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Old 20th Oct 2019, 18:26
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Big Pistons Forever
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Canada
Age: 63
Posts: 5,212
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Originally Posted by djpil

Would the student have got any benefit from the lesson?

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This in my opinion, is the crux of the matter. Given your description of the student, I would suggest you made the right call. If management has a problem you need to politely but firmly make clear you are exercising your sole discretion as the air craft commander, full stop.

A couple of related thoughts.

1) I have seen instructors particularly junior instructors, sometimes bin a flight without thinking of alternatives. Days like you describe can be nasty down low but smooth at altitude, so perhaps there is an option to work on other parts of the PPL course. A short out and back nav exercise on a really windy day can be an excellent learning experience for instance and you can demo the landing. Good for your skills maintenance and good for the student to see without the pressure to perform.

2) If a student can't manage in a safe but not necessarily elegant manner, a near max demonstrated cross wind takeoff and landing they IMO are not ready for the flight test

3) Wind is OK, bumps are OK, wind and bumps are more problematical, however they can be a good way show an over confident student their limitations....
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