2.4 (11) Passionate Heart and Cool Head
Passion and a Cool Head
As stated in the previous article, the more I enjoyed crosswind landings, the more eager I became to fly. In one sense, it was good because I became more proactive, but on the other hand, I lacked the ability to make reasonable decisions calmly, based on both the current situation and what was likely to happen.
One day, I received weather information just before a flight indicating that the ceiling was barely within the Basic VFR Weather Minimums. Without giving proper consideration to other factors, I insisted on flying. The instructor eventually agreed, but we ended up returning after flying the traffic pattern only once. On the downwind leg, we found clouds just above us with light rain, and decided not to continue the flight because we could not maintain the required cloud clearance.
Ceiling: Please refer to the previous article 2.2 (8) Weather Services | 自家用操縦士訓練物語～超怖がりな私が空を飛んだ日（My PPL Training Days） (ameblo.jp)
After returning to the school, I wasn’t disappointed about suspending the flight—I was disappointed in my own lack of judgment. I had insisted on flying simply because I wanted to fly, and because the weather met the bare minimum requirements. I was wrong.
Even with a ceiling of 1,200 ft—which technically meets the Basic VFR Weather Minimum of 1,000 ft—I should have waited until it reached 1,500 ft (the traffic pattern altitude of 1,000 ft plus the 500 ft cloud clearance, as shown by the arrow in the figure below). In addition, I should have analyzed the forecast to see whether conditions were likely to improve or deteriorate, using the weather charts and TAF. I realized that my decision to fly had been based solely on my eagerness and on present or past weather data.
This experience taught me that to achieve a big goal, passion alone is not enough—we also need a cool head, one that gathers the necessary data and analyzes it carefully. This mindset has profoundly influenced not only my flying, but my entire life ever since.
＊Basic VFR Weather Minimums by airspace↓
I couldn’t stay disappointed with myself for long. Around noon, the weather improved, and my instructor suggested that I fly again. He had probably already predicted this change in the morning but had intentionally let me stick to my insistence, as long as it remained within safe limits. This allowed me to learn an important lesson from the perspective of Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM).
Up to that point, I had been receiving landing instruction mainly from one instructor, but lately, several others had also been teaching me—introducing Airwork for the first time in quite a while. They were less talkative than before, and the atmosphere felt a bit tense.
Whether I could proceed to a solo flight would be determined by the 1st Stage Check, and my peers said the examiner in charge was very strict.
As always, no thanks... (continued)
