I have thought a lot on this issue following that day. For me, the
safety cylinder didn't feel very safe. After trying to get into it,
and missing by less than a mile after things go so violent I sobered
up and turned around, I turned back for the last airport on course.
By the time I got there, the winds were gusting a 25+. Half of the 7
ships trying to land there were on 123.3, the other half on 123.0, the
field frequency. Turned final into "head-on" traffic, moved over, and
landed on top of a hill next to the airport (less than 100ft of "peak"
before a 200 foot dropoff).

Personally, I'd like to see the rule change in two ways:

1) Extend the safety cylinder to 10 miles (per TA, KS and others).
Some will say this requires too much "calculating" in the cockpit to
determine if you are above the 26:1 glide slope, but almost all modern
flight computers tell you L/D to a point, even Garmin handheld. If
you don't have one, get one. Or, cheaper yet, make yourself a "whiz-
wheel."
2) Specifically allow the CD to call of a day (BB's sugestion).

I considered adding a 3rd suggestion, such that if the safety cylinder
is activated less than 45 minutes before the minimum task time is up
from the point the task opened, the day is automatically scrubbed.
This was the situation at CCSC, where, if memory serves, the safety
cylinder was activated approx. 1 hour after the gate opened with 1
hour left for any competitor to achieve minimum time. This would put
CD's in the position, however, of trying to wait till that threshold
to get in a day to call the safety finish, however, and I think it may
be counter productive.

2C