My hardest flight ever - Crossing The Alps - VFR into IMC

I'm flying a PA28 from England to Croatia and back, and it's not without drama.
This was supposed to be a direct flight from Pula to Linz in Austria, but the high terrain, combined with an obstructive cloud layer meant we ended up diverting.
We encountered VFR into IMC, impassable cloud, and my Ipad navigation app failed mid flight.
This wasn't my finest hour, but I'm pleased with the timely decision to divert, rather than risk an aimless course, and fuel exhaustion.
About the trip/GPS tracks
www.jonhunt.ne...
I'm on Facebook:
/ theflyingreporter
My mentor/hour-building specialist
www.buddysavia...

[@drewtuley]

I beg to differ about it not being your finest hour Jon. Instead of blindly pushing on in the hope of finding a path through the cloud ahead, you made the positive decision to divert, giving you time and options. The desire to push on regardless, especially with the added pressure of being part of a group can be difficult to resist, but at the end of the day you are the PIC and must look to your own and your passenger's safety first. Great production quality as usual - I could really sense the tension in the cockpit..

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Glad you liked the video. Thanks for the very supportive comments.

[@MoiraOBrien]

I totally concur - the decision to divert was the correct one for you irrespective of whether the other planes had found a way through.

[@smsfrancis]

Totally agree! You remained calm and collected to form balanced decisions keeping you and your passenger safe. I'd have been very content and calm as the passenger in that flight.

[@dannym8149]

Totally agree. I'm not a pilot, but I thought you handled the situation very well and made the right decision to divert and not feel pressured to carry on. Your living my dream. Stay safe

[@marsgal42]

If this isn't your finest hour I don't know what is. You kept your cool, worked the problem, made the right decisions, landed safely. Bravo!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Laura.

[@Pbgarcol]

This is a must see video for all VFR private pilots. Thanks for sharing and give a most realistic overview of the dangers of VFR over the top. My CFI always told me not to consider it, because the risks of broken layer becoming OVC are much too great. The way you handled the situation is to be praised : no trace of complacency, just the facts and a precise knowledge of your skills and abilities. I can only feel how relieved you were after landing safely. Classy!

[@mikeyswingsacrossthesky2244]

Jon..Jon...Jon you were brilliant! Resisting all the pressures to meet up with the rest of the group to push on through the clouds not to be the only one to make it through these are the decisions that keep you alive! These are the brave and the right decisions when pilots bow to these choices things can horribly wrong very quickly. Listen to our heads and not our hearts and stay safe. In many ways your best yet it learning from this may well save lives.Great video as always looking forward to the next one.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you so much Mike.

[@miraphoenix]

Very good Decision! No Failure at all!!!! I ve seen many accident cases which almost always happened because of „fear of failing“ or time pressure or ego. I think your decision making can help many people to do the right and Secure thing as well! Loved it.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you.

[@AmyAnnLand]

What I love most about your videos is the fact that you never let pride and ego affect your decisions nor your ability to teach others. You're so humble and it's very refreshing. You place the education of yourself and others above all else. Thank you. And your production quality is top notch.

[@BigglesAviator]

Hi Jon...no you haven't failed at all. A good pilot is making decisions all the time and you made a good call. Your minimums were being pushed and its better to be on the ground, wishing etc...you know the rest! Human factors (tired) is to be avoided at all times. You live to fly again and that's what its all about.

[@theflyingfool]

I agree. Stop beating yourself up Jon! You make sensible decisions in difficult circumstances.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks so much.

[@robertmailer4978]

The Flying Reporter as a single pilot the work load is away high, the other planes where multi crew, make huge difference, alway good watching

[@rorymcdonnell7666]

Hi Jon. Good video. In the circumstances you made the right decision especially when getting stressed and tired with fuel becoming an issue. I wondered if it was possible to stay closer to the others and follow the leader so to speak? I know one went over and the other under and you would have had to decide who to follow. Just a thought - I am a student pilot so obviously looking to more experienced pilots to learn decision making

[@pedrobudders4454]

This is an absolutely brilliant video and as everyone has said you have demonstrated how to professionally make a decision under nasty pressure. Sharing this footage will only benefit the GA world and maybe help a poor pilot facing a similarly stressful circumstance. Sharing such an experience, in such a well filmed and produced video is invaluable. Congrats to your co-pilot for staying calm.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Peter. Alastair is a calm cookie.

[@marksumner2292]

That was great, could almost be listed as a ‘must watch’ video for teaching sensible decision making. Good to almost be able to see you think - ‘weather, stress, fatigue, mountains, potential icing, low fuel - nope, divert’. Excellent. Bit of an advert for why the BIR is such a good idea too, although I’m not sure I’d have wanted to carry on through some of that TCU anyway!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks. I hope the video helps someone.

[@GeoffreyEngelbrecht]

You shouldn’t have felt you failed. I agree with most of the other commenters this was an excellent example of good decision making. I fly a lot in the Alps and visibility is very important. Clouds can build up during the day especially along the valley sides obscuring the peaks and I have been in a similar situation before: boxed in with clouds ahead in a valley which appeared to obscure the pass and forced to turn back and take a different route. I heard other pilots on the radio who later were able to make the pass I was headed for but I felt it was dangerous at the time I was there and decided against trying. If you feel uncomfortable with the weather then diverting is always the best decision. Better to be alive on the ground and able to see your friends on another day than dead on the side of a mountain.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks geoffrey.

[@Pragmatistrealist]

You're clearly thinking ahead of the aircraft as much as you can - which is why you made a great job of it. Always so tragic watching other videos where they don't - so good on you.

[@ForkFlight]

As a fellow VFR pilot, you did the absolute right thing. Keep up the great flying.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Will do, thank you.

[@hansmaulwurf7641]

The right decision, although I wouldn‘t have attempted to fly on top in the first place in a SEP aircraft. At least not above the main Alps. Coming from Pula, I‘d have kept further east, going via Graz - Pinkafeld (LOGP) - Wiener Neustadt (LOAN). The terrain is much more forgiving, but it is a longer route. With 4 hours of endurance, it should be possible though. Pula to LOAN is about 2 1/4 hrs, LOAN to Linz between 1 and 1.5, depending on routing and wind. Just found your videos and enjoy them immensly, keep it up! May you always land safely...

[@SteveMiddleton]

Excellent decision making. Timely divert and you know your limits. I’d say you’ve probably learned a lot on this trip and no doubt it’s made you a better pilot. I’m in awe!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Steve.

[@richardkaberry8790]

Such a good episode Jon and in no way did you fail. Absolutely the right decision. But my favourite bit was when you broke away from the other PA28. Lovely to watch.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

It was great to fly in formation for a bit. Thanks Richard.

[@davidhorobin1060]

An excellent example of exactly what you should do when things don’t go according to plan. Good airmanship and disaster avoided. Well done.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks David.

[@coriscotupi]

It's always good to see a pilot making the right call. Sadly, people get themselves into the position of running out of options because of poor choices made earlier in the flight, usually under pressure to push on. You kept your options open and made the right decision. Keep the videos coming, they bring me very fond memories of flying a PA28 in the 80s.

[@Privatpilotenloungefm]

Thank you very much for that great experience to share with the community! Flying can be hard sometimes, especially when you are VFR. In my personal opinion you have made a fantastic job. Even your "Co-Pilot" made a great job: During the whole time he stayed pretty relaxed and calm. There was never any hectic in the cockpit. Lots of work, lots of decisions but never hectic. Always many happy Landings for You! Thanks👍 🛩

[@cedrdrr]

Newbie PPL here. Just wanted to thank you for posting this as this video precisely describes the situation I expect to happen one day and this video is very very good for both showing how will it look like and what one should do, especially the communication part. And it's especially helpful as you don't have all the fancy synthetic visions, not instrument rated and all you've got is the basic six pack and SkyDemon. Pretty much the same setup most of us beginners have.

[@markk5764]

You nicely added to your experience bucket without using any of your luck bucket - something all aviators should aspire to. Superb decision making and both yourself and Alistair were very calm indeed. Great video as always.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Like the bucket analogy. Thanks Mark.

[@francoissteiner3542]

You demonstrated sound decision making on that day, the most important competency for any aviator. Resisting peer and public pressure, knowing that this would be published, must not have been easy. Great airmanship!

[@tylercottenie1141]

Great decision making here! Even if others might have been able to press on and get to the original destination safely, it doesn't mean it was the right thing for you to do. Everyone has their limits, but not everyone knows them. Recognizing your own limits and not pushing them has to be one of the most important skills a pilot can have and you have just demonstrated this perfectly here.

[@jasongourley6105]

As someone who is starting on their aviation career your videos are a massive, massive help! This is another great example on how to fly VFR and deal with the stress of finding no way through the clouds. Your thought process and actions were spot on im my opinion! Thanks!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Jason.

[@priyol1037]

Another PA-28 flyer from US. you did awesome. you made the right calculations, you evaluated your options and decided to divert. great piloting skills right there. many other pilots tried to push their personal minimums and became a statistic. kudos for making this decision and taking the time to share it.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks. Do subscribe, if not already, to receive more content like this.

[@eMMjunaYschion]

Good decision making and you have not failed at all. Get-there-itis is what kills you, specially in the alps. Living and flying in Switzerland, I know how hard it can be to cross them. I'll be honest, flying over or in the alps is almost always a more or less stressful situation for me, only exception being perfect CAVOK conditions with great vis and no winds. Anything worse than that already keeps me on my toes (which is a good thinig). I've been over the alps in marginal conditions, but it's really not easy...

[@dogsbreath2447]

Flippin eck, gripping stuff was absolutely brilliant to watch. Agree with everyone else regarding your decision to divert. You sir are a very sound pilot !

[@garydell2023]

Jon. Good decision. I've done similar many times but I'm still here as you are. I've met pilots who were bolder & they are gone now. There is a saying, "There are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots." You made the right decision. Your situational awareness is keen. Keep flying safe.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Gary.

[@Muehlema1]

Well done man. Safety comes first! Right decision was made - no fail.

[@volador2828]

You made the right decision and kept calm... Fly with you anytime! Subscribed!

[@jasonrwilkinson9216]

Hi Jon, totally the right decision to divert and remain legal - hopefully the new EASA IR (Basic Instrument Rating) will come into force and you'll be able to convert to this from your IR(R) and benefit from this rating. As a VFR pilot I can't directly relate to what you experienced beyond flying on Autumn days when the fog is in the air in the morning or in the evening and have to be careful not to get caught in it or when we have a strong inversion which can significantly reduce visibility. As ever I look forward to the next episode!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Jason.

[@russ8211]

Jon. Top decision. I’ve been there myself. Great production and narrative as always. Thanks.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Russell.

[@davep5829]

Excellent flying. You were calm, considered and most importantly, safe. Ignore any silly comments, nobody with any flying experience would find anything serious to criticise there.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Dave.

[@sebphillips10]

Excellent piloting, Jon. I would have done the exact same. Its better to be on the side of caution and live to fly another day.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Seb.

[@heyDominik]

Amazing video and kinda strange to hear familiar callsigns and controllers. Thanks for sharing ans greetings from a fellow pilot from austria✌🏽

[@philipbaldwin775]

These are great vids please keep them coming. Finally i see how it all fits together with ATC. Had a long break and now attempting to get back into it. Have PPL but obviously very rusty. Well done

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Philip. Glad you're trying to get back into it.

[@155stw]

Fantastic decision. Saw the video about the incident over Bakersfield, where a VFR pilot encountered IMC and proceeded anyway. Ended in tragedy. Very smooth landing!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks!

[@a320nick]

11:20 well done. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots - on the ground are nice cups of coffee, nice ladies and good food. and fuel 😎👍. You are the Captain whatever you decide.... Don't be gutted.... you're alive! That was one nice runway 👍

[@michaelrobbig-reyes5525]

I just watched your video since it‘s winter and no chance to fly the next weeks. I live in the south of Germany so naturally we have travelled a lot to Italy and France and I have been in the same situation like you a couple of times. My friend hates flying above clouds so my recent flights were always below and therefore I prefer to choose well known VFR routes like Brenner pass etc. Until today I was only forced to divert once and I feel more comfortable flying Brenner as over the years you know where to fly even without GPS. Adding to my safety I have an Iridium satellite receiver by ADL Golze which gives me live weather on my Ipad as we do not have any weather service like in the U.S., weather via GSM is very unreliable especially in the Alps. I really enjoyed your videos on your trip, as you have said the french controllers are really professional and great, with the Italians, especially further south, I prefer to minimize contact, they are really bothering with their waypoint estimations, but I think that is also due to the difficult radar coverage. My most difficult flight yet was from Munich to Lisbon...that was an adventure but Spanish ATC is no fun.

[@mcchazza]

Thank you for an excellent video, I've come back to it a third time to keep me on the learning curve. One thing which would perhaps have helped - SkyDemon has a "colour terrain" option which is a MAJOR visual aid when flying over anything other than flat terrain. I guess you've discovered it by now :) or perhaps I didn't see that you had it enabled? I fly a flexwing trike and have gone through one or two similar situations, with only the minor additional challenge of not being in a comfy warm cabin! All the best, safe flying Adam

[@adamwordsworth]

Knowing the rules is important... knowing your own limits is even more important. You managed the situation you found yourself in very well. Well done Jon, you did great!

[@bryanneal8708]

Great job putting SAFETY first!

[@jo5ef]

Beautiful video, as always. Welcome to Austria!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you!

[@CharlieLamdin]

It was easily the best and possibly your only workable decision given your situation and the limitation of not being permitted to fly IMC. Great video, watching these helps me feel like I'm keeping more current than I would be if I was just dreaming about my next flight! Also, I've never had SkyDemon crash on my on any of the 3 devices I use it on, YET, so it sounds to me like it might be a hardware issue, rather than the App itself.

[@AleRon72]

I have crossed the Alps VFR on seven occasions. All of them have been in summer or early autumn. The conditions you encountered are absolutely typical of each of my crossings. And so you never really know whether you are going to find a way through. The cloud often does not conform to the forecasts, and can change quite rapidly, with rapid build-ups in warm weather. Certainly, you need to be confident to attempt it, and planning is key. The most important thing, as you discovered, is to have a Plan B, a plan C, and a plan D! But, most of all, it is important to relax and enjoy the experience; don't let the stress get to you! Anyway, I agree that your decision-making was safe and sound, and I hope shifting to Plan B won't put you off attempting it again!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Not put off...but will treat with extra caution in future. Thanks for watching.

[@RogerErnst]

Excellent decision making. Good call! It was nice to see how you dealt with this uncomfortable situation.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Roger.

[@greggpedder]

"We'll get on the ground and work the rest out later".... Every pilot should remember that phrase. Every.

[@justbob588]

I'd agree with many of the comments - you didn't fail. You made the correct safe decision given the scenario. No point trying to push where there's doubt. Enjoyed the video.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you for your kind comments.

[@bearpilotuk]

Great job! You appeared calm, capable and professional. Safety first before ego. You live to fly another day! Well done 👍

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Kevin.

[@arcticshadowmonkeys]

Good decision making and ultimately a positive outcome John. You dealt with the situation as it presented itself and applied your own minimums instead of blindly following others. Good job!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers Tom.

[@davidcartwright5591]

Jon , failed ?, I beg to differ .. You made a decision that you will look back on in the realms of time , and know that on that day you made one of your best ever decisions . Too many pilots have suffered from “ pressonitis “ and paid the ultimate price . This video is compelling viewing , a great lesson to one and all . Thank you . Dave C

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Appreciate it David.

[@unixsystems]

Well done Jon, on the ground safely is the main objective. Thanks for sharing the (stressful!) experience. I feel exhausted after that :-)

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Sorry to wear you out!

[@stewartwilkinsonsnr]

For me you stayed calm and took the correct action needed to keep you both and your aircraft safe. My honest opinion is I would have felt safe flying along with you. Life and what ever you do, we never stop learning. See you on the flight home ✈️

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Stewart.

[@forfengeligfaen]

God decision! 15:18 your friend is enjoying the turbulence 😂

[@TheFlyingReporter]

I think we'd both had enough by then!!!

[@ghueser]

You did the exact opposite of fail! You did the smart thing and exhibited being a good, safe pilot.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers Gary.

[@stealhty1]

Carefully watched and I missed the part where you went into IMC, however good cloud avoidance

[@neilmwhite]

An excellent video and I agree with the many others who suggest it is a good learning reference for making a good decision to divert while that option was available and sensible. As I watched absorbed in the tension, I was sort of reliving a scenario I faced many years ago as a student on a Solo cross-country trip. Weather was predicted to be good and with approval of my instructor I was hoping to meet up with some friends at a fly-in which happened to be at one of the airports that was on the flying-school approved list. As I got half way there, I started to find myself at 3000ft being above some small pockets of cloud, but as I progressed forward they started to join together and soon I was over an almost solid layer of cloud. I told ATC I was going to do a 180 and look to descend below the cloud as soon as I could. I found some bigger gaps in the cloud as I tracked back towards my home base and got below it and breathed a sigh of relief when I got back shortly before the clouds started to become overcast at my home airfield. I am so glad I made that decision to turn back that time. I was so disappointed I had not been able to complete that cross country flight and didn't get to meet up with my friends. But afterwards I found that many of them had also had to turn back and one of them ended up diverting into an en-route airfield with a 600ft cloudbase. Absolutely no shame in making those sort of decisions.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Neil.

[@chrisstephenson869]

Good decision if there’s any doubt there should be no doubt!!

[@c898dba]

Right decision at the right time! That's what it boils down to. Perhaps actually it was your finest hour after all!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you.

[@jrobert189]

Great video, and appreciate you posting it. You showed great decision making ability, and it's good to see these videos in addition to those for flights that go perfectly.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers!

[@RoryOnAir]

Very well handled as always Jon. You remain super cool despite the workload and the pressure you must have felt to continue. I’d say well done for not succumbing to ‘get there itis’ 👍

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Rory.

[@nightwaves3203]

When seeing building cumulus around mountains with questionable conditions ahead the low route might be safest.When checking the weather watch the ground temps plus aloft and interpolate considering the dew point for where developing cloud bases are most likely building. You should know afternoon is when convection is likely.

[@flyingphobiahelp]

Very well handled Jon especially VFR and with normally aspirated engine. Not sure about your mates scud running in valleys though. My preference for the alps would have been in a turbo charged plane. As always enjoy your videos. Will send u a research article on GA mountain mishaps. Douglas commercial SMEL Instruments

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Douglas.

[@andytaylor8752]

Fantastic video and great airmanship on display.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Andy.

[@TheFroztv]

very good video ! very instructionnal, you are taking decisions for your own aircraft according to your personnal experience and taking in consideration the human factor and weather evolutions. Even though the second aircraft had a route to go through you didn't push to it ! Some would be tempted to follow the other aircraft at any price. but you didn't, you were aware of your situation and took the appropriate decision at the right moment well done ! I really enjoyed this video !

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks for your kind comments.

[@martinhsl68hw]

Good work! How does it go? The least experienced press on where the more experienced turn back. They, however, meet the most experienced who never left in the first place!

[@NetAndyCz]

Good call. There is no need to push yourself. Whether you are flying a plane or driving a car, if you are not 100% sure you can proceed safely, you should not. It is important to keep your options open. Once you have no options it is too late to divert. So diverting is good, it means you diverted before it was too late.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks mate.

[@JensVanDorpe]

Great video, good decision making! What was the reason you didn't climb higher? Because you had no Oxygen, or the plane couldn't get higher easily?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

From my recollection, I need to get 12000ish to get over it, and didn't have oxygen.

[@PiperFlyer]

What a great video. I noticed something that made me curious, at 5:20 you were almost at 10.000ft, and looks like yout mixture is full rich. Is that right ? Thank you.

[@davejones542]

Hi Jon. Great Video. When are you going to get an instrument rating - you know you want it..

[@TheFlyingReporter]

You know I want it.....have my hands full at the moment though.

[@simondickens6676]

Great video and absolutly the right decision. Quick thought - why don't you let your mate handle the radios or at least the note taking? Wouldn't that reduce your stress?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Simon. He does a bit, but you're right. I could utilise him more.

[@nicoleyildirim920]

i have had 2 different ipads crash on multiple occasions especially during summer flying. It is not because of skydemon. The ipads are prone to over heating. Switched all my gear to android devices (samsung tab S2) and not once had any problem. I also wonder why didnt you climb higher? Looks like 12-13k would have cleared those clouds long enough to cross the alps. In any case great flying. I am only commenting to further discuss.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Hi Nicole. On this occasion this was actually a SkyDemon/iPad software issue. As for those clouds, I’m not sure that even 13k would have cleared it. Additionally, my performance at those altitudes would have meant that the climb would have taken me 15-30 minutes. After 30 minutes above 10,000ft I would have needed supplemental oxygen. In the climb, I would have had to circle in a clear piece of air to remain VMC (1000ft/1500m from cloud), using up more time above 10k. Sadly this time, climbing wasn’t an option for me.

[@aviatorsteve5649]

Well done! That was a bit botty clenching 😅 Steve.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Ha...it was a bit!

[@rodcross3002]

Hard to watch....but we've all been through this. I have 2600 hrs in my TR182...over 30 years...and what I've learned being bounced around in cloud IFR is that I want to enjoy this...so leave early in the morning....severe clear...light winds....have fun. Towering cu's = why am I here?

[@ninebobsvids]

Must have been frustrating but you're sensible to be risk-averse. Just looked at your flight track for the next leg and it certainly looks a long way round!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Oh, it was miles.

[@cavok1984]

I wouldn't feel bad about the decision to divert Jon. To be fair, I'm sure most (I would like to say all but I'm sure there are some that would take an unessesary risk) pilots would have acted the same based on the level of that situation. Fair play and huge respect to you for that

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Pete.

[@cb3809]

Good decision making!! 👍🏽

[@derheeheehee6941]

Why didn't you stay in formation with the other Piper?

[@lugash4]

Good flying but knackering!!!! Good decision to turn back/divert.......looks like your afternoon flight to join the group gave you some cool sights!!!....next.......

[@TheFlyingReporter]

It was bumpy as hell though, low level!

[@lugash4]

I was "co-pilot" in a PA2 Turbo Arrow one time coming back from France over the Isle of Wight we encountered some very unstable air that made my passport to fly out of my shirt breast pocket!!!!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

I had visions of it flying out of the window/door...

[@aliebalieb6731]

Flying an airplane as a PIC shouldnt be a gamble. You never fail when your decisions leads into a landing, where you can walk away on your own feet. Good job!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you.

[@presleycosta4127]

What iPad mount is this? I'm trying to find one for a piper

[@liamsandie]

This is where a full IR comes into its own so long as icing not an issue. Same skill set really though as IR R

[@citylight7777]

the right decision, great video. thanks for sharing!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks for watching.

[@andreasbacher2695]

This is actually very good weather over the alps. Plenty of space between rather low towering cumulus clouds, no turbulence. You will never cross the alps (actually you were even in the lower parts of the mountain ridge), if this kind of weather is already too much for you. I suggest, next time you depart earlier in the morning from Pula to Linz and fly via USELU, follow the published Slovenian VFR routes to MUREG, DIVAL, MUGGU, OSMOD. You may stay at a max. altitude of 4500 ft all the time. Plan better next time!

[@flybe146]

You did a dam good job, Jon, I would have tried to get through and probably crashed into the bloody mountain, that's the sort of dick head I am, but you made the right decision. Does that Sky Demon thing often bugger about like that?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Sky Demon was doing this throughout this tour. I spoke to SD about it, and it was an issue with that version of the software. I hasn't happened since it updated. I was running a lot of charts on there too!

[@flybe146]

The Flying Reporter Ah mate your better off with a map and compass the I was taught LOL

[@ranh71]

Hello Jon, Yes right decisions made. Great experience though. I would have done the same, definitely safer. excellent video as usual.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers Robin.

[@Arrow_Driver]

Where did you stop at Tamiami? Reliance?. should have let me know I would have met with you....

[@gordonbruce2416]

In retrospect, have you had time to reflect on whether you would have been better placed to have shared this complex expedition with another pilot in the right hand seat?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

I tried three pilots I was willing to fly with, none of them was available. The aircraft insurance wasn't straightforward either. However, I think I learned more from having to make some of those decisions for myself. Flying with another PPL would have eased the workload, helping me navigate through the mountains, re-setting course etc.

[@mikercflyer7383]

exciting flight good decisions better safe than sorry. Enjoyed the video.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Michael.

[@simon.t-c]

Well done. Great decision.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Simon.

[@88matheos1]

Is it that you are not allowed to fly IMC in VFR, like someone is going to check it, or ist ur own safety because u dont have an IR?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

You can’t comply with visual flight rules in IMC. I cannot legally fly IFR outside the UK.

[@88matheos1]

The Flying Reporter thanks!

[@richardlloyd2873]

Great video - learned loads. Thanks for sharing. :-)

[@imjustsomeguy72]

I wouldn't call tracking via Vienna and the Danube a failure :D Putting aside that you made a good decision early and when you still had full control andmastery over the in flight situation rather than trusting it will all work out later, seems like you may have gotten more eye candy this way

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Eye candy! It was quite scenic.

[@imjustsomeguy72]

Seems like a win-win kind of result to me! :D

[@jimmyskite]

Safe passengers, safe aircraft I'd say you still had a successful flight

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers James.

[@mrkhan2983]

Why your ipad froze ?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

It did it a lot on this trip. Skydemon said it was a bug in that version of the software. It hasn't happened since.

[@kestrel5065]

Good drills Jon

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you.

[@experimental_av]

did you say "i'm not legally entitled to in this country"? can you elaborate?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

I have a UK issued restricted instrument rating. It's only legal to use it in the UK.

[@experimental_av]

ah thanks, didn't knew such thing exist.

[@dutchflyingpilot]

Well done!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you.

[@malibujack4852]

I guess we have all been there, but watching videos of cross country travel under VFR in marginally capable aircraft, just makes me ask why??? My message to those pilots that want to use their aircraft for reliable transportation - GET YOUR INSTRUMENT RATING. Then, save your money and buy a capable aircraft that can handle the job. Get some instruction from an experienced instructor as well. I recognize that I wasn’t in the pilot seat, but the flight looked easily doable, even for VFR, by just climbing above. Those clouds looked to top out at 9 or 10K. Even the lowly Archer with that light load could climb to that altitude.

[@paulene2704]

Just wow

[@reykjavikc]

17:35 it was a good decision !