Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
Discovered some funny psychology while waiting for the weather.
The original plan was to fly from Savannah, GA, up to southeastern Michigan yesterday. Multiple lines of thunderstorms and a forecast strong crosswind at the destination airport made no-go an easy decision. But the plane was already packed (a plastic tub in the passenger seat holds the oxygen bottle, always a nuisance to keep upright and accessible, plus snacks, water bottles, tie down kit, bug cleaning kit, etc). Clothes and such can get packed almost instantaneously, so I had a free day before the trip.
It was amazing what a de-stressor this unplanned free day was. Ran some errands, got new tires for the car and a CT scan for my back, did laundry, paid bills, all kinds of things that would have otherwise been piled up, waiting for me when I got back home. Maybe when time comes for Oshkosh, I'll load the plane a few days in advance rather than just the day before.
So this morning is another no-go, with thunderstorms and IFR. I'm book legal for IFR, but to be honest with myself, I don't want to fly a whole leg of hard IFR. If it turns into hard IFR, I can do it, even if the autopilot fails, but it wouldn't be fun. And if there are lines of thunderstorms to dodge IFR, even with ADS-B uplink, fuhgeddaboutit. Isolated air mass thunderstorms, VFR, maybe.
Plan C, or whatever letter we're up to, is to go half way this afternoon and finish the trip tomorrow. Unlikely, but all it takes is a phone call to check on the weather. Plan D is the whole trip tomorrow, also unlikely. Plan E is an early morning launch Saturday so as to be there by 1 PM or so. The motivation for the trip is a memorial service, and ain't no point in trying too hard to get there and requiring a second one.
As for today, the plan is to be completely packed and ready to go when I check the weather late morning, with eating and drinking in preparation for the trip. If I don't go, then I'll expend energy on exercise, do a few more chores, etc.
"It's better to be down, wishin' you was up, than up, wishin' you was down."
And it's also better to be at home, waiting for the weather, than in some motel room part way. Less pressure, more restful. Lots better than that six day trip from Georgia to Arizona a few years back, waiting out storms in the southeast and turbulence and high winds out west...
The original plan was to fly from Savannah, GA, up to southeastern Michigan yesterday. Multiple lines of thunderstorms and a forecast strong crosswind at the destination airport made no-go an easy decision. But the plane was already packed (a plastic tub in the passenger seat holds the oxygen bottle, always a nuisance to keep upright and accessible, plus snacks, water bottles, tie down kit, bug cleaning kit, etc). Clothes and such can get packed almost instantaneously, so I had a free day before the trip.
It was amazing what a de-stressor this unplanned free day was. Ran some errands, got new tires for the car and a CT scan for my back, did laundry, paid bills, all kinds of things that would have otherwise been piled up, waiting for me when I got back home. Maybe when time comes for Oshkosh, I'll load the plane a few days in advance rather than just the day before.
So this morning is another no-go, with thunderstorms and IFR. I'm book legal for IFR, but to be honest with myself, I don't want to fly a whole leg of hard IFR. If it turns into hard IFR, I can do it, even if the autopilot fails, but it wouldn't be fun. And if there are lines of thunderstorms to dodge IFR, even with ADS-B uplink, fuhgeddaboutit. Isolated air mass thunderstorms, VFR, maybe.
Plan C, or whatever letter we're up to, is to go half way this afternoon and finish the trip tomorrow. Unlikely, but all it takes is a phone call to check on the weather. Plan D is the whole trip tomorrow, also unlikely. Plan E is an early morning launch Saturday so as to be there by 1 PM or so. The motivation for the trip is a memorial service, and ain't no point in trying too hard to get there and requiring a second one.
As for today, the plan is to be completely packed and ready to go when I check the weather late morning, with eating and drinking in preparation for the trip. If I don't go, then I'll expend energy on exercise, do a few more chores, etc.
"It's better to be down, wishin' you was up, than up, wishin' you was down."
And it's also better to be at home, waiting for the weather, than in some motel room part way. Less pressure, more restful. Lots better than that six day trip from Georgia to Arizona a few years back, waiting out storms in the southeast and turbulence and high winds out west...