Originally Posted by
DALFA
The pilot made the right call. If you were there a bit early you could have gone up for 1 hour and burned off some of that extra fuel (80lbs = roughly 14 gallons) but since that didn't happen...don't put your life at risk.
When I went through flight training as a student I always got asked questions about exceeding limitations and if it is ever acceptable. My obvious was always "NO!" During an interview for a on demand charter jig a few years ago I was asked similar questions but they always revolved around how to ultimately satisfy the passenger and customer needs. The boss wanted a safe pilot, but also one who is intelligent, can think on their feet, and solve problems to ultimately get the job done and keep everyone happy.
You made the right decision, and your boss should have never questioned it! That being said, Those type of problems are very common and every employer wants a employee that's a problem solver.