Our flight from Potomac Airfield in Friendly, Md.. to Dublin, Va., (to pick up a new puppy) would take about an hour and a quarter, despite steady headwinds paralleling the Blue Ridge mountains. The only minor wrinkle came from two small cells approximately 10 miles north of our destination. The cells were staggered, traveling west to east across our route at 27 knots, with tops at 43,000 feet and 28,000 feet, respectively.
Roanoke Approach confirmed that I was aware of the cells and suggested I consider passing behind the more westerly cell and in front of the more easterly one. I thanked the controller, advised that we would consider his suggestion and would report any course deviation. My friend (a pilot) and I discussed it for two minutes before deciding it was a bad plan to put ourselves between potentially dangerous cells while in a 30-knot headwind. We deviated 15 degrees west from the arrival procedure to Potomac to get 15 miles or so clearance as we passed behind both cells.
