aircraft missing from Monto

[Guest Andys@coffs]

When I have done low level circuits I have found any wafting up and down by a hundred or so feet, that may not seem an issue on a 1000ft downwind, really seems magnified at 500ft. To not hold your altitude exactly at 250ft could really get you into strife. I personally am not taking off if the weather is bad, so I avoid the need to hedge hop, as I know that if I am down that low and lost I am going to be concentrating on many things and can descend 200ft easily, and hit a tree.

In my J230 with the fuel loads we have its easy to cross one or more state boarders before needing to refuel. The reason for this point? It may well be CAVOK

 

at your departure point but 600nm away in 5hrs time are we always absolutely assured that it will still be CAVOK there?

 

If your flying is always local and always of shortish duration then I can accept that you could conceivably never find yourself in trouble, but if long distances and long timeframes are involved then nothing is certain and you may need to divert....I guess that s why its taught during Xcountry.....