Know When To Fold ‘Em

A brand-new instrument pilot turns down a short ferry flight in the middle of a snow storm for reasons.

Aviation Safety

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

A qualified pilot decided to cancel a short, technically VFR flight in snowy, dark conditions due to an instinctive discomfort, despite no objective operational reason for cancellation.
The pilot's decision was driven by a strong gut feeling about flying through snow at night and the anticipated limited visibility, prioritizing personal comfort over proceeding.
The article advocates for pilots to trust their instincts and cancel a flight when they simply "don't feel like flying" under the conditions, highlighting this as a valid and crucial safety decision.

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Long ago and far away, I helped manage a four-plane flying club with its airplanes scattered around the major and minor airports surrounding our metropolitan area. It was winter, and we needed to move the club’s Piper Archer from Big City International to Suburban Regional for maintenance. Another club member and I met at the airplane.

I had a fresh instrument rating, which I earned flying the same airplane we needed to move. Both airports were familiar. It was an easy 15-mile hop. It was dark; that’s okay because I was night current and it would just be the pilot aboard, since one of us had to drive to the destination and pick up the other. And it was snowing.