Weather for PPL training

[dont overfil]

I would like to ask those of you who are currently being trained for a PPL or are doing the training. Do you do any of this in less than perfect or even marginal weather for the benefit of the students experience?
DO.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Instructors will go or not go depending on their judgement as to whether the student will get value out of the lesson in the current weather conditions (assuming they aren't so bad as to be below the school's minima).

For example an instructor has taken me up for a lesson on a day with no visible horizon, and cancelled another student (at about the same stage in the course) on the same day, because I didn't have a problem with not having a horizon to look at and the other student did.

On another occasion an instructor offered me the choice: there was lots more cross wind than I'd been up in before, "did I want to go up and have a go, and possibly waste my money if I really couldn't cope with the landings, or would I prefer to cancel"? We went flying. I did two perfectly good landings, somewhat to my surprise ... but frightened the instructor (the only time I've visibly done so) on the third one.

And finally there was the time the weather looked rather dodgy, with what looked like a squall off the end of the runway. "We can go up and have a look if you like." I thought I was doing OK on the approach when the instructor said "I have control" ... but about one and a half seconds later we were blown all over the place (I have no idea how he saw that coming), and I still don't know how he did such a neat landing with gusts and flurries of heavy rain from all directions at once. I wasn't charged for that "lesson". I did however learn that the aircraft was capable of coping with vastly worse conditions than I would ever want to!

[Captain Stable]

If instructors refused to take studes up in "less than perfect" conditions nobody would ever get a licence in the UK!

The flying school will specify minimum conditions beyond which instruction should not be carried out, but beyond that it is up to the instructor - as Gertrude says, it is really down to whether or not a particular stude will get value from the trip.

I have no problem with taking an early solo stude up on a day with poor vis, low cloud base to show bad weather circuits. If you don't push them a little, they don't learn. The trick is not to push them too hard. Crosswinds? You can learn all you like in the classroom looking at what you SHOULD do and how a crosswind affects the circuit, but sooner or later a stude has to DO it.

[akzah]

I have always wondered about this, last saturday we had high winds (gusts over 20kts) so my lesson was cancelled.

As autumn gets more nastier, what is the average limit for the early lessons? is it based around VFR, if so I guess I won't have many lessons in a while :confused:

[worrab]

Today were excellent 'ere oop North. Don't get downhearted - plenty more flying days 'til Christmas.

[The Fenland Flyer]

I'm learning in a fixed wing microlight and have sometimes been up doing circuits with my instructor in conditions that have kept many others (not just microlight pilots) on the ground. I find flying in marginal condition has given me more confidence, so as long my FI is OK with it then I'd rather give it a go than be stuck on the ground. (although for learning in minimum possible hours for budget reasons, sticking to better weather would be cheaper!)

[dont overfil]

What made me ask the question was a recent poster who had five cancellations in a row. This sounded like incredible bad luck or an over cautious instructor. I was fortunate enough to have an instructor who was able to take me into weather which was at that time beyond my capabilities. This helped me make better decisions later.
Thanks for the replies. It seems the club rules may sometimes be the limiting factor.
DO.

[mack 1]

When my students have become more competent I will always take them out in gust or crosswinds higher than they would wish for, the same is for poor weather. I would hate for a student once obtained a PPL to go out and the forecast not be as it should and, that would be the first time they had to deal with the situation.
The students would at the time question their capabilities however, I would not take them up should I feel that they would not manage.
They do sweat and shake but aferwards they are ALL greatful as they recognise the importance of the lesson. THEY CAN DO IT, this they take away and hopefuly will not have to put into practice until they are more experienced.