As you can see, we're forecast to have a nasty mix of marginal VFR and IFR weather along with some rain between Chicago and Western Pennsylvania. Grandma is already disappointed and the kids will be in the morning when I don't wake them up at 6 am.
I've been looking forward to this in part because KDUJ was built on my great-grandparent's farm that was commandeered by the federal government because it seemed like a swell place to put an airport. I also have heard that until recently there was a tree near one end the runway that my father fell out of and broke his arm as a kid.
Of course, if I had that instrument rating this would all be of little consequence. Well, there is that freezing level and turbulence... but the latter clears out by the next chart.
Been there, done that. We've aborted flights to visit both of my parents (living as far apart from each other as possible in separate states). It's hard to disappoint people, but that comes with the certificate. I have cancelled trips when the weather was not just positively awful (that's easy), but when the balance of "might be ok/might be crummy" was just a wee bit too far over on the crummy side to take the chance.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to DuBois, but it is the next airport south from St Mary's where we have often flown for breakfast. Good luck making your trip on some other weekend.
Right... I say that I'd rather have you disappointed (or even angry... that happened once) with me then have the NTSB or State Police at the door explaining the results of my "gotta-git-there-itis." I'm also like you, I think... I'd rather be on the ground deciding I could have flown rather than being in the air and determining that I shouldn't have.
ReplyDeleteI have seen that you've been down to St. Mary's a couple of times. I recognize some of the sites you've photographed though I didn't get up that way often. My parents live about equidistant from KDUJ and KFLD (Clearfield), but DUJ has some emotional appeal.
I have enjoyed reading your instrument training adventures. Gives me some picture of what I'm in for.
And, of course, the IR is not a magic bullet for enabling travel by air. Many (actually, most) of the times we've stayed put on the ground have arisen because of t-storms and I'm not going to mess with those no matter what. For me, the problem with IR training has been finding the time.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. But there have been a few times where it would have afforded me the ability to fly assuming that I'd break out above the clouds before hitting the freezing level.
DeleteTime... ah, a luxury we don't have. I was considering starting a few months ago, but when I got my course assignments I knew that I was not going to have the mental energy that was required. It was not so much training time for me, but study time. I've never understood how someone would go through their training then try to cram their ground school. Seems silly to me.