Originally Posted by
Uplinker
On my qualifying cross country in the UK, years ago; flying solo in a PA28, navigating towards my second planned landing. VFR and all going well but then flew over a layer of cloud.
Hmmm....... I am still in clear air with good visibility, but no longer in sight of the ground. Instructor never mentioned about this.......What to do?
Well, I do know quite accurately where I am having tracked my progress over various motorways and road junctions, and am under radar service, so although technically I should turn 180° and fly back into clear conditions, I know that I am safe from terrain, so I elect to continue and hope the cloud will clear enough at my descent point.
It did, but that could have ended very differently.
PS, I was not concerned about the absence of a clear, level horizon, because even before taking my instrument rating(s), I always flew by reference to the instruments - personally finding the visual method a bit inaccurate.
I was reprimanded here for advocating instruments for steep turns even though I still taught completely visual turns also...