Squawk7700, I'm sorry if I offended you by asking if the aircraft and pilot was IFR capable on the day or not.
I refer to "The name is Porter's" post:
Sqwark, I departed Moorabbin IFR about 1240pm that day, the zone was IFR (one in - one out). When I was taxiing I heard a VFR taxy & the tower advising SVFR would be required, I didn't hear that full conversation as I was busy doing stuff. I was in IMC pretty much all the way so can't tell you what the base was over the strait.
I got absolutely drenched on the tarmac at King, low cloud, lots of rain & worsening vis. I heard one aircraft land, I didn't hear anything IFR on the way down so wondered how in blazes he got in? Like I said, dunno what the base was but I was surprised. There were two aircraft already there, one chap came over and asked if I'd heard this fellow on the radio. In retrospect I can't imagine how these 2 plane loads of people felt when they eventually heard.
I don't know what made whoever made this (extremely poor) decision to depart Moorabbin. The forecasts weren't good, they were crap in most parts of tassie. I'd suggest to you that Homesick is extremely angry that, yet again, innocent people who trust people at the controls implicitly to make good decisions paid the ultimate price.
I will ask another question: Two made it in to King Island (presumably VFR ex YMMB). What do you think of any VFR pilot who ventured out that day? Was the King Island Festival fly away weekend that important?
If that is the case, doesn't that raise the possibility that "groupthink" is involved?
I wouldn't be flying anywhere VFR around most of Victoria today either