Big B., yes, at times we had to disallow a large student training in the C152. There were several factors though.
* I and one other were 57kg/130lb skinny guys so we usually got heavier students. If that wasn't enough then:
*We'd reduce the fuel load as low as 1 hr + the legally required 45 min reserve. Fuel consumption was based on what the aircraft achieved in service, not book planning figures. We used calibrated dipsticks prior to every flight so fuel quantity was known accurately.
In some cases the student decided he or she preferred the C172 after trying both aircraft on the ground. Sometimes the sheer discomfort of an oversized body squeezed into a C152 led to the student making the right choice, other times their (and the instructor's) inability to make full control movements, or carry sufficient fuel (with &/or without instructor) meant that we'd have to explain to the student that this aircraft wasn't able to meet the training needs for him/her.
Most students did their navexs in the C172s although some stuck with the C152s. There was only about $10 /hr difference anyway so the 20+ to 30+ hrs ab-initio stage wasn't hugely onerous to the student over the entirety of their training.
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 8th Aug 2011 at 22:01.