Should PPL/CPL Students Do Instrument Training

[westwind]

The other problem, and it is a problem, is in much of the Southwest and West, there's often not a lot of IMC weather that is suitable for light aircraft. Often, if it's IMC, there's lot's of serious convective activity, ice, or 40 kt winds. Not a lot of "benign" 500 x 2 in haze and fog....

Vector4fun is dead on with this one.

Also, I am training in Leadville with a 160 horsepower C-172. What altitude would I have to get to for instrument training here? Never mind about (YIKES) actual.

 

[Vector4fun]

Also, I am training in Leadville with a 160 horsepower C-172. What altitude would I have to get to for instrument training here? Never mind about (YIKES) actual.

Heh, heh, heh. I did some mountain training at Salida in an old C-150 years ago, dead of winter. I imagine the 172 is about the same this time of year. Buena Vista was just a gravel strip serving the prison then. Where are you doing approaches? Cool mining museum up there. Leadville was becoming such a dump back in the '70s, good to see the town sprucing up nowadays.

 

[Whirlwind]

PS - Any of you CFIIs out there that do not train your instrument students in actual? I'm at a school now that SAYS they do, but today is perfect for it (2,000 broken/10 vis) and they won't do it. Any opinions on that?

I've taken every private student I've completed a rating for up into actual for their three required hours.

Every single one has been amazed at how hard it really is without training, and the primary reason I do it is to "show" them, rather than "tell" them, why they should stay away from clouds without proper training.

I also spend time talking to them about currency and the need for more training than the legal mins. One way I show this is that when they lose control in actual, I fix it while still talking and teaching, making it look as easy as possible. I then point out that I can do this because I fly every day, it is my choosen profession. Unless they plan to make it their career, they should strongly consider setting higher personal mins than the legal limits.

 

[westwind]

Heh, heh, heh. I did some mountain training at Salida in an old C-150 years ago, dead of winter. I imagine the 172 is about the same this time of year. Buena Vista was just a gravel strip serving the prison then. Where are you doing approaches? Cool mining museum up there. Leadville was becoming such a dump back in the '70s, good to see the town sprucing up nowadays.

No instrument training up here. You would need at least a 182 (with oxygen) to reach the 16,000'+ necessary for the approaches. The weather minimums for VFR are REALY tight. Too many "14ers" to bump into. Luckily enugh, we get plenty of "clear and a million" You wouldn't recognize Buena Vista. 8,300' of nice, wide pavement, neat little FBO with an art gallery. Leadville cleans up nicely too! Come back and check out the place again sometime. Gotta go shovel snow off the steps now. Seeya Later.