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Dustin,
The trip to Salina is what, about 1.5 hours or so by air, or 3 to 4 by car? You could plan to fly, set your alarm for 4AM, check the weather, then decide if its a go or not. The weather here in Kansas has been absolutely VFR for days, hot and dry and windy with no forecast end in site. Your dilemma is a common one for us VFR pilots. Fly or drive. For a day trip, the weather briefings you get before you leave are pretty reliable. Overnight or the far end of the weekend, it gets a bit more unsettled. The key is to have firm personal minimums and flexibility. Be prepared to cancel a trip at the last minute, have alternate transportation figured out, be prepared to cancel a trip enroute, be prepared to stay an extra day or two, be prepared to rent a car, catch the bus, or hitchhike home. Be mentally and financially prepared for the worst case scenario before you go. If you cannot accept that as a possible outcome, dont fly. You will make better decisions as pilot in command, if you dont feel trapped by weather and always leave yourself a way out. I love flying cross-country trips that actually take me places I want or need to go. In my two years of flying, I have probably 150 to 200 hours of overnight, weekend, or week long trips. In that time period there were probably about three or four that I canceled due to weather, three or four times that I left later or earlier to avoid forecast weather, and one time that I had to overnight in an unplanned situation. Other than certain times of the year, VFR conditions are very common in the Midwest, and IFR or MVFR conditions are not persistent. But you have to be willing to yield to the weather when it happens. Accepting that possibility, and making it a viable option, will let you relax and make a less stressful decision. You will be better able to enjoy the flight, and do a good job of navigation and piloting if you can let go of the fear of getting stuck. Another poster suggested going up the night before. That is an excellent idea and one that adds flexibility to meeting a schedule. If you have the option of moving an appointment if necessary, that adds flexibility. If you can cancel and go another weekend, then that adds flexibility. It is easy to get stuck into a frustrating internal dialogue, fly...drive, fly..drive, fly...drive. Work up a contingency plan for getting home, get up early, check the weather, make your decision for the first leg, then fly or drive with no regrets. You are the PIC and you have made your command decision! sincerely, JP Krievins Newton, KS DG_pilot wrote: > Ive been a Private Pilot for almost 10 months now, and have never > really flown myself anywhere RATHER than using the car. Most of my > hours have came from just putting around on 70/80 NM legs, getting > something to eat, and then flying back home. However, this Friday I am > scheduled to tour Kansas State @ Salinas aviation program and campus. > The original plan was for the family to drive to Manhattan, them stay > in a hotel, for me stay with a college friend, and then the next > morning drive the rest of the way to Salina. No big deal so far. BUT, I > wanted for them to drive it and me to fly it. They say no way to that > plan, but the parents did say that me and dad could just fly to Salina > early Friday morning. Heres where the problem is. I keep asking > myself: "Do I take the chance with flying and possibly not be able to > get there or get back on time?" OR "Do I play it safe and stick to the > roads on this one?". Fridays weather is suppose to be descent, and > Salina is only about 170 NM to the west-southwest, but as you all know, > who knows what will happen. Frustrating. > > My mind has been like: Drive or fly or drive or fly or drive or fly, > spend less money, or have more fun, get more experience or get grounded > by weather, take mom along, get there quicker or later??? I could go on > and on. Wish I had that IR completely finished right now. ;-) > > One of those just needed to vent topics. ;-) > > -- > Dustin Graves > PPL-ASEL; IR student > Fairfax, MO > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy. |
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