6 mins in and still waffling. Will fast forward to get to the flying.... OK, I can hear Exeter trying their best to look after you with great advice. You must know about the tragedy there 2 years ago, in IMC? If it's that bad, put it in a field, any field that is long enough. You took far too many risks, lots of holes in the cheese. As PIC you are legally obliged to check the weather at departure, en route and at destination is such that you should be able to safely complete your flight. Saying you took off knowing it may well not be safe is not what I'd like to hear. Having a diversion field in mind is always a necessity but flying past it several times in deteriorating weather is useless. When I was a student my instructor made sure we went up in crap weather to show me how a) thoroughly unpleasant it is, and b) how darned dangerous it is, ESPECIALLY near rising ground! He got the message over. My second qualified flight I turned back due lowering cloudbase and on landing I sought him out and thanked him. PS, were you not allowed to show your approach or landing as it was mil airfield? It would have been interesting to hear the RT, too.

Don't feel bad, I think even good pilots get it wrong occasionally. I had an almost identical experience a number of years ago. I was visiting Dunkeswell for lunch and knew that the weather was coming in later in the day. I bumped into a pilot friend who I hadn't seen in a while and ended up talking to him for far too long as so I departed much later that I planned. I had to get back home as I was flying to France on holiday the next day. As I passed Exeter enroute back to Plymouth, the weather started to deteriorate. After 10 minutes I contacted Plymouth for a weather report and it was still VMC there so I continued thinking that I could always divert back to Exeter or even Dunkeswell. At about 10 miles from Plymouth I was flying dangerously low and when I looked behind the cloud was down to the deck. The weather at Plymouth was still OK but there was no way in. At that point I declared an emergency and told the Plymouth controller that I was planning to land at a private strip that I knew of a few miles to the south. I had never landed at the strip before but I knew the length to be suitable. As soon as I landed the cloud closed in around and the drizzle started. I got a lift back into Plymouth and I went straight up to see the controller in the tower. Apart from all the paperwork I caused him, he was glad to see me. A friend flew the plane out and back to Plymouth the following day in perfect conditions. I know that feeling of 'I've got to land now', that's what I felt too, I just wanted to be on the ground. My aircraft and licence were VFR only and I had no other options. In hindsight I should have acknowledged that I was leaving too late and that I didn't have enough time to get back before the weather deteriorated. I should have then accepted the wrath of my wife when I called and asked her to come and pick me up from Dunkeswell.

Thank you, Charlie. This brought back some haunting memories of recent flights, questioning whether I should have pressed on.

A thought provoking and candid video Charlie, thanks for posting. The 7700 was absolutely the best decision in the end. It was very uncomfortable watching you getting sandwiched between the IMC and the terrain below, especially when SD started playing up and you got behind the aircraft a bit. I think your takeaways are valid - climbing to MSA in IMC would have been ideal - but I'd include one of getting that AP sorted out asap so that you can have some confidence in it... It would have allowed you to get back ahead of the aircraft (admittedly probably in IMC, but at least above MSA) and then work out your options with some more thought-capacity available (ILS into exeter...). Fly safe - and do dust off those foggles!

Retired pro pilot here. Don’t beat yourself up too much. There are 3 types of private pilots… ones waiting to scare themselves shitless, those that have and lived and learned, and dead ones! You are in the top 33%. Congratulations.

Well done. Thanks for the transparency and posting this. If you fly long enough you will experience stressful situations that will push you to your limits. This video will help someone make better decisions during preflight and in-flight, which will hopefully prevent their poor decision making from being the catalyst to them in a deadly situation. Again thank you.

You biggest mistake is no 3. You should practice Instrument flying on regular basis. And not under the hood, but when you see the weather is marginal, every now and then plan a flight in a soup, even with instrument approach. What is the point of having instrument rating if you are scared to fly into cloud and switch to instruments. Other than that, SkyDemon and SkyEcho is great. but to be safe you should always have a backup (to be fair you had at least one anyway, so all good).

BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!! As a CFI for 30 years and Pilot for over 45 years, this testimonial is among the BEST I've ever seen and heard! Been there done that. THANK YOU for sharing. I especially hope it gets through to the Z generation pilots that's lucky enough to see and hear it.

These videos will literally save lives. Thank you Charlie 🙏

I’m sorry you went through such a horrible experience. You already said it so as you already know this would have just been a fun routine flight had you been current and proficient flying IFR. Conditions that are life or death for VFR pilots are just normal and safe for proficient IFR pilots. Every pilot that wants to travel should get the rating and use it on every cross country flight regardless of the weather conditions. Learn everything you can about weather. Weather is unpredictable. VFR is not a good way to travel. Practicing every 6 months isn’t going to make you comfortable flying IFR. Practice monthly and always travel IFR. Reserve VFR for pattern work and practicing maneuvers. With all due respect don’t consider flying an airplane a hobby. Do you call driving your car a hobby? It’s a skill you worked hard to learn, the fun comes from being the best pilot you can be. None of us are perfect we all make mistakes. I’m glad it all worked out in the end. Good luck and safe travels.

Let me give you a positive from your experience. I fly near and around the tern hill/shawbury cmatz. I've always had in my head that even in an emergency I should avoid them. But I think you've removed that concern, which wasn't a reasonable one anyway. But sometimes it's nice to see somebody else do something before you do it yourself.

thanks for sharing man! Good lesson for all of us. im glad you made it home safe

Thanks for sharing your story. So important!

And the tories are out - it's a lucky day indeed. Happy you're not splattered, you've got a lot of potential still ahead of you.

Thanks for your video, plenty of food for thought. As a relatively new pilot one of the best things that I did post IMC rating was to go out with my instructor and simply hand fly holds (VOR & NDB) in cloud (hard IMC) for an hour. Cloud base was 3-4,000 ft so no concerns about getting back down. This was a great exercise and really boosted my confidence.

Hi Charlie, just watched your video and commend you for your honesty, As a commercial pilot / trainer could I pass on my thoughts ???? For what it’s worth ….Whilst you’re kicking yourself, bear in mind you had the sense not to blindly carry on to Dunkeswell, you were aware of the weather and made a conscious decision not to carry on. Yes you could have diverted sooner or not be drawn into the ‘suckers gap’ but that’s pure hindsight.The overload has spooked you but you still had the sense to gather your wits and make a safe and successful arrival into Merryfield. History is littered with accidents where pilots sadly hadn’t done this. Next time (preferably at a planning stage) why not consider setting a ‘bottom line’ or minima ie, low cloud base, viz, MSA etc at which which you will ‘knock it off’ and divert.- and when approaching marginal conditions stick to it!!! This also helps avoid being drawn into a ‘suckers gap As for climbing into IMC is a tricky call - if current and confident with Instrument flying it’s a good option… if not or unconfident in the instruments etc it’s not so cut and dried… Lots of lessons here and don’t let this put you off… every pilot worth his salt have stories similar and it’s through sharing and learning we improve…

Thanks for sharing Charlie. I notice that you have both two Garmin's onboard, do you think that there is potentially an over reliance on iPads and personal devices that can catch us off guard when they fail? (All my flying was without these devices back in the day with paper maps 😂 - although Sky demon is awesome!)

Charlie, it takes some balls to share like this and show your mistakes so others can learn. I am grateful for your video and all to aware of how easy it is to fall into such a trap. Thank you for sharing with us fellow aviators. Safe flying for you, your family and friends. Cheers Rob from SundayFLYR

Great question from my instructor once : " Is the weather improving or getting worse at your destination".

Very honest, thanks for sharing.

A part of me is going "What an idiot" but I also know human factors with complacency its a definitely risk for all us pilots. Videos like this means we can at least have our stupid brains have extra confirmation to realise maybe don't fly like a idiot so thanks for putting yourself up there and being vulnerable. Advice from my instructors hopefully it can help. I would say you've got a GPS in your aircraft use it. The iPad are great and add extra situation awareness but shouldn't be used as a primary navigation device. iPad don't have features like RAIM or WAAS etc. I guess you do have your SkyEcho that can improve that but it doesn't hurt to have your avionics working for you.

Great video Charlie Lamdin. Thanks for sharing your latest flying experience. I’ve been following your videos for a long time, so I know you are a very competent Pilot and have flown in very marginal conditions before, since you know your limits and capabilities. I recall you had a close call with the weather soon after getting your PPL when you to an ex-girlfriend flying. I don’t own my own aircraft, so I can imagine it can be more tempting to fly in these marginal weather conditions. I have about 260 hours and like pushing myself past my comfort zone occasionally and finding it very rewarding in terms of experience. However, one thing I have learnt over the years is to always listen to instructors and ATC when it comes to the weather. When you own your own aircraft, you may not always get a chance to speak to another Pilot or instructor before you fly, so you don’t have that second pair of eyes as a safety net. I have read many similar stories of experienced Pilots getting into trouble as they are more likely to fly in challenging conditions as compared with a less experienced Pilot. You did the right thing, you held your hand up and asked for help before it was too late. Listen to your instincts and others around, it’s not worth the risk. Hopefully you and others will learn something from this. 🙏🏽

Well done for posting this. A close call.. It reminded me of an IMC 'event' I had about 10 years ago. At the time I had an IMC rating (as was) but was rusty as hell. I didnt flight plan overly well (no real alternates except a glider site at Ashbourne) and was headed back over Derbyshire after a pleasure flight , on track for Gamston. I was over the Dams (of Dambuster fame) a bit low and realised clag was rolling in from the hills.. Anyway, I had to climb for terrain and remember entering solid thick cloud, and a cold sweat started to build on my brow.. I think that was the loneliest place I have ever been. I switched to the artifical horizon and realised my Garmin handheld GPS was off and I didnt know where I was going. Anyway I snapped out of it, got my game face on and managed to somehow get the garmin back and pop out near Sheffield where conditions become VMC again. Lesson learned. A few years later I did an IR rating which is not valid currently... I think the main thing is to always get IMC instruction if you are rusty and to always practice IMC regularly regardless of if you plan to use it or not. I have not been flying the last 18months due to family issues but hope to get back later this year. Keep the videos up and hope to meet you in a GA cafe someday!

thanks for sharing!

A good one to share Charlie. You are always self critical and honest in your situational reviews which I am sure will help many of us and is always a good practice of yours. Well done!

Thank you so much for sharing this, I started messaging you about one of my own bungles on instagram but the message is apparently too long and won’t let me send anything more..

As others have said, and will continue to say - well done as ever for being open and honest enough to share this. We all learn from our mistakes - in aviation, particularly so - and this video might just save someone's life. Thanks again.

Throw out the SkyEcho, it's rubbish

Well done Charlie, honest, open and candid. We who are fortunate enough to keep going in aviation are here due to a combination of good planning, judgement and sticking to the SOPs, ... and yes a certain amount of luck, if we are all honest. Flying is the mistress who gives and takes in random measures, never to be underestimated and always there to deal one a curved ball when we least expect it. Sounds like you've learned a valuable lesson or two after your day out, and what a great service you are providing to others - no one can have watched your video without thinking yep, could have been me.......... thank you. Well done on declaring the emergency, even if Exeter could no longer hear you the 7700 squawk surely helped. Like many others have said, please do keep up the IMC flying skills, they are a life saver. Weekly practice makes sense with the vagaries of the UK weather, as they are an erodible skillset in the use-it-or-lose-it toolkit. Get your autopilot fully serviceable, and never, never rely solely on a portable navigation device without back up elsewhere in the cockpit. I know you had your phone on the day, and this shows just how essential navaid redundancy is. Get comfortable with using that GNS430 (I think) in your panel. Get back on the horse soon, best of luck with the continued journey.🙂🛩

Thanks for sharing- powerful to watch and I’m glad you’re safe.

There but for the grace of God. Thank you for posting this, so hopefully others can learn from your mistakes. A similar experience by a friend of mine has led me to practice instruments at least weekly on a home computer sim - obviously that’s not equivalent to currency for a planned IFR flight, but I hope it will help if I ever find myself in the position you did in this video. Thanks again

Thanks so much for sharing. I had an almost identical experience from Elstree to Bembridge back in March 2024. Ended up on 121.5 also squawking 7700 and diverted to Rochester on radar vectors from the Distress and Diversion Cell. All pilots make mistakes, some small, some big. It happens. You absolutely did the right thing by just simply getting the plane on the ground rather than trying your luck. Well done, great lesson learned.

powerful video charlie thank you for sharing - messaged received loud and clear...🙏

Crikey Charlie…scary stuff. Glad you are safe!

Glad your safe. Not sure what to say. I have the IRR rating and i regularly use it. I consider it the most important skill ive learnt and must keep. Just last week i tried salcombe which was fogged in and without a second thought diverted to newquay no issue and did the ILS. Did worry this situation was just for the views but its clear to see or hear your panic. Use the IRR as much as you can, it's an enormous safety net. I aim to do an approach atleast once a month. Oh and fix the autopilot, it massively reduces workload in IMC as you know.

Appreciate you sharing this experience. Glad it ended in a positive outcome. 👍

If there is any doubt there is no doubt. Well done for declaring an emergency and getting on the ground. At least you’ve done your caa reflection form now 😂

Wow. What a learning experience. So powerful a video. You don’t know how many people you might have saved. Thank you for posting. I was recently concerned another UK aviation RU-vidr who suggested that we should push our limits, and ignore the classics of if there was doubt there is no doubt etc, and then you come along and demonstrate the old adages are so real and important, with real life experience. Yes you made mistakes, easy to say in hindsight, but you also dis the right thing, not once but multiple times. Realising that you were tasked loaded was the first. Declaring an emergency was also a great decision. You did the right things and continue to do so by educating others with your experience. Thank you. Wayne WhiskeyAlphaPilot

Agree about recognising that you're not current on instruments 100%. However, once every 3 Months is still not enough. You need to be doing a good hour of IMC every Week or two to stay current enough with some flown approaches to be safe. Also, buy an iPad with cellular!!

Such a good and important video, even hits closer to home because I'm a regular at all these places (Salisbury based). I think I'm more cautious when setting off (if weather is marginal I'll either go elsewhere or not at all) than you but I *definitely* fall foul of press-on-itis. I hate disrupting others and feeling judged and I would have pushed until the last minute just like you did. Brilliant lesson, thank you. Next time I'm at Dunkeswell I'll put a beer behind the bar for you to calm your nerves!

You can always say never again, but you are now a little more prepared for the oh shit I am doing it again. Great video as always. I have done it more scary than yours as nearly hit a wind turbine I was that low I flew between them!!! Not clever I know but the get home, got me home, no instruments, only skydemon…. Couldn’t have gone vmc as didn’t have that IRR under my belt. Live and learn and live is enough

Wow. This video was brilliantly put together. Kept me watching right to the end. I follow you on both your channels, Charlie, and you can be bit of a drama queen sometimes, but the self-analysis here was superb and will undoubtedly help others to make better decisions. Btw, another invitation to come to Hertfordshire to fly my full size 737 sim sometime!

cherry on the cake "a risk assesment for my departure" 🤣🤣🤣 maaate

I really appreciate you sharing this and the honesty Charlie!

Well done for surviving! A good bit of reflection and the right lessons learned. We've all done something stupid. Next time the soup is ahead of you... take the divert.

There's a distinct lack of shots out of the cockpit so we can see what the conditions were actually like - I can clearly see ground through the side window. There are so many things to say on this but I can't be arsed to type!

So glad nothing bad happened. Call me selfish but we all need u to help guide us navigate and improve the housing market as few, if any, are! For realz! And ur kids need a dad. 😅

Never lost my GPS signal. Android tablet. Not an ipad with link to external gps device. Was it a SkyEcho? I hear reports of them being unreliable

A similar thing happened to me coming back from Duxford years ago… 121.5 and ATC were brilliant… got me on the ground at Cambridge with a ceiling of 400 feet.

Appreciate the candour. I and everyone can learn and be reminded of this. I have done my fair share of sketchy weather flying whilst hour building and looking back I should have just stayed on the ground Thank you again for sharing.