Cessna 150
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 2900; Flight Crew Type 200
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Weather
Intention was VFR flight from my base to another airport. I was instructor pilot; passenger was a relatively new student pilot. Closest weather reporting station reported as follows: METAR ZZZ 24XA53Z 00000KT 10SM SCT013 BKN018 OVC036 16/14 A2992. The forecast was for improving conditions throughout the morning and the rest of the day. Before preflight; before taxi; and before takeoff while lined up on the departure runway; we paused to consider the weather. The lowest clouds looked lower than the report (referenced above); which is 6.7 NM to the north. My experience at departure airport is that if you can see daylight clearly between the hills that are approximately 8 miles to the south and the clouds above them; you have a good straight-out departure path during which you can maintain VFR. While this airport lies within the Class E airspace extension; the extension ends less than a mile south. In other words; taking off to the south; you are in Class G airspace almost immediately. In Class G airspace at or below 1;200 FT AGL; VFR minimums require only 'clear of clouds.' The weather south of the hills was much higher than on our side (north) of the hills; which is not uncommon when the weather is relatively stable (little or no wind). In my judgment; we had a departure path in which we could maintain VFR clear of clouds until south of the hills. I was wrong. The scud was lower than it appeared from the ground; and much lower than indicated by the METAR. We were close to entering clouds shortly after takeoff. I thought I saw an opening to the left (southeast); so we turned in that direction; which is consistent with the normal departure pattern. Within a few seconds; it was apparent that it wasn't as open as it appeared. There was more scud hidden behind and above the scud we were avoiding in order to maintain VFR. I then made the decision to return to the airport and land. This naturally took more scud running at low altitudes; perhaps 800-1000 MSL; as we navigated towards the north (upwind); then crosswind; downwind; base; and final; to land on the normal landing rwy. (Takeoffs to the south; landings to the north are the norm here.) Not only was this unsafe due to the low altitudes and proximity to clouds; it may have been in inadvertent violation of the FAR's due to the low altitudes and no-longer VFR 'clear of clouds' since we necessarily re-entered the Class E airspace extension in order to fly the traffic pattern and land. We landed safely; parked the airplane; went to a nearby restaurant for breakfast; then returned to the airport for another look (in addition to checking the new METAR; which was essentially unchanged: METAR ZZZ 24XC53Z 00000KT 10SM SCT013 BKN018 OVC036 17/14 A2992). Visually; the weather at and to the south was much better than about 2 hours earlier. Other airplanes were flying in the local area and seemed to have no trouble maintaining VFR at safe and legal altitudes. We preflight again; took the runway; considered the weather; then took off and flew to our destination safely and legally. Moral: Don't take chances. If you have to wait; wait. We wanted to catch the early seminars at the Annual Convention at ZZZ; which we missed by departing later than planned. Big deal. There will be other conventions and other seminars. If there is any doubt; wait it out. 'It is far better to be down here wishing you were up there; than up there wishing you were down here.'
C150 instructor pilot experiences IFR conditions after taking off on a VFR flight and quickly returns to the departure airport to wait for better weather.