Haha well this is a first I guess, though I have had lessons cut short due to sudden rain I have not had one end in the runup bay before! But it was my decision and I am happy with it. I am sure the CFI would have reached the same conclusion, but he wanted to hear it from me. This was to be my last Nav flight before the XC test. Bankstown to Goulburn and back, with some diversions, low level, and getting lost thrown in.
So I got up at 0530, showered looked at weather etc and things looked OK. Drove down to the school and got the latest wind info and started filling in my charts, usual stuff to get ready. Started looking a little hazy, but figured it would burn off. Did all the checks, taxied to the runup area for final checks and we heard on the radio that they were reducing visibility to 4 km due to smoke rolling in from the west (from bushfires here in NSW). Possibly could have gotten over and around it, but no guarantee we could make it back if it got worse.
Then started hearing others on the radio who had left for the training area saying that it was pretty bad and asking the tower if they could come back for circuits instead... so i said no way and taxied back to the school.
By the time we got back to the school, they were saying no circuit training allowed and visibility at 3km. But we spent a good hour going over all the scenarios and grilling me pretty well and he figures i am ready to give the test a red-hot go :) Then I visited the control tower to see what goes on there, that was pretty cool but very basic - nothing like the huge wall of monitors and radars you see on TV. It was good to meet the people i talk to on the radio.
So... paid for but didn't log .3 hours, which was a bummer, but for the $ the briefing and visit to the tower was worth it. Called up and canceled my flight notification and participated in some retail therapy at the aviation store instead!