Originally Posted by
Pace
Chronus
Don't be misled by Exeter as i believe Exeter has one of the best climates in the UK and is often used as a diversion when everywhere else is down with low cloud. I used it many times when attempting to get into Davidstow years ago in a Baron 55 and Crusader 303 as an alternative.
It is possible that the poor guy picked up weather for Exeter and was misled by that into thinking VFR flight was possible. But of course those are Metars and not TAFS. TAFS would be more interesting as that is what he would have looked at as an alternative. But even then you need to get there and it would still require IMC flight above the MSA anD IFR approach and instrument let down. his destination would have been a phone call to ATC and pilot reports
Pace
I was not aware of Exeter as having a reliable sort of climate. I used to always follow the advice offered on the Continent, " if you don`t like the weather in the UK just wait a minute " and had my ear tuned to all volmet and ATIS broadcasts as soon as reaching tx range of stations. I was amazed by the variation in whether conditions over relatively such a small land mass.
Don`t know anything about Dunkerswell, so I would similarly expect that this unfortunate chap would have called them before departure so that someone there stuck a nose or finger out to check where the wind was blowing from and whether the wind sock was visible. I do wonder though whether any one else was flying around there at that time. I have looked at the TAf`s posted earlier and they don`t show the extent of the clag and whether it was down to the deck. But generally looking at the TAF`s and the route I would have been inclined to file an IFR FP. I cannot quite see how VFR could have been maintained all the way there. Would it have been the so called VMC on top ... of what precisely. But there again back in the old days didn`t have all these GPS things and the RNAV VOR/DME shifting gadgets were the bee`s knees and people used to have finger trouble and end up unannounced all over the place.