"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...


IMHO, if this proposed definition is approved, VFR pilots really WILL
be restricted from flying in ANY visible moisture, regardless of size
or opacity. This rule could therefore open us up to all sorts of
violations and liability, which would, in turn, dissuade more people
from flying VFR.

Which would, in turn, turn even more people away from GA.

Quite frankly, I find it insulting that we, as airmen, would not be
allowed to judge which "clouds" were safe to fly around -- or through
-- under this proposed definition. If this definition passes, flying
through a basketball-sized cloud, an area of limited visibility, or a
low-hanging tendril of virga will represent a potentially actionable
offense -- which is just plain stupid.

I think it's pretty obvious that what we were doing by flying around
Volkswagen-sized puffies, with ~2000 feet between each puffie, was
completely safe and without risk -- yet this rule's proposed definition
of "cloud" would make that kind of flying illegal.

In short, to regard every "visible mass of water droplets" --
regardless of size or opacity -- as some sort of aerial minefield for
VFR pilots, is absurd.

Sadly, the "liability police" will probably win this one -- good GOD,
we certainly can't allow the rabble to exercise any *judgement* -- and
yet another of our freedoms will be lost.

Of course, if you listen to guys like Larry and Pete, we've already
lost this freedom long ago -- so I guess we can rest assured that
*they* won't care.

Jay, your comments sound a bit irrational. Are you suggesting that the FAA
include the minimum dimensions of visible moisture that define a cloud? The
FAA can not and should not let everyone define what a cloud is. Your
towering CB might be someone elses "puffie". Like Alan noted, in order for
IFR flight to work safely, VFR flights must stay safely far enough away so
that both they and the IFR flight can maintain see-and-avoid. The plain and
simple truth is that VFR pilots have no business in clouds, period. There
is a simple way to fly in the clouds...IFR. If you'd like to fly in the
clouds without dealing with those pesky controllers, get the instrument
rating and fly around in class G airspace. Beware of 91.13 though.