I was a Low hours newly qualified PPL and had promised to take some mates to the Isle of Man for a weekend out of Newcastle. We had really been looking forward the day for weeks. Sure enough the morning arrives and the weather is not great....It's not terrible but it's not great. So I check the forecast and it promises a slight improvement... Off for breakfast we go.
2 hours later it's a bit better, so I push it....
Into and out of cloud at 1500ft heading towards Carlisle. All the boys except me are having a great time. they don't fly and they don't realise the stupid situation I have put us all in. Cloud gets thicker and I'm now on Instruments with no rating, praying for another break in the cloud.... It doesn't come and I know we are heading into hilly territory so I climb to 3000 still in cloud. My palms are sweaty my heart is beating and all is going tits up.
Fortunately something intelligent clicked in my brain and I made a command decision (one I should have made on the ground). Turned us around and headed back to Newcastle, as we are in the turn the cloud breaks a little and I see the side of a hill complete with sheep staring down at us.....
We make it back safe and sound and I learn something that I thought I was to sensible to have to put into practise. If in doubt don't ...Don't even think about it.
I'm not proud of it, it was stupid.
