Green Dot Syndrome

[midlifeflyer]

How many times have you encountered an airport that's VFR, but the scattered cloud layer (which covers about 40-50% of the sky) made a VFR approach or departure difficult? This short video is from a helicopter training site, but is really for all of us.

 

[Half Fast]

How many times have you encountered an airport that's VFR, but the scattered cloud layer (which covers about 40-50% of the sky) made a VFR approach or departure difficult?

Not uncommon.

I’ve seen clouds reported as “few” make landing difficult. All depends on just where those clouds are. It’s pretty easy for a few clouds to prevent you from seeing pattern traffic, even if no one is in the clouds. Even one little puffball can be a problem if it’s hanging at 300’ in the path for final.

 

[GeorgeC]

How many times have you encountered an airport that's VFR, but the scattered cloud layer (which covers about 40-50% of the sky) made a VFR approach or departure difficult?

Zero. When faced with a sea of green dots, however, it is tempting infer that it's VFR everywhere in between.

I learned that lesson the hard way.

 

[eman1200]

send it.

 

[FORANE]

I thought green dot meant cleared to land.

 

[asicer]

How many times have you encountered an airport that's VFR, but the scattered cloud layer (which covers about 40-50% of the sky) made a VFR approach or departure difficult?

There may or may not have been a couple times where I had to, um, "exercise some creativity".

 

[jsstevens]

I thought green dot meant cleared to land.

It's an easy mistake. Green dot, green light...