Cancellations Due to Weather
Jim Hanrahan
student solo cross-country flights, I want to say I know how you feel.
When I was a student the local FBO had guidelines for student solo
cross-country flights that included a minimum visibility of 10 miles. Now I
learned in the Baltimore-Washington area; and in the summer, the visibility is
normally 7 miles (on a good day). I was luckey, however, and was ready for
solo cross-country flights in the fall and I can't remember cancelling one
because of visibility on an otherwise nice day. I did cancell some because of
down right bad weather.
The problem I encountered was that I was ready for the private pilot flight
test at Thanksgiving (ie. the end of November). That year there was so much
ice and snow that the airport was either closed or the weather was unflyable
for the entire month of December. Needless to say I had to do more dual
instruction in January to re-prepare me for the flight test.
Happily to say, I passed my private pilot flight test on January 23, 1990. The
day before my birthday! I won't say which birthday :-)
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Jim Hanrahan COM, ASEL, IA
T-34B, C-172, PA28, PA28RT
-cadena j.
Jim Hanrahan <hanr...@oasys.dt.navy.mil> wrote:
>After reading the frustration of pilots who have to cancell their planned
>student solo cross-country flights, I want to say I know how you feel.
>
>When I was a student the local FBO had guidelines for student solo
>cross-country flights that included a minimum visibility of 10 miles. Now I
As a student I completed a cross country (3 legs) in weather that was
"fairly good". Visibility was about 10 mi (NOT!) and wind moderate.
As far as training go, this was not a good learning experience, at low
altitude (cig) and low visibility it is very difficult to make your
checkpoints, your navigation and dead-reckoning become so INTENSE that
the rest of the flying experience is spoiled.
My advice is: there are many more good flying days in a year, why
take even marginal ones?
Granted, it is a good 'experience' but not while you are learning the
fundamentals!.
I have found that the Tranining is the most interesting phase of flying
and we are often too much in a hurry to get it done, get the ticket and
then WHAT?? (many new pilots ask this question after the check ride).
Enjoy your training, take your time, milk the process by getting as much
knowledge and experience while under tutorship. Then.... when you are
done..... your goal met.... Start again... IFR training perhaps?
Jaime N. Cadena
j...@mvuts.att.com
ppasel.....IFR trainee...
PS. Student Pilots may be able to set records in the amount of time it
takes to solo or get the certificate. These are empty goals, the real
satisfaction comes from perfect landings, smooth take-offs, ON_THE_LINE
cross country flying, proficiency on your aircraft instrument and systems
as well as limitations.
We can all pass a Weight and Balance test, but can we tell our swethart
that she can't take 50# worth of make-up in the seemingly empty baggage
compartment because your in-laws in the rear seat put you just under
gross weight?
David Stocker
>
> PS. Student Pilots may be able to set records in the amount of time it
> takes to solo or get the certificate. These are empty goals, the real
> satisfaction comes from perfect landings, smooth take-offs, ON_THE_LINE
> cross country flying, proficiency on your aircraft instrument and systems
> as well as limitations.
> We can all pass a Weight and Balance test, but can we tell our swethart
> that she can't take 50# worth of make-up in the seemingly empty baggage
> compartment because your in-laws in the rear seat put you just under
> gross weight?
>
Amen! It's always tough to handle flights with non-aviation
interested passengers - they seem to think we're either going
to kill them or that we're airline pilots in airliners.
As far as WX conditions for x-country flight is concerned,
I firmly believe that student _solo_ cross countries should
be made in the best of wx (even if it means waiting for
what seems like forever), but it's best if dual x-c's are
made in conditions that are closer to marginal (for the
student) - low viz, turbulence, high x-winds, etc. The
dual time a student spends with the instructor in those
conditions can be like gold when you stumble into that
stuff later. Why fly an x-c with an instructor when it's
severe CAVU and calm? At least put on the hood for such
a trip. (IMHO, of course).
David Stocker
stock...@salem.ge.com (PP-ASEL, CAP, EAA, AOPA)
GE Drive Systems, 1501 Roanoke Blvd, Salem, Virginia, USA
703-387-7844 GE Dial Comm: 278-7844 Fax: 703-387-8651