Bravo Blog...

Gosh, this never happens! The weather wasn't following the forecast.

Isolated drizzle had somehow turned into a healthy band of light to moderate showers moving across the island of Oahu.

The problem: I really wanted - and needed - to fly. No where in particular. But after a month away from the cockpit, the rust was beginning to form, and I needed to scrape it off.

I knew the weather wasn't dangerous, at least not in a convective sense, as confirmed by my weather briefer.

But I was a bit afraid of what might amount to rain pelting my windscreen, or visibilities hovering in the "marginal VFR" territory.

And what if?

What if it turned all gray outside the window once I was airborne? No one would forgive me, including the FAA, for launching into those conditions.

After a few brain flip-flops, I made the decision.

It was time to fly.

As luck would have it, Rustan from Flight School Hawaii was willing to come in early and take a peek with me, so we rendezvoused at the Honolulu International Airport 30 minutes later.

He quickly understood why I wanted him next to me, and didn't waste time customizing this lesson around the weather we were about to fly into.

During run-up, Rustan glanced at an approaching wall of water and said, "Ok, we better call for our clearance now, because they might not let us depart if the airport goes marginal VFR." Filing IFR wasn't the lesson today.

Honolulu Tower cleared-us for take-off and we departed in light rain. It looked ominous, but what happened next was exactly what I needed.

During climb-out, the ceiling was low in spots, but the visibility was manageable. The air was silky smooth. The taps from the rain were kind of soothing. And Rustan's experienced voice through it all gave me the cautious confidence I needed.

But would it lead to over-confidence on future flights? That is a real concern, especially if you comb though the NTSB database.

Taking chances with the weather - or with anything related to aviation - can be a deadly idea.

But on the flip side, sometimes a lack of experience can lead to the cancellation of very doable flights.

And there's only one way to get over that hump. Bring along someone with more experience in those conditions.

Don't forget. If they say no, fly another day. If they're unsure, fly another day.

But if their experience gives you an out, whether it's a back-up IFR clearance or a simple diversion back to the airport, then take a peek.

You just might feel yourself grow as a pilot while respectfully frolicking with nature.

Article by Chris Archer; Send him an email