The skies are permanently gray.

I’ll be flying again tonight. I didn’t get any time in since my last post because the instructor and I were hoping for clear skies if we let a couple days go by. My first two sessions have been during light overcast conditions. I have yet to see the actual horizon while flying. There has also been a little wind but nothing serious. We get tossed around a little bit during takeoff. I do have to say though that today will be the murkiest day yet. I called to make sure the lessons were still on. Come to find out that another student is booked right before me which sets my time back so I’ll be flying at dusk in medium overcast weather. Are they skies permanently gray?

It’s a good thing
In my personal opinion (which is generally not 100% informed) I believe that focusing almost strictly on using the instruments to fly is a really good thing. It’s supposed to be a higher achievement to be instrument rated which means you can essentially fly blind until just before touching ground. Right now it seems a little daunting to maintain flight using the instruments while watching all around you since air traffic has no ‘lanes’ to stay in.

At this point we are only flying within a 4 miles radius of the airport, which means we will hear traffic reports from other pilots as they prepare for entry into the airport airspace. This is good because half the time I still don’t look where I’m going. That sounds dumb but as long as I’m 1,700 feet in the air and the radio isn’t blaring I know there is nothing within a 7-mile radius of me. I’m not sure what anyone does when they actually see each other before talking. Most of these planes don’t have radars even though most of them have squeaker things to make themselves look huge on radar if they cross someone watching. Flying with limited visibility just feels weird since anyone can be anywhere without any notice.