Above 8/8's
Your story of searching for a way down reminded me of a flight Moresby to Bulolo to pick up the owner of the aircraft (Cessna 172, no navaids) and take him home to Singuau Plantation up the east coast from Lae. the cloud had continued to build up beneath me (how unusual) after passing Kubuna, and I gradually found myself at an unbelievable 11,500 ft dodging around cloud tops and where necessary plowing through them, hoping there was no granite inside, the few minutes on instruments periodically had my bum biting the seat. Kept a DR log so had no idea where I was and the sea of cloud was endless.
As my ETA Bulolo approached I had decided to divert east till DR over the Huon Gulf and descend over water till visual, trying meanwhile to concoct a story in my mind for Lae FS which wouldn't expose me as the prawn I obviously was. At my ETA Bulolo I saw a shadow in the cloud surface just ahead, and on arrival peered down to see Bulolo airstrip at the bottom of the hole. The next day flying the same aircraft in 8/8's blue, the artificial horizon toppled, totally cactus.
cheers, Bill
