Instructor took me up in bad conditions

[Kream926]

i see you've been studyin

 

[amaineiac]

I had an instructor do the same thing to me. I was scheduled for a solo x-country and he changed it to a dual, even though it was legal VFR. Halfway over the LI sound, I couldn't see CT infront of me or Long Island behind me. No horizon whatsoever. It gave me a respect for the weather I still remember to this day.

Make sure you thank him for this valuable lesson.

 

[air_chompers]

i see you've been studyin

I think Kream ment BED TEENIE ENVY IS YOU US. JK
Yeah being a low time student in anything but sunny and bright conditions is scary. But its a CFIs job to push us to the edge and make sure we dont kill our selves. Plus you learned the valuable lesson of limits.

 

[shamrock]

Back when I was instructing I went out to Martha's Vineyard with a private, non-IFR rated, friend for dinner. By the time we got back to the airport it was after midnight and all the wx reports we got were calling for at worst 6 miles and clear. With my friend flying, we took off on 24 (out over the water) and it didn't take more than 30 seconds for us to be 40 degrees off our heading. The rest of the flight was a tremendous learning experience for him as he worked to keep the airplane under control. He did a great job at it, but admitted that it took all his attention just keeping the plane right side up. Trying to navigate or talk on the radio would have overloaded him, and had he been alone he likely wouldn't have made it.

Based on the reported wx on our route home, he wouldn't have thought twice about launching. I'm just glad he got to experience the JFK Jr. conditions with a stud CFI like me there to keep him safe.

 

[Metro752]

Fly out over cornfields on an overcast night.

 

[darkvw]

yep, you learn the black hole theory real fast

 

[TonyC]

Worse yet, I felt like I had little control over the airplane. The right wing kept dropping for no apparent reason, even though I thought I was holding the yoke neutral. Durring turns, major overbanking.

Obviously, the left wing had already transitioned to the low visibility mode, while the right wing was lagging behind in the high visibility mode. Sometimes you have to do a 180° turn to get both wings in the same mode. (It's best to turn in the direction of the low-vis wing, so in your case a left turn.) I hope you wrote it up after you landed. It could be really dangerous for an inexperienced pilot.




.

 

[Kream926]

I think Kream ment BED TEENIE ENVY IS YOU US. JK

what the hell does that mean

 

[Goose Egg]

Good thread. Sometimes it's a delicate balance for us instructors to give the student a good experience without scaring the crap out of them and scarring them for life. I suppose a lot of it depends on the temperament of the student. I would have eaten that up. Some of my students, however, I think would have quit flying immediately. It's just a judgement call.

Unanswerd, don't worry, you'll get used to flying in more marginal conditions in time. The trick is not to jump in over your head right at first. And this is especially true once you get your rating--there are plenty of times that it's perfectly safe to use an airplane when the weather is poor. It's just that it requires judgement and experience (and perhaps some additional training (IFR). Increase your own judgement by degrees. Not that I'm any good, but after getting some actual instrument time, 6 miles is nothing for me worry about. Try to stay just a little bit out of your comfort zone. Don't stray too far, but always be learning.

And remember that "legal" and "safe" are two completely separate things.

-Goose

 

[UnAnswerd]

Obviously, the left wing had already transitioned to the low visibility mode, while the right wing was lagging behind in the high visibility mode. Sometimes you have to do a 180° turn to get both wings in the same mode. (It's best to turn in the direction of the low-vis wing, so in your case a left turn.) I hope you wrote it up after you landed. It could be really dangerous for an inexperienced pilot.

TonyC,

Thanks for the surpassingly perspicuous reply. For having seen such a prodigious, glorious, and awe-inspiring reflection of your unrivalled ability to brandish your personal transcendence, I am privileged indeed. Finally instilled into my mind, is the lugubrious realization of my mendacious sense of independence from the sagaciousness that comprises ever cell of your body. I feel I must now bow down and commit suicide before your overwhelming presence to show my unadulterated and tremendous regret for having ever considered myself above your level of empyreal preponderance.