Couldn't get out of Brunswick, Georgia Saturday. The TAF (Terminal Area Forecast) gave us some hope of flying back to Augusta. If we could get off Brunswick and head west to Waycross we could go to Macon and then east to Augusta.
My personal minimum ceiling for flying under an overcast is at least 2500 feet. I have to stay 500 feet below the clouds and 2500 feet means flying at 2000 feet above the ground. I also need 3 miles visibility to be legal, but my personal requirement is 6 miles or better.
All this talk of "Personal Minimums" makes it sound like I could fly in less, but am just chicken to do so. And there is some of that in those decisions. But it is also a calculation of what I need to see and avoid other traffic and worsening weather.
Every VFR pilot has similar basic "legal" criteria. Clear of cloud and 3 miles visibility. Some private pilots can cut the visibility to 1 mile. The result is all the VFR traffic gets forced lower into a very narrow band. In addition to airplane traffic, there are all the TV towers sticking all the way into the clouds, and migratory birds. Last time I flew the coast in September we saw a formation of 8-10 wood storks (giant 5-foot tall birds with 6-foot wingspans). So just when the conditions are at their worst, the opposition is at its worst.
So even though it is legal to fly at 1000 feet above populated areas with 3 mile visibility in the rain, it ain't smart!
So after checking the weather and seeing 7-900 ceilings for the 50-mile radius at 2 PM , Micky and I decided to rent a car and drive home. Even Jekyll Island is no fun in cold rain!
We'll try to get down to Brunswick Tuesday or Wednesday and fly the baby home.
Can't go Monday because of two back-to-back cold fronts with extreme winds. When your airplane starts flying at around 37 knots, ground movement is very hazardous in 25 knot winds. The forecast is 25 with gusts to 45 today, so I'm not taking any tie downs off.
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