Made my first 180 today

[Jaybird180]

In other threads, I expressed concerns about Airmet Sierra, BRKN layers, a sinus issue and the briefing included warnings about convective activity.

We're in the Hampton area and intended to fly to KFFA then make a decision to continue past to W95 for sightseeing, etc.

After about a 50deg departure from initial heading and cloud dodging, I finally decided to execute a 180 and head back.

Unfortunately to help explain, but I saw the makings of a Mayday call of VFR into IMC . The call from approach of precip 3 miles ahead was the last straw for me.

Yes, I'm a little disappointed, but we live to fly another day. At least I can say that my landing felt like a greaser.

In retrospect, I could have done the 180, went under the clouds and deviated for the -RA. Concerns about crossing the water at low altitude didn't fit my risk profile; I'm still learning to trust this airplane.

1.2 on the Hobbs to go nowhere; at least my wife had a victory. She was able to get a refund on our 'no refund' reservation:wink2: so it's all good.

Maybe well make that trip another time..
I'm glad that I made the 180 call, but the reality is that I feel slighted, just a teensy teensy bit

 

[airguy]

That's always a safe call, even if it doesn't feel like the right call.

Almost two years ago now, when I bought the 172 up in Maine, we had a rent car from the commercial airport where we flew in to check it out, and after the deal was done I was going to relocate the plane back to that airport so we could turn in the rent car easily and depart for Texas without incurring any additional costs. There was weather coming in and I thought I could beat it, I took off and flew northwest into a classic "Nor'easter" weather front coming at me with rain and lowering ceilings. I was maybe 10 miles into a 40-mile trip when I realized it was starting to look more and more like something I would read about in the last pages of Flying magazine, and I made the abort decision. 180'd back to the airport, landed about 4 minutes ahead of the gust front just in time to get it secured, and waited it out until morning.

Cost me another day on the rent car, another night in a hotel, and another lobster dinner. I figured I came out ahead on the deal.

 

[redtail]

Brings me back to my student pilot days. This was one of my early solo flights to another airport. I forgot a lot of the details of that day (1998), I'll have to check my logbook.... but what I do remember is, I was signed off by my CFI to make the flight after checking the weather.

I departed my home airport KTEB, headed north and picked up my first checkpoint. About five or ten miles into my flight, I just didn't feel good about the visibility! It looked a whole lot less than what was reported. Looked like 4 or 5 , I'm sure it was more but it seemed to be getting lower!

That inner voice kept saying..."This is not good". I made the 180 (my 1st), called the tower to report "inbound for landing". The controller (a good friend of mind) asked me if everything was ok. I said yes but the visibility is lower than I expected. I landed and never regreted it. Felt good knowing that I didn't give into get-there-itis or the mission mentality!

I was uncomfortable with what I saw and did something about it. This was my first lession in the difference between Forcast & Actual and the difference between Vertical and Forward visibility.

 

[Jeanie]

Congrats to the negotiation ability of your wife and to you for making a safe decision.

My thinking on delays and 180 turns for the "this just doesn't feel/look right" times is that the cost of a hotel and if you're lucky lobster! is less than the cost of a coffin.

 

[Arbiter419]

Good call. Thinking about the instrument rating?

 

[redtail]

Congrats to the negotiation ability of your wife and to you for making a safe decision.

My thinking on delays and 180 turns for the "this just doesn't feel/look right" times is that the cost of a hotel and if you're lucky lobster! is less than the cost of a coffin.

Amen! I think in my case, it was just a matter of following my gut.

Then again, I was an early student when JFK jr. crashed so that was fresh in my mind also. I was up with my CFI earlier that same day and I remember what the conditions were like.

That was a tough time to be a student pilot after that... I used to go over to KCDW & KMMU to practice T&G's. Too close to home!!!

 

[Jaybird180]

Good call. Thinking about the instrument rating?

I will neither confirm nor deny.

Seriously, it's already a foregone conclusion. Just a question of when. Today didn't help build those prerequisites either.

 

[denverpilot]

We're glad you feel slighted but are alive to post the story.

 

[wsuffa]

Congrats to the negotiation ability of your wife and to you for making a safe decision.

My thinking on delays and 180 turns for the "this just doesn't feel/look right" times is that the cost of a hotel and if you're lucky lobster! is less than the cost of a coffin.

Agree. Good decision making on your part.

My plane had been at HGR for (seems like) forever for annual. When plane was done, I postponed the pickup for a week because of weather. Yes, I'm IFR rated. Yes, the plane is (normally) capable. But my personal minimums for first flight after annual (that involved cylinder repair) is a high enough ceiling to be able to glide to a landing field. Expecially since the route is over the little hills that we call mountains. And it took a week to get that.

I encourage you to get the instrument rating, but I also encourage you to learn & fully understand that said instrument rating will make your decison process more difficult and complex. It's not nearly as simple as "I can fly through clouds, so we can go".... there's convective, there's icing, there's equipment that can fail, there's currency, there's flying in clouds after maintenance, and a host of other factors that play into the equation. Instrument rating makes you a better pilot, partly because there's more to think about.

 

[denverpilot]

I encourage you to get the instrument rating, but I also encourage you to learn & fully understand that said instrument rating will make your decison process more difficult and complex.

+1

No, more like +1000000000.

 

[TMetzinger]

One other option... did you consider landing somewhere nearby after your 180, and waiting for an improvement? That may not have been possible - I don't know what the weather was doing, but if you were planning an overnight you might have been able to afford to wait.

No matter what, GOOD CALL on not continuing the original plan.

 

[Mattl]

there's [bold]convective[/bold], there's icing, there's equipment that can fail, there's currency, there's flying in clouds after maintenance, and a host of other factors that play into the equation. Instrument rating makes you a better pilot, partly because there's more to think about.

I love how pilots call thunder storms "convective".

Good decision OP, it does get old making the "no go" or better yet the 180, but at least that decision will help you (and your wife) to get old.

 

[dell30rb]

+1

No, more like +1000000000.

Well, I've found it makes things a bit easier. At least, I get to make trips more often.

I'm sure this will change in the winter when I'm worrying about ice.


I've had to make the 180 a few times. Have never regretted it.

 

[Jaybird180]

While I appreciate the kudos for the 180 and had set decision points throughout, I can't help think that a no go would have been the better call.

Looking at the mess in the area of First Flight on the morning news, I'm glad we didn't make it.

 

[Ghery]

My first 180 (sort of) was while I was a student pilot. First attempt at the long XC was cut short when the weather between me and the second airport just didn't look good from my altitude. So I went home and tried again on a later day. Might have been OK, might not, but I called it as I saw it at the time. You did fine.

 

[CMTowner]

It's always better to make the call and write your POA friends about it, than not make that decision and wish you had after things head South fast.

 

[EppyGA]

Jaybird, I wanted to let you know that 180's happen to the best of them. This past weekend our EAA Chapter hosted the Ford Tri Motor. The next stop is in Concord, NC (KJQF). The pilot is a NW/Delta Captain that is close to retirement with god knows how many hours.

Today was moving day and this morning everything between here (KLZU) and there was either IFR or MVFR. He wanted to be wheels up at 0900 local but had to sit and wait. Th plane is VFR only and he said as soon as they got twelve or thirteen hundred feet he'd be off. Three of our chapter members were going along for the ride.

My wife and I were at the airport to help pack up and clean from the weekend. We were headed home and I looked up about 10:45 and there was the Tri Motor on its way to Concord. I watched it for awhile since it was headed in the same general direction as I was. After awhile I lost of it and we continued on home. Once at home I was in the house doing something and heard a distinctive sound over head. I went outside to take a look but didn't see anything.

A friend of mine was going by the airport later and texted me to let me know that indeed the Tri Motor was back at LZU and in the hangar.

It happens to the best of us. We make a decision we think is right and the circumstances change and you turn around. I'm very conservative myself and based on the current outlook for tomorrow would have just left her in the hangar. Wednesday was supposed to have been the moving day anyhow.