J
JQ Public
Guest
Weather is not a science, more like a black art. Yesterday, aviationweather, duats, and lm all provided metars and tafs that appeared favorable for a flight of 150 miles with a return later in the afternoon. Weather rolled in right on time but stalled across the area, was lower than predicted, and stayed longer (all night at the home airport). I bailed out about half way home and resorted to a road trip since my destination airport and many along the route never improved above 800' ceiling.
Here's the issues. VOR receiver (or operator) did not work. Vectors requested and received from ATC Approach. Landed uneventfully. Stayed 4+ hours "waiting out" the weather which never improved as forecast. Flight was often in minimal visability though pilot had "legal" vis, ground and horizontal. ARSR filed.
In hindsight, since the weather has not followed forecasted most of the year, I should have canceled after the first briefing. I was depending on the weather lifting to complete the return flight. The original departure was delayed by 2.5 hours which means there was a delay on the return flight, placing us in the middle of the expected weather. Since the front stalled and the destination never improved until morning, bailing out at an interim airport and leaving the plane was the (then) only option.
Oh, and the "pressure" was two people I disappointed several months ago because of weather. I pushed it far more than I should have.
Here's the issues. VOR receiver (or operator) did not work. Vectors requested and received from ATC Approach. Landed uneventfully. Stayed 4+ hours "waiting out" the weather which never improved as forecast. Flight was often in minimal visability though pilot had "legal" vis, ground and horizontal. ARSR filed.
In hindsight, since the weather has not followed forecasted most of the year, I should have canceled after the first briefing. I was depending on the weather lifting to complete the return flight. The original departure was delayed by 2.5 hours which means there was a delay on the return flight, placing us in the middle of the expected weather. Since the front stalled and the destination never improved until morning, bailing out at an interim airport and leaving the plane was the (then) only option.
Oh, and the "pressure" was two people I disappointed several months ago because of weather. I pushed it far more than I should have.