Bad day for Aviation in Texas

[GusMcRae]

Had a meeting that worked out for me to take my 182 to avionics shop at BKD to get my static check done yesterday, went ahead and let them do my GPS database updates while they had it, a little higher than other options for database updates but it was convenient.  Had to wait out a low ceiling to depart F05, but was able to meet my ride at BKD and to the meeting on time.

Departed BKD close to 3:00 PM, clear skies and calm, knew there was forecasted high winds for later in the afternoon, called F05 AWOS, winds were from 35 at 13, gust 21.  I was so concerned about the wind, I don't think I even listened long enough to get the ceiling.  45 min flight, I flew at 6500', could see clouds to the North, less than half way there it is solid underneath me, somewhere around 500-1000 feet below me.  Got in range of F05 AWOS and everything was "absent", dialed up KFDR and it said ceilings were 600-1300 (weird b/c AWOS usually only gives 1 number for the ceiling), and misting rain.  I get over the top of F05, check their AWOS again and finally get a report of 700 ceiling, several other components of the AWOS was still "missing" and the solid layer is still at about 6000', about 500' below me (4000'+ thick layer or multiple layers).  I called F05 unicom and my CFII comes on, we discuss and he tells me that it's getting worse rapidly, KABI is clear, better go there.  Nice tail wind, I'm sitting good on fuel, and it doesn't get clear until 20 miles N of KABI, and the winds have picked up there to about 15kts.  Land and go inside to figure out what to do.
Talk to my wife a couple of times looking at options, she drives 2 hours to Abilene, we eat supper, go home. While waiting for her my CFII texts me that another former student of his is in the same predicament, stuck at BKD. Find this out too late to coordinate travel home, but we will probably coordinate travel to go pick up our planes. 

CFII texts me this AM and says a Conquest crashed at Denton, and a Malibu at Lubbock.  Saw him this AM, he had gone to Dallas in a Conquest yesterday AM, ceilings there, had some equipment issues, said screw it and came back to F05. They were supposed to go to Amarillo this AM, 2500' ceilings that he was certain contained ice, no go.  Assured me that I wasn't the only one that had problems yesterday.