Weather reports can lie: Lessons learned flying in (near) IMC + Intro to instrument flight

Are you sure about that few layer reported?

Looking at the photos taken on this morning's flight, you might be asking, "Howard, did you just take up instrument rating before your PPL?"

No, I didn't, that is not possible. However, today I went up with a highly experienced instrument rated instructor for some advanced stalling and slow flight over the training sector of Tolo Harbor, everything seems routine, Kadoorie Gap, our exit route was unobscured and weather was showing FEW022 SCT040. Few layer? Oh that should be fine, we planned to execute the maneuvers at or above 2500 feet to give us plenty of breathing room.

So we went up, expecting this to be any other flight and as we exited Kadoorie Gap, we encountered some moderate mechanical turbulence stirred up by the mountains but other than that everything was status quo.

As we turned right to avoid the built-up areas, I have transitioned to instrument flight as my instructor observed a sea of scattered layers at around 2000 feet, which is completely different from the reported FEW022 SCT040. I expressed concern however the instructor was instrument rated and we had clear outs, we continued the flight.

We managed to find a rather large hole in the clouds and we went for it, I did my first instrument-only climb and honestly it was easier than I thought, basically a combination of what you have learned on your first lesson of ground school.

Power + Attitude = Performance

Using my attitude indicator as a primary control instrument, I managed to execute a level climb at Vy to 2500 feet, without looking outside whatsoever. However this flight cannot be logged as instrument as we stayed in VMC, albeit very marginal. I wasn't under the hood, however. 

After the flight I was talking to a potential student going on her first sector solo, and I pondered the question, "If I was PIC with a PPL, would I still have continued my flight after exiting Kadoorie?"

I mean sure, I could've flown below 2000 feet, maybe 1800, or 1700, however the thing about the clouds is that a reported cloud elevation can be completely different. With the knowledge that the aviation weather report already gave erroneous reports, one must ask himself, "What more is there hidden behind this veil of clouds?" 

So no, with such marginal weather and unpredicted and unreported conditions, I would have done an immediate 180 and returned to the safety of Shek Kong Airfield. Interestingly, as the flight progressed we did enter some conditions very close to IMC and the instructor performed a well executed emergency spiral descent, that was so cool and reinforced my idea that emergency spiral descents should really be a PPL requirement worldwide. 

At the end of the day, safety really is above all, and as astronaut and pilot Frank Borman once said:

"A superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid

situations where he may need his superior skills."

It was a great experience today, humbling and definitely has taught me many new skills I can use in the future to make me a safer and more competent pilot.

Post flight selfie!!! I'm chuffed!

So that's it for this week!

Have fun, fly safe!

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Howard