Jose wrote:

An example of one of my errors was before I got my IFR ticket, I
decided to
launch on a forecast of broken 4000 foot ceilings and tops at 6000.
Forecast was to improve by the time I got to my destination. I did
flight
following at 8000 so I could be VFR over the top and be in the clear
smooth
air. You can guess what happened. Forecast was a bust.


Where was the error? If you had outs the whole way and didn't get
yourself up a (figurative) box canyon, you were fine. You were not
"Caught VFR on top", since VFR fields were in range. Needing to divert
is not a sign of error.

You were more vulnerable, as the fan could have quit leaving you to
descend through cloud. But you have a similar vulnerability flying over
water. Flying is risky; we accept the risk for the benefit.

Does the above make me a bad pilot for...


In my book, being a bad (or good) pilot requires a consistant pattern of
bad (or good) decisions. A single instance does not have predicitive
value.

Do you mean predictive value? If that is the case, then you really
can't predict much based on a pilots style or behavior. I've know lots
of pilots who are very risk oriented and have never had an accident or
incident and I know a few who are very conservative and safety conscious
who have. I stand by my earlier assertion that it is results that
count, not intent, style, good living, whatever.

Matt