Weather Cancellations

[integra144]

This is kind of a pointless thread, but just wanted to vent. I hate when weather cancels my flight with my instructor. I look forward to it all week, during school, at work.... then get notified that the weather has canceled my lesson today. Now I have to wait a whole week to fly again.

 

[bbchien]

It's better than flying into known ice and dying, however.

I don't mean to be jaded. When you are doing PVT ASEL, FOUR things have to come together:
The CFI
Your Schedule
A working LEGAL airplane
The Weather.

When you do IR, it's the same, unless in the summer. Then the Weather pretty much vanishes.

 

[flyersfan31]

I hear you brother. When I was training for the PPL I had the same feelings - look forward all week to flying, then BAM, cancelled. We've all been there.

Never forget, it is far better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground.

 

[Steve]

Let me throw in a fifth...

The pocketbook

 

[Ted]

Venting is allowed on this for sure, as we have all been there. It really sucks.

What sucks more will be the first time you plan a trip somewhere, especially somewhere you need to be, and it gets cancelled due to one of the above. By that point it's usually weather, but it still happens. Here in IPT during the winter, you need a full de-ice plane with instrument rating to make sure you can fly out. Frequently we'll get clouds with known ice right over the airport that you have to fly through to get past it. On one trip, my instructor and I had to take his Navajo instead of the 172 for no reason other than the Navajo could fly through the clouds with known ice, and the 172 couldn't. By the way, he didn't hit the de-ice once, he didn't need to. It was a short trip, and taking the Navajo consumed about 5x the fuel.

One idea that may help you. If you can afford it, try to plan for 2-3 lessons per week. You will be better served by trying to get lessons in more frequently anyway and complete your rating faster. Then, when one or two lessons get cancelled per week for whatever reason, you still have 1-2. Periods of time without flying, especially at the beginning, are the worst thing for your skill level.

Good luck, keep on flying!

 

[tonycondon]

it sucks but its an important part of your training. just make sure you are getting the "why" when you cancel for weather so that you know what to look for later on.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I never had to cancel because of weather when I was working on my private...


... until my checkride.

(I did end up with 2.9 actual IMC before my Private though.)

 

[rottydaddy]

Try missing four or five lessons in a row because of wx... I remember feeling like I was being singled-out; the weather would be OK until the day of my lesson, then all hell would break loose (usually in the winter). Even worse was when it was all good until the minute I got to the airport (usually a wind situation).
But looking back, I realize that learning to take that in stride prepared me for more of the same when I got my ticket.

Whether you're a pilot, a sailor, or just another schmo who has to go outside to work or have fun, griping about the weather just doesn't help any, because there ain't a damn thing you can do about it other than trying to read the signs to (slightly) improve your chances of getting the weather you want for your planned activity.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

It's better than flying into known ice and dying, however.

<SNIP>
When you do IR, it's the same, unless in the summer. Then the Weather pretty much vanishes.

Enough IFR lessons were canceled for me because of thunderstorms in summer.

 

[poadeleted20]

One idea that may help you. If you can afford it, try to plan for 2-3 lessons per week. You will be better served by trying to get lessons in more frequently anyway and complete your rating faster. Then, when one or two lessons get cancelled per week for whatever reason, you still have 1-2. Periods of time without flying, especially at the beginning, are the worst thing for your skill level.

Absolute truth -- at your stage, scheduling once a week isn't enough (especially if you sometimes go two weeks due to weather, aircraft, etc). You lose so much between lessons that you spend half the next lesson relearning the last one. I know that there are many factors in your life which may limit your scheduling flexibility, but you should try to schedule one hop after school mid-week (DST is back, making the flyable evenings longer) as well as one on the weekend.

 

[Ted]

In my case, when I was first starting I scheduled 2-3 lessons per week and ended up getting 1-2. These beginning portions are where you're first getting the feel for the airplane and learning it.

By Thanksgiving of last year, I had probabably somewhere in the 20-25 hour range. I'd soloed and had been signed off for unlimited solos within 25 mile radius of IPT. Then, for 6 weeks I didn't touch an airplane, due to chaos in my life and bad weather. By early/mid January when I got in an airplane again, my instructor went around the pattern with me 3 times just to make sure I remembered how to fly before I went off on my own. Yep, by then I was a little rusty, but I was amazed at how little things had changed.

By comparison, I have a friend who's probably at close to 30 hours now, hasn't soloed yet, and probably won't for another few months. He plans 1 lesson a week, which is frequently cancelled, and then he's stopped and started his training a few times. By this point, he should have started thinking about solo cross countries, not just his first solo.

 

[wayne]

I started booking more training flights once I had a couple of weather cancellations. That was pretty easy to figure out. If I got too many in (think cost) then I didn't book as many for a little bit. It averages out.

Getting called for weather beats the heck out of scheduling time (work, family, etc) for training, driving to the airport only to find the plane is down for maintenance. Grrrr.

 

[Rob Schaffer]

I just cancelled today, due to these crazy winds in the northeast again. Maybe I never noticed before, but this winter has had it's fair share of heavy wind fronts pushing through.

I work most of the day, but can schedule evenings when there isn't anything going on at home. Tues-Thursday, my instructor is available, but the rest of the week and weekend, she works in the afternoons till late at night, so I have to try and get a morning. Good part is, she's pretty flexible about scheduling. Hopefully, I'll get some nights next week when the weather cooperates. This weekend's out because of Easter and family dinners,.... MMMmmmm

 

[westerman]

A student pilot with 11.3 hours here.

I'll just chime in with other people have said: schedule 2 times a week and expect to actually fly once a week. Works for me and my pocketbook.


BTW: Nice weather for once and so I got to fly today. They plopped in a new engine into the plane (a Warrior) over the weekend. I wasn't planning to be the first one to use it. But bad weather Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday kept everyone away. So early this morning (Thursday) I'm out there looking at the log, realizing that I'm #1, and hoping that they put everything back together again. True, the mechanics did give it a 2 hour test ride after reinstalling the engine ... but couldn't someone else have been the student test pilot?

 

[t0r0nad0]

I'm surprised they let you take it... when they replaced the engine in one of the 172's that I used for training, they wouldn't let students take it for the first 75 hours unless they were going on a cross-country. Basically, they prohibited you from practicing touch & goes and simulated engine-out emergencies during the break-in period, lest you wind up with a real engine-out emergency.

 

[TMetzinger]

If they broke it in properly, it can be done in maybe 6 hours or less based on what the APS folks say. Sometimes I wonder why the factory doesn't run it in a test cell long enough to break it in?

 

[integra144]

Im doing two lessons per a week starting April and each lesson is 2.5 hours. Right now the instructors schedules is booked full. 2 times a week for 2.5 hours should be good right?

It costs around $300 a lesson so that would be $600 a week or $2400 a month. Dont know if I can afford three lessons a week. I am in college and have a job getting $10hr and work 24hrs a week (part time). My parents put in alot too, they pay for part of the flying and all of my college tution, credt cards, gas, etc so I feel bad asking for more. Also my goal was to pay for this myself to prove a point, but in the end it was just to expensive to support.

 

[integra144]

If they broke it in properly, it can be done in maybe 6 hours or less based on what the APS folks say. Sometimes I wonder why the factory doesn't run it in a test cell long enough to break it in?

dont you need 250 hours to get you license? and pass both a checkride and a written test.

 

[integra144]

In my case, when I was first starting I scheduled 2-3 lessons per week and ended up getting 1-2. These beginning portions are where you're first getting the feel for the airplane and learning it.

By Thanksgiving of last year, I had probabably somewhere in the 20-25 hour range. I'd soloed and had been signed off for unlimited solos within 25 mile radius of IPT. Then, for 6 weeks I didn't touch an airplane, due to chaos in my life and bad weather. By early/mid January when I got in an airplane again, my instructor went around the pattern with me 3 times just to make sure I remembered how to fly before I went off on my own. Yep, by then I was a little rusty, but I was amazed at how little things had changed.

By comparison, I have a friend who's probably at close to 30 hours now, hasn't soloed yet, and probably won't for another few months. He plans 1 lesson a week, which is frequently cancelled, and then he's stopped and started his training a few times. By this point, he should have started thinking about solo cross countries, not just his first solo.

hey I noticed in your sig you have Ford Excursion isn't that the biggest suv ever produced. How does that baby drive with the diseal 10? I always wanted to test drive one. I was behind one today in my RX330 and I was literally dwarfed by it. lol.

 

[poadeleted20]

Im doing two lessons per a week starting April and each lesson is 2.5 hours. Right the instructors schedules is booked full. 2 times a week for 2.5 hours should be good right?

2.5 hours of flying is a lot of training at once, although being young, you're probably better able to handle it than older students.

 

[GMascelli]

I just started the IR and will be planning for three lessons a week while in the sim and at least two to three when we get in the Archer. I'll just need to make a short hop to where I'm trainning. After selling my vette the cash is on hand and I dont have to touch the "flying account" it helps ease the scheduling.

So....working in the sim no wx issues. Keeping fingers crossed for flight time!

 

[Ted]

A few things:

1) To get your private pilot (ASEL) you need a minimum 40 hours. Check out FAR 61.109, it will lay out the requirements for you. Your other ratings have different requirements. Depending on what kind of plane you want to buy (assuming you want to buy one) insurance will have more requirements. I want a twin engine plane. Insurance won't even talk to me until I have 200 hours. So, I need 200 hours first, and it would certainly help if I managed to get high performance, complex, and twin time in there.

2) 2.5 hours is a long lesson, as has been mentioned. Your brain may work differently than mine, but for these first bits where you are doing all the "real" learning, getting exposed to new things, probably scaring yourself, etc. I think that 1-1.5 hours is better. Maybe you should consider trying to plan for 2 1.5 hour lessons a week instead of one 2.5 hour lesson. That would probably be more productive.

3) I have the 6.8L Triton V10 gas engine in my Excursion. The diesels they were offered with were the 7.3L and 6.0L PowerStroke engines. The V10 is an extremely smooth engine, and also very quiet in stock form. Both of the diesels are loud, the 7.3 just being a loud diesel, and the 6.0 having turbo that makes more noise than some turboprops. The Excursion is nothing more than an F-250 in SUV form with softer springs. I love mine, and it has proven an extremely capable SUV. The V10 is no diesel, and it shows when towing (even with the towing gears), but that is fine, I don't tow much anymore. I mostly use the truck for commuting, 4x4 to get up my driveway in the winter, and hauling tons of stuff from point A to point B. I would definitely recommend one of these to anyone who has a need for a vehicle of this sort, which I do.

 

[stingray]

2.5 hours of flying is a lot of training at once, although being young, you're probably better able to handle it than older students.

I think Ron is right 2.5 is a lot of time no matter how old you are. Keep it under 1 hour until you solo. You will learn more in two 1 hour lessons than you will in one 2 hr lesson. After each lesson you will find yourself going over things that you did (right and wrong) during the off time. In a full 2 hr lesson you do not get this time to reflect.

After you solo and get some time solo under your belt, 2 hr lessons for CC and going to towered airports is OK. A lot also depends on how your instructor charges. You will find that after you are comfortable in the plane 1 hr goes by rather quick. Toward the end of your lessons.

Dan

 

[SkyHog]

I disagree about keeping it around 1 hour. When I was in New Hampshire learning, we kept to 1 hour flights, and it seemed to take me forever to grasp landings. In New Mexico, my CFI had our lessons go around 2 to 2.5 hours, and I learned a lot more, and became more proficient more quickly than I did in New Hampshire. I got landings down fairly quickly that way.

But - to the original point, its kinda funny (not haha....weather cancellations suck), but this exact thread seems to come up every so often, and its almost always a student in your exact position and skill level (I'm pretty sure I posted this exact thread myself on the old yellow board). You're not alone, man, and I feel your pain!

edit: sure enough....the difference being that apparently no one wanted to reply to me way back then. Sniff. So unloved: http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=692

 

[Ted]

Nick's absolutely right. As an early student, one of the most annoying things to come to terms with is the fact that the weather both can and will screw up your flight training.

For me, the first time it really bugged me was when a trip was cancelled. A friend of mine and I were going to fly up to CT from IPT, and he was going to drop me off so that I could pick up my Excursion (I bought it in September). We loaded up the Archer and off we went. Weather looked marginal, but looked like we'd make it. 3/4 of the way, we had to turn around because visibility got too bad and he didn't want to do skud running, and if we stayed above the clouds we might not be able to get below them.

So after all that, we had to turn around, and another friend and I hopped in the Jag and drove to New York, where I got a third friend to drive me to CT and pick up my truck.

That said, it was a fun flight anyway, so I'm glad we went. I managed to return the favor to the guy last week, when he had to drop off his Mooey at the avionics shop in LNS. He flew the Mooney down, and I flew the 172 down. Then he flew the 172 back (since I still can't have passengers). Now THAT is a cool feeling, the first time you use your piloting skills to help someone by yourself.

 

[bobmrg]

I'm surprised they let you take it... when they replaced the engine in one of the 172's that I used for training, they wouldn't let students take it for the first 75 hours unless they were going on a cross-country. Basically, they prohibited you from practicing touch & goes and simulated engine-out emergencies during the break-in period, lest you wind up with a real engine-out emergency.

My goodness! I was the designated break-in-after-major pilot for my FBO and managed to get it done in one day...and we got 2500 hours out of each major. Gets kind of boring, flying straight and level and changing power settings, but if it is done right there should be no 75 hour (or other) restriction.

Bob Gardner