In all of my years of instrument flying, there’s nothing more inspiring than climbing up through a cloud deck to bust out on top into a clear blue sky or bright full moon illuminating an endless sea of clouds below. If that weren’t enough, flying a couple thousand feet over the cloud deck all the way to your destination is majestic, in of itself, especially when the sun is low in the horizon.
Besides the amazing view, the bonus is often glassy-smooth air with no airframe icing and unlimited visibility. So, it is no surprise that for many pilots knowing that magic altitude that keeps you comfortably on top is like a search for the Holy Grail.
