My friend’s wife wanted to reunite with her hubby in Cranbrook B.C. where he was temporarily assigned by his employer, Zerox Corp.
I was a friend and willing pilot with a Mooney M20A airplane. So his wife and I flew from Victoria to Cranbrook. A critical decision was made along the way.
Flying mainly at lower altitude following the trans Canada highway, I attempted to take a shortcut over some low-range interior mountains but soon realized low clouds were obscuring terrain. I made an abrupt reverse course knife-edged turn back to the visible highway course. It frightened my passenger but was a prudent decision. However, low fuel now became a serious concern. Yet just after sunset, we managed to land at Cranbrook’s uncontrolled airport.
My friend and wife were reunited, then the three of us planned to return home. However solid valley overcast prevented departure. Questionint an arriving executive jet pilot and checking the MOT (ministry of transport) aviation weather report, I decided to risk flying through the overcast for a VFR on-top (visual flight rules) direct flight home.
We took off in my well planned Northerly direction. It was like flying in a big damp cotton-like cloud, now strictly on instruments. We climbed slowly, loaded with full fuel tanks through that layer of valley overcast. Minutes ticked by, this was no private jet. Finally we broke through into brilliant sunshine above the overcast. Immediately turning 90 degrees to a Westerly heading, climbing to about 10,ooo feet.
From then on it was CAVU (clear and visibility unlimited) over truly magnificent, pristine, snow covered Coastal Mountain peaks!
My surprisingly accurate course setting brought us directly over an important ADF (auto direction finding) beacon located South of the Okanagan Valley, which was also obscured by valley overcast. Continuing across the Fraser valley and Georgia Straight back to Victoria airport non-stop! It was another personal flight experience fondly remembered to this day!
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