Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
snip
This time I did it without a flight plan. I learned long ago that it's better
to stay low when there are thunderboomers around and that's not compatible with
most IFR flight plans. The MEA for the victor airway was 5000 feet, which was
exactly where I didn't want to be. I climbed to 2500 feet and leveled off.
snip
Sad to say, that didn't last more than part of the way. I popped in and out of
clouds but then I went solid. Then it got REALLY dark. Then all hell broke
loose. I'm glad I was alone because it wasn't pretty. Anyway, as I'm here to
write this story you know how it turned out. I went in and out of heavy rain
numerous times. The airspeed indicator began to become erratic.

I'm glad you're still with us Mortimer. This is a classic example of
pressing onward VFR into IMC. You got lucky.

Would you do anything differently if you had it to do again?

-R