'No-Go' Flight Sun-N-Fun

I got up at 5:30 this morning to give the wx for our trip a last look knowing that I needed to make a decision on our flight. Every pilot is aware of the killer "get-there-itis" syndrome and to be honest I was holding out this morning searching for some miracle. News flash, there were no Angel's singing or bright lights from heaven, take this as a not so good sign.

After countless checks on the AOPA wx pages and wearing out the 24, 36 and 48 hour ceiling, visibility, surface wind charts along with DUAT and the Vans Air Force wx pages, I was faced with the fact I had to make it a no-go for our flight to KISM, Kissimmee Florida.

My Private Pilot training was kicking in and common sense took command. As bad as I wanted to fly there I didn't want to put Mary or myself in a bad situation and risk flying into even worse wx in route or a pop up thunderstorm. Mary and I both agree 'when in doubt, don't go out' and that's what I promised to us both.

I went back up to bed and let her know that we were a no go and needed to decide on what flight and airport to leave from. We could have saved $300 on our round trip if we wanted to drive 90 miles to KBWI, Baltimore in Monday morning rush hour traffic. We both decided it would be much better to get up, have breakfast make sure all is in order and have the shuttle pick us up at 11:30am for our ride to KPHL, Philadelphia. We booked round trip to Orlando and have a car scheduled for us when we arrive.

I don't feel any better for making the right decision but at least I'll still be here to sulk rather then risking a bad decision and my friends reading how stupid I was in some NTSB report. In all the rush this morning I forgot about my 7am scheduled Instrument lesson (the other reason I got up so early). Brian left a message on my cell and I called back to to leave him a message that I'll square up with him for standing him up (a first for me). We eventually caught up and he fit me in a time slot for 1.2 hours of ILS approaches and holds at an intersection. Fun stuff!

If anyone is heading to sun-n-fun on US Airways going through Philadelphia on the 1:45 flight, we'll be there in row 18, Mary sleeping and me pouting as I watch the world go by out my little window from inside the stinkin' spam can.