Climbing On Top

The day of my departure, I had one good sign. The area forecast predicted tops at between 12,000-14,000 feet. Thats a familiar forecast for the time of year, and I find it enjoyable to fly over a cotton-like cloud deck. It was also well within my airplanes capability, and I had a four-place oxygen bottle that had been recently topped off. Looking at the satellite data, Metars and TAFs at my destination, it appeared to be clear on the far end of my route.

Mike Hart

Friday, January 06, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Flying above cloud decks ("on-top") can offer advantages like direct routing but poses significant risks due to potential for inaccurate weather predictions and changing conditions.
Pilots rely on various weather products (e.g., area forecasts, radar, Pireps) to determine cloud tops, but these can be general or unreliable, making careful assessment crucial.
The primary danger of "on-top" flying, especially for VFR pilots, is getting trapped without a way down or being forced into hazardous VFR into IMC conditions, a leading cause of fatal accidents.
Maintaining IFR currency and having an IFR flight plan provide critical safety nets and more options for managing emergencies or unexpected weather changes when operating above clouds.

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Earlier this year, I had business reasons to be in northern Idaho. I live in southern Idaho and prefer flying a direct route that gets me to my destination in two hours and 15 minutes. The day of my departure, however, Airmet Sierra was in effect and the mountains were obscured. I had two options: I could see if I could get on top and fly to the clear areas on the other side of the mountains, or I could take the much longer valley route that would keep me below the ceilings.