Originally Posted by
Fly Boy Knight
The process of getting out of a "VFR" airport (an airport without any approach procedures) is always a bit tricky just because of all the legal and safety of flight gray areas..... For these operations, going in and out of "VFR" class G airports has to be done under VFR until reaching controlled airspace, so the only people who are doing zero:zero departures out of airports with no approaches are part 91 people which is either GA folks or (in my opinion) EXTREMELY shady 91 corporate operations. (or people who haven't been caught + issued an enforcement action yet)
Good post, and while the law says a 91 operator can take off in bad visibility, that does not make it safe. The GA fleet has the least reliable aircraft and having launched from a podunk field that just became invisible, you may wish (or be forced) to go back which will be very difficult if not impossible. For this reason most people under 91 often depart VFR and pick up a clearance when in radio contact with ATC. Be careful with the hazardous attitude that just getting airborne in poor VFR solves all problems, because it does not.
There is a famous accident study of a 91 corporate jet that did this in Rome, Georgia some years ago. They departed VFR to please the customers on board, but could not get in touch with ATC once airborne and in the meantime lost VFR flying conditions and then hit a hillside. I have even seen this "let's just get airborne" hazardous attitude in at least one check pilot, it is quite a problem but not one we should let ruin our safety analysis. If a situation looks uncomfortable itis probably dangerous, and when additional study does not improve how it looks then consider not going.