PA38 PLT ENCOUNTERS HVY RAIN ENRTE TO GWW AND EXECUTES NONSTANDARD TFC TO RWY 23 TO EXPEDITE HIS PATTERN.

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I REFUELED AT MT OLIVE AND DEPARTED BACK TO GOLDSBORO; WAS GRANTED PERMISSION FROM SEYMOUR TO TRANSITION THEIR AIRSPACE. VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 5 MI BECAUSE WE COULD SEE SEYMOUR WHEN TAKING OFF FROM MT OLIVE AND THE CEILINGS WERE HIGH. THERE WAS LIGHT RAIN FALLING. AS SOON AS WE WERE OVER SEYMOUR WE ASKED FOR A CHANGE TO CTAF 122.7 AND GOLDSBORO TFC WAS INFORMED WE WERE ABOUT 5 1/2 MI S LNDG GOLDSBORO ON RWY 5. A CITATION RESPONDED SAYING THEY WERE TOUCHING DOWN ON RWY 23. SUDDENLY; WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE LIGHT RAIN BECAME A DOWNPOUR; AND VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHING FAST. I ASKED MY INST INSTRUCTOR TO HANDLE THE RADIO. HE TALKED BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CITATION ASSURING THEM WE WERE NO PROB; STILL 3 MI OUT AND THE CITATION SAID THE AREA AROUND RWY 23 WAS CLR. WE TOLD THE CITATION WE WERE DIVERTING TO THE W BECAUSE IT WAS CLR OUT THAT WAY; THAT WE WERE NOT LNDG AND SUDDENLY WE BROKE OUT OF THE RAIN. WE WERE W OF THE ARPT AND I CONTINUED NOT KNOWING IF THE RAIN WOULD BE COMING IN OVER GOLDSBORO AND ANNOUNCED A R BASE TO FINAL RWY 23; THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE WENT UP TO THE CITATION PLT AND THANKED HIM FOR TELLING US ABOUT RWY 23 BEING CLR. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT BECAUSE WE FLEW A R-HAND PATTERN INSTEAD OF A STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN.