Single Pilot Decision Making - Weather Diversion

pilotrobbie wrote:

I had first time flyers and didn’t know how they’d react to full blown IMC. That was my only worry – I wanted to make sure that they were comfortable at all times during the flight

Do passengers (even first time ones) really have a negative reaction to IMC, other than by transfer from the pilot? I haven’t had many different passengers in IMC, but it has always been a non-event or enjoyable. I’d say that worry over IMC is something that has to be taught during one’s PPL. What I’ve seen them get uncomfortable over is:

1. Turbulence, whether in clear air or in cloud. Obviously convective cloud gives you both IMC and turbulence.
2. Transfer from the pilot; they see me watch the leading edge like a hawk for icing, they get worried about that.
3. Discovering there is no parachute in the plane.
4. A go-around.

Easier said from my seat on the ground than done, but passenger comfort is a priority, but not the single priority. I always tell passengers to tell me if they feel not right, that the sooner they tell me, the better I can handle the situation (adjust air flow, cold, hot, land somewhere, …). And I do. I did a divert to “the airfield I see right there, tell me ATC, is it open?” for reasons of passenger developing a headache, feeling queasy/nauseous. And had a nice time on the ground afterwards. But when WX was a significant factor, I also told them stuff like “you want to get home today? take a commercial flight”. Or “I’m diverting to city-airport-with-ATC-and-ILS, after we land, you can take a train to home this evening or tomorrow morning (by which time I may be able to fly back to original destination anyway)”. And even though that has created some “I have to be back at my job” anxiety on the moment, it also has created a reputation of a safe(r) pilot with the right priorities, which means they come back to fly with me.

Obviously, I’m not perfect. E.g. there is one specific regular passenger that, on the ground, I get in energy-depleting arguments with on defending my decision-making. The “good” thing is that it never happens in flight; the ground stuff already eats into the F of IMSAFE (fatigue) and thus safety (margin), in flight would be downright dangerous.

How long was the planned flight time?
How many passengers where there? Was there another pilot? How many hours IFR and actual IMC did you have?

TAF AMD EGLC 100502Z 1005/1012 09005KT 5000 BR OVC005TEMPO 1005/1009 1400 RADZ BKN003 PROB40 TEMPO 1005/1009 0300 FG BKN001 BECMG 1009/1012 9999 NSW SCT015=

Was your planned arrival time in the 9999 NSW SCT015 window? What was your contingency if the weather remained RADZ BKN003?

Even if it costs 10000£ to land at Heathrow EGLL if it’s the only airport in the world with CAVOK that’s obviously better than crashing next to a grass strip while trying to save some embarrassment and landing fees.
It sounds so easy but people have killed them self in multi million dollar private jets because of this.

You had bad luck with wx and did a good job especially considering all the stress with pax and getting new wx reports. Your video tells me to be extra vigiland with fuel/alternate planning during such wx conditions, take even prob30 into serious account and utilize a second IR rated pilot for such flights.