"David Rind" wrote in message
...
Roy Smith wrote:
Living near the coast (and a flat coastline too), I've often figured
in such a situation I'd dead-reckon out over the ocean, do a blind
letdown as low as I dared (500 MSL?) and hope I broke out. Then
scud-run back to land and hope I could find a coastal airport by
pilotage before I got run over by a jet. Or maybe land on the beach.

That's always been my idea of a final backup plan as well. (Total
electrical failure at the same time my handheld GPS fails seems pretty
unlikely, but you never know.) Why stop at 500 MSL, though? This seems
like pretty much your last out. Why not descend until you can see the
water (which, if you are really unlucky yet a third time on this flight,
will be when it hits your windshield). Unless you have some expectation
that you can stay up until the clouds break, what other choice is there?

From what I've read, this was standard technique in the early days of the
trans-Atlantic flying boats. I can't recall the title but I remember one
such story that had them dropping down at night to under 100' and turning
the landing lights on so they could see the ocean, in a big 4-engine flying
boat no less. Now that's scud running.

-cwk.