winds - when do you stop training ?
 

When single engine piston training, what level of winds or gusts do you stop training at, or what are your company limits ?

Thanks yaw'll.

A lot of companies have a limit of 15kts for SFH particularly in the R22. This is a sensible limit for low timers.

There are of course other limits, ie wind speeds/gusts for start up and shut down. I don't know about now but i do recall R22 handbook limiting speeds to 25 knots or gust spreads of over 10kts. Maybe mistaken?
Once airborne, with no gusts, the helicopter doesn't know how windy it is. It's all just relative airspeed isn't it?
Obviously every type will have a different limit, depending on rotorhead config etc.

Find your own comfort zone and fly with someone who is experienced if you don't have the experience. I found that american trained pilots (florida etc) came back to the UK and got a shock with the difference with weather. Some had never experienced more than 10kt winds.
Nothing like landing an R22 in 40kt winds, behind a hangar, if you get caught out on a nav ex. TT 25hours!!! :=

Squirrel

I think limits will depend on machine,company,instructor and student level. I think Robinson limits to less than 25knots unless pilot on controls has more than 200TT. I can understand the logic of experiencing at point I can no longer control helicopter but when training I had to trust my instructors judgement of my experience (or lack of). I have been brought on quite windy day but didn't learn much, can't be sure how much was me and how much was instructor and how much was wind. Upside was, instructor had another hour in his logbook,i was a few pounds lighter in wallet and learnt not to waste time again.

I would have respect for instructor who didn't want to waste my money in furnishing his logbook with another entry. This is based on my early training experiences, I did benifit from similar flying post PPL but if only to show me it's nice to get back on the ground:ouch:

In short, I don't know, Too many variables and ultimately it's down to a question of wheather you trust your instructors judgement or not, if not then fly with someone else or take up cricket:}

Hi,
It's a good idea to do a short flight (0.4-0.5) and se what it is like a windy day, but totally useless to do any serious training on PPL level. It's what I use to do when doin' instruction.

Fly safe..

Depends on a lot of things
My basic regieme in a 300

Pre solo stage up to 10 - 15 kts if hovering, basic autos, circuits up to 20 kts
Nav stage up to 25 kts - really shows drift !
Solo nav up to 25 kts, but max 20 kts on field

This is not gospel and will depend upon everything already spoken about.
Towards end of course take people up in 30 kts just to see !

In instruct in 300's and I allways get students up in windier conditions than they used to.
at solo maybe 15g20
ppl 20g25
cpl 25g35
depends on student.
Normally I will do if we booked in for something else and wind is a factor. We will then go up for around 20min hovering and landing with wind in different sectors to give them a feel.
It is not a long time but the student normally feels alot more confident and it give me a gauge on what they are capable of going up in.

Crispy69
Never taught or flown in other than Robinsons but the wind you would let your students fly in is ,imho, very strong for a solo flight.
My last school was 10 knots initially for pvt and 15 for commercial. In 24 years they never had any incidents. ;)

I was supposed to go out the other day but rang ATIS to confirm what I already thought ... "min 25 max 40" :eek:

I looked out over the field and saw the non-tied-down front blades of the 206's flapping up and down about 1.5m, which was about 20 minutes before they took ALL aircraft back indoors.

Oh well. Another day.

In the tin

I did not say I would let them fly in that solo! I said I would take them up in that amount of wind to do handling exercises.
What they do solo really depends on the student, some can handle safely alot more than others.
I have flown with plenty of students that by the end of solo consolodation could easily handle 15g 20kts. Once confident in there abilities there is no reason why they can not.
At a commercial level I would expect my students to be able to handle 25+knots(not all though:-)
I have not flown a 22 but my understanding is that a 300 is alot more stable in stronger winds hence why there are no wind limitations in the flight manual.
Safety is my main concern aswell and we have never had any wind related incidents.