Good Decision can be disappointing.

Tarheel Pilot

Tarheel Pilot

Line Up and Wait
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Jan 1, 2007
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Tarheel Pilot
I was supposed to do my long Solo X-Country today, and I have been working on this plan extensively. I went over every aspect of my flight, and then I went over it again. I checked all of my math twice to make sure I got the right figures. So I climbed into my aircraft, got it start up, listened to the ATIS which reported winds that were at 250/8. So I taxi out, did my run up and then as I was about to announce I was ready to depart I heard the tower report winds at 10 gusting to 14. My Flight School has a policy of student pilots can't fly in gusting winds. So I called up tower and asked him to repeat the winds (to make sure), and he reported the same thing. So I scrubbed my flight plan and I taxied back to the Terminal. I know it was the right decision and I know that if I did my solo flight in gusting winds when I didn't have any experience in flying alone in gusting winds the consequences could be bad, but it was still disappointing to be all ready to go and have to scrub it at the last minute.
 
Fortunately, with more experience under your belt, it happens less and less, but it does happen...One of the marks of a professional pilot (whether they get paid to fly or not) is the ability to make the right decisions in spite of the external and internal pressures that may be present. Good for you.

Fly safe!

David
 
It may be trite, but it's true: it's better to be down here wishing you were up there than the other way around. That right there is the perfect example of good use of PIC authority and good decision making.
 
saying no is always dissapointing to one degree or the other. its important that you get opportunities to say no early on however, else you won't know how to later on when the weather really is bad!
 
Dealing with gusts is a matter of experience. The more you get, the better you'll be able to handle them. Scrubbing the X-country was a prudent thing to do (don't start out breaking the rules!) and helps to set your personal limits. Next time though, get your instructor and go practice flying in gusts. Do the same with x winds. That's how you get experience.
 
:yes: Absent the Horvidos Indians closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns, you can never be wrong for cancelling. Good on ya for having the courage to do what you thought was right!
 
Agreed, you made the right decision, but it frequently is disappointing.

A few months back a friend of mine agreed to fly me up to Connecticut from here in PA to pick up a truck I bought. We hopped in the plane and got going. About 3/4 of the way there, the visibility was getting bad enough that we had to stay down pretty close to the ground, and my friend made the decision to turn around and head back. Obviously it was a disappointment for a number of reasons (not to mention an inconvenience), but it was the right thing to do.

From my observations, it seems that these occurences happen less and less as you get experience, instrument rating (with associated proficiency), and a suitable all-weather plane. My flight instructor, for example, almost never has to cancel a flight. He's also a 5000+ hour pilot and has a de-iced Navajo. Big difference compared to most of us.

This is similar to learning to drive. When I was first learning, there were situations (especially when the weather was very bad) where I wouldn't do certain things or just wouldn't go outside. Now, roughly 7 years and 270,000 miles later, it's not something that I consider except in the worst of conditions. What a difference experience makes.

You'll get it done! Right now I'm annoyed that the weather hasn't cooperated with me, so I haven't flown in 2 weeks.
 
Ron Levy said:
:yes: Absent the Horvidos Indians closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns, you can never be wrong for cancelling
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"The only time I'm going to consider taking off in 0/0 is if people are trying to kill me!" -Missa, yesterday
 
Ted DuPuis said:
"The only time I'm going to consider taking off in 0/0 is if people are trying to kill me!" -Missa, yesterday
Click to expand...

Man, I was just thinking about posting that!

In a choice between certian death and possible death, I'll take possible death.
 
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4kts is a considered a gust? Ugh.
 
well, for a brand new, solo pilot 5 kts is a LOT.

I soloed my first student a little while ago and was probably the overprotective instructor, but I re-scheduled twice due to weather.

~ Christopher
 
Missa said:
Ed, we're not all good enought to land a Gastons just past dusk...
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I was just saying I've never heard an ATIS reporting gusts unless they are at least 5kts difference between steady and high. And it wasn't just past dusk. :rofl:
 
I have over 300 hours and I still cancel for weather. It hurts a little each time. Each time you prepare to fly, you are exercising your judgement and decision making. This is just as (some would argue more) important as your stick and rudder skills. Looked at this way, your aborted flight was a success because you made the right decision and you will fly again some other day.

Good on ya!

-Skip
 
Better to cancel today and live to fly tomorrow. I have canceled 6 flights this past month do to winds and WX. Am I disappointed? Yep, but I know it is better to think about flying that file an insurance claim or even worse take up residence in a wooden box.
 
As noted by others, you're never wrong in cancelling. Yes, it can be disappointing.

Right after I got my PP cert I was going to take my wife flying. Heard a rubbing sound I couldn't identify while pulling the 172 out of the hangar, so I pushed it back in and cancelled. It was just a brake pad rubbing and would have taken care of itself, but I didn't know that. Haven't heard it since, either.

The bottom line is that you should always be prepared to do the right thing, even if it is going to disappoint you or someone else. And I'd say you nailed this one. Good job.
 
Teller1900 said:
It may be trite, but it's true: it's better to be down here wishing you were up there than the other way around. That right there is the perfect example of good use of PIC authority and good decision making.
Click to expand...

Having been "up there wishing I was down there" I say give me a big AMEN!!!! :yes:

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from surviving bad judgement.
 
There is a point to that:

It seems that some of my most firmly entrenched lessons were learned when **** got really hairy.

~ Christopher
 
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