 with reference to instruments and tested them again - every single pilot was able to learn to reverse course and get out of the clouds again.
Then someone came up with a scare video based on the control group and how clouds were a deathtrap waiting to snare VFR pilots and lure them to their doom. Now, that is all anyone know of the study and the real lesson has been lost to the drama. Sigh....
And this discussion where the original experiment was returned to its context:
178 seconds -- the facts about the experiment
GROUPS.GOOGLE.COM
The following is a summary of some key points of the paper itself, entitled
"180-degree turn experiment" and in UI's Aeronautics Bulletin 11. I have no
axe to grind, and I think the "178 seconds" article does a good job of
communicating the hazards of spatial disorientation. However, some issues
have become clouded by the "chinese whisper" effect, so this is to set the
record straight.
* The research was conducted at University of Illinois Institute of Aviation
in 1954, principally by Jesse Stonecipher, the CFI.
* It was a response to the challenge from AOPA to devise a technique for
non-instrument rated pilots who had flown inadvertently into IMC
* The tests were conducted on a Beech Bonanza C-35 in flight (not a "ground
trainer" as cited in the 178 Seconds article)
* The 20 subjects for the experiment were chosen for being representative of
those pilots who had *no* simulated or actual instrument experience (not
"none since primary training", none at all)
* The Bonanza was chosen specifically *because* it would be difficult to
fly, as the most complex single that a non-IR pilot was likely to fly.
* None of the subjects had soloed a Bonanza. As far as I can tell, only 3
of the subjects had any complex experience at all, with most of them
recording time on Aeronca 7AC, Cessna 140 and Tri-Pacers.
* Most of the subjects had only about 20 hours dual time, presumably the PPL
syllabus in those days. 7 of them had less than 40 hours total.
* The aircraft was made to simulate basic VFR instruments, plus a turn
indicator. The AI, DG and rate of climb indicators were covered for the
entire experiment.
* The first period of the experiment was the famed '178 seconds' test, aimed
at assessing the students' baseline instrument aptitude. The time was
measured between the googles being placed over the students' eyes and an
'incipient dangerous flight condition'. For most cases this was deemed to
be an airspeed of 185 mph or an incipient stall.
* 19 of the 20 went into a 'graveyard spiral'. One pulled the aircraft
into a whip-stall.
* Times ranged from 20 seconds to 480 seconds. The average was indeed 178
seconds
* There then followed 4 periods of instruction in the 180 degree turn
technique (see below) that was the actual subject of the study
* By the end of this training, the subjects had between 1.5 and 3 hours
(mean 2 hours) simulated IF, practising the technique.
* The subjects were again tested by simulating instrument conditions, and
asked to transition from cruise to slow flight, make a 180 degree turn, and
establish a controlled descent. Each subject was tested 3 times.
* Of the 60 trials, 59 were successfully completed. The unsuccessful one
involved the failure to set power to maintain altitude and continued the
descent in a way that violated the success definition. It was considered
that control was not lost, and that if the aircraft had not become visual
below cloud, the impact would have been survivable.
The technique:
Throughout, center the turn needle using the rudder.
1) Hands off the control column
2) Lower the landing gear
3) Reduce power
4) Set trim to a predetermined position for slow flight (95 mph)
5) Adjust prop and power for approx level flight at 95 mph
6) Note the compass heading
7) Turn using the rudder
😎 Roll out with appropriate lead or lag
9) Center the turn needle
10) Reduce power for a controlled descent
It was noticed that step 1 was both the most important and the most
difficult psychologically!
The usual deduction from the 178 Seconds article is the rather negative one
that pilots without instrument training are in big trouble if they enter
IMC. I think the message that Stonecipher was trying to convey (and the
result speak for itself!) is much more positive, that a little instument
training can go a long way, even if faced with a partial panel and a complex
aircraft.
Julian Scarfe