It’s the old luck versus experience thing. I did good cross-country training, including real situations turning back when the weather was deteriorating. However, it still took a bit of get-there-itis on my part long after I had my certificate to teach me that it really isn’t worth the risk. I flew into worsening weather, and was lucky to turn it around without hitting the ground. Never again!
That was the real learning experience, when you’re up there alone and suffering the results of your decisions. I’ll bet you that he was thinking the same things that I was; maybe I was lucky, maybe my extra experience to that date made me turn back just a fraction soon enough? Who knows, but one thing’s for certain. There are many things that might kill me, but flying into bad weather ain’t gunna be one of them (any more).