A COMMERCIAL PLT FLYING A ZLIN-50 (SLOVAK DESIGN) ON THE RETURN FROM AN AIRSHOW NEARLY FLEW IMC IN VFR FLT WITH UNVERIFIED VISIBILITY AND CLOUD BASE VALUES NEAR CABLE ARPT; CCB; CA.

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AFTER FLYING 2 AIRSHOWS THAT DAY; AND 3 THE DAY BEFORE; I DEPARTED IN MY AIRSHOW AIRPLANE FOR HOME -- HOME BEING CABLE ARPT IN UPLAND; CA. THE WX WAS PERFECT VFR UNTIL I GOT TO THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. ALTHOUGH THE AIR BOSS HAD RPTED DURING BRIEFING THAT THE WX GOING TO THE BASIN SHOULD BE 'NO PROB;' IT IS CLR THAT HE WAS MISINFORMED. UPON APCHING THE BASIN FROM THE N; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ENTIRE BASIN WAS MORE OR LESS COMPLETELY SOCKED IN. A HURRIED CALL TO HAWTHORNE RADIO INDICATED THAT THE CEILING AT BOTH BRACKETT AND ONTARIO ARPTS (CABLE DOES NOT RPT) WAS RESPECTIVELY 2900 FT AND 2800 FT; WITH VISIBILITIES GIVEN AS 5 MI; AS I RECALL. AS I DSNDED OVER CABLE ARPT; IT BECAME QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THERE WERE NO HOLES BELOW. I FLEW E; JUST E OF SAN BERNARDINO INTL; AND COULD SEE THE GND. SO I DSNDED TO UNDERNEATH THE CEILING. AS I FLEW W FROM SAN BERNARDINO INTL TOWARD CABLE; BOTH THE CEILING AND THE VISIBILITY DETERIORATED SIGNIFICANTLY; EVEN THOUGH I WAS ASSURED BY ANOTHER CALL TO HAWTHORNE THAT BOTH ONTARIO AND BRACKETT WERE RPTING 2900 FT AND 2800 FT; BOTH 5 MI. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WELL PAST SUNSET; AND GETTING QUITE DARK. I THINK A MORE ACCURATE RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 1500 FT; WITH VISIBILITY OF JUST AT 3 MI. AS I APCHED CABLE; I DSNDED TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF THE RAGGED CLOUDS WHICH MAY NOT LEGALLY HAVE CONSTITUTED A CEILING; BUT CERTAINLY DID A GREAT JOB OF OBSCURING THE NEARBY MOUNTAINS. UPON LNDG AND REFLECTING UPON WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY; I ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: MY FIRST MISTAKE; OF COURSE; WAS TO TRUST ANYONE ELSE TO CHK THE WX FOR ME. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED IT MYSELF BEFORE I DEPARTED. SECOND; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT SAN BERNARDINO ONCE I WAS SAFELY UNDER THE CLOUDS; RATHER THAN ATTEMPT TO PRESS ON TO CABLE; EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ONLY 15 MI OR SO APART. A THIRD MISTAKE WAS PROBABLY TO CONTINUE WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE WX WAS CHANGING QUICKLY; AND LESS OBVIOUS THAT I COULD GET BACK TO SAN BERNARDINO; OR EVEN RIALTO; IF THINGS WENT COMPLETELY IMC. THIS AIRPLANE HAS NO IFR CAPABILITY; AND IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO LAND; BECAUSE OF LIMITED VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE; DURING THE DAY; MUCH LESS AT NIGHT. AIRSHOW FLYING IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY DEMANDING OCCUPATION. IF YOU DON'T FLY; YOU DON'T GET PAID. IF YOU DON'T GET TO THE AIRSHOW; YOU DON'T FLY. IF YOU DON'T GET HOME; WHAT MONEY YOU DID GET PAID IS QUICKLY EATEN UP BY AWAY-FROM-HOME EXPENSES: HOTELS; MEALS; RENTAL CARS; ETC. I THINK IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRY TO ARRANGE FOR 1 EXTRA NIGHT'S STAY AT THE AIRSHOW AFTER ALL THE AIRSHOW FLYING HAS BEEN COMPLETED SO THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE EVENT; THE XCOUNTRY PART; CAN AT LEAST BE UNDERTAKEN WHEN I AM FRESH AND NOT RUSHED.