50-50
I was scheduled to go for my first solo flight to the area once again. My first attempt I forgot to get my instructor's signature verifying that I'm competent which made the duty instructor change my flight to a circuit flight. My second attempt was crushed by strong gale force winds of 100+ km/hr. Today, the winds were there, the clouds slowly started to rise from one thousand feet to the minimum that I needed to go off for my solo of four thousand feet. My four o'clock flight seemed hopeful. I've been sitting in the ops room since lunch time, lack of appetite made me spend my time tracking the weather.
"How're things up there sir?" I asked an instructor who just came back.
"Crosswinds are rough, there's a considerable sink on finals, and there's slight windshear."
"Do you think I should go up for my first area solo sir?"
He looked at the darkening sky, the clouds were high up, but were dark grey and looming over as if about to topple over.
"It's hard to say, the weather report says it's ok, but be careful of unseen things, it's up to you to judge and the DI might just let you go."
Fifteen minutes to my flight, I cancelled it.
It just felt bad. I'd get a ribbing from my colleagues but I didn't care. I've proven I can fly in bad weather before.
As I was closing my aircraft and preparing it for the night, I saw a rainbow over in the training area. Rain.
Rain is bad for visual flyers like myself. Plus it means the clouds are mature clouds with down force winds. Not really nice to fly underneath them.
I walked back to the dorms accompanied by the patter of rain. Matched my spirit for today.
I'm glad of my decision. It's better to err on safety's side.
"How're things up there sir?" I asked an instructor who just came back.
"Crosswinds are rough, there's a considerable sink on finals, and there's slight windshear."
"Do you think I should go up for my first area solo sir?"
He looked at the darkening sky, the clouds were high up, but were dark grey and looming over as if about to topple over.
"It's hard to say, the weather report says it's ok, but be careful of unseen things, it's up to you to judge and the DI might just let you go."
Fifteen minutes to my flight, I cancelled it.
It just felt bad. I'd get a ribbing from my colleagues but I didn't care. I've proven I can fly in bad weather before.
As I was closing my aircraft and preparing it for the night, I saw a rainbow over in the training area. Rain.
Rain is bad for visual flyers like myself. Plus it means the clouds are mature clouds with down force winds. Not really nice to fly underneath them.
I walked back to the dorms accompanied by the patter of rain. Matched my spirit for today.
I'm glad of my decision. It's better to err on safety's side.
