Flight School: Weather Restrictions

Pia Bergqvist

Friday, October 28, 2011 at 10:19 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Flight instructors should establish clear, conservative weather limits for student solo endorsements, implementing a graduated plan that allows for increased flexibility as students gain experience.
The ultimate goal is to empower student pilots to develop their own "go/no-go" weather decisions, considering legal limits, personal capabilities, and aircraft performance.
Effective instruction involves training students in varied weather conditions and utilizing tools like pre-solo check-ins or verbal authorization to guide and assess their weather decision-making process.

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What weather limits should an instructor set for a student to fly solo?

Jeff Edwards has been a flight instructor since 1982 and is a former FAA-designated pilot examiner. He has been a six-time designated Master Certificated Flight Instructor. In 2003, Jeff was selected as the National Flight Instructor of the Year. Jeff has more than 8,000 flight hours including nearly 2,000 as a bombardier/navigator in the A-6 Intruder. He says: