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:

An experienced pilot chose to forgo a short flight in legally VFR but snowy, nighttime conditions, driven by an unquantifiable feeling of unease despite being current and qualified.
The incident highlights the critical importance of trusting one's instincts and prioritizing personal comfort and safety, even when objective operational reasons for cancellation are absent.
The author emphasizes that "not feeling like it" is a valid and crucial reason to cancel a flight, reinforcing the aviation adage: "It's better to be on the ground wishing we were in the air than it is to be in the air wishing we were on the ground."

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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.