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Old 21st Oct 2010, 08:01
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If you want to make any serious progress over the typical western Europe wintertime, you've got to be flexible.

1. Learn to read the weather charts. Particularly the ones that show fronts etc. a few days ahead. (I personally like the animation from Sembach.) This will show you which days are promising, which are not.

2. Make sure you have the cellphone of your instructor(s) and an arrangement with them that you can call them at, say, 24 hours notice to book a lesson.

3. Make sure you have an understanding with your job/significant other that you can go flying when the weather is good, and catch up the lost work/attention when the weather is bad.

If you just hang on to your weekly lesson which is scheduled months in advance you can indeed expect half or so of them being cancelled in the upcoming period. But if you're flexible you'll find that there's plenty opportunity for flying.

Last year I managed to schedule a flight a few hours after a heavy snowfall. CAVOK with no cloud whatsoever, 30 km viz, cold air, high air pressure and the whole of the Netherlands covered in white. Except for the runway which was duly plowed. Beautiful.
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