The Dreamwidth Journal of zdashamber

Good story. This is a classic set of lessons that they drill into you when you're learning to fly planes, also, and very much the kind of circumstances that got JFK Jr. killed (bad visibility, letting outside factors - a wedding - affect his decision). Never fly in clouds. If you do, turn around 180 and fly out (admittedly, something you can't necessarily do in a glider). If you have no outside visual, trust your instruments - your inner ear will fool you. If you're not sure about the weather, don't fly - better safe than sorry. I've been there - when my first niece was born, I was going to fly out to the baptism in Chicago. The time I was supposed to leave, the ceiling was low and there were strong winds. I can't tell you how tempting it was to try and go anyway, since it was going to be much more inconvenient to drive. Could I have made it if I'd flown? Possibly. But the consequence for being wrong is usually fatal. This guy was very lucky, and he knows it.