@rocam When the weather was really foul, my old instructor (bless him) used to insist on us going up to “give it a look” and shoot some real hairy NDBs and ILSs at EGMC with x winds just about in limits (well, nearly 
) and take a downwind landing for practice. Wouldn’t lift the screen (he used the map pressed into the corners of the screen) until we were striking distance from the runway.
Gawd, he had guts but his teachings were designed to keep me alive - and they did!
It also taught me some good decision making about the risks of IMC and icing. Didn’t have icing boots on the plane but we took the ship up into IMC and ice to show me what it was like and how the ship handled differently.
An extraordinary instructor.
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Graham, they wouldnt be allowed to do that these days, no seat of the pants flying now. all calculated and the risk assesments cover it. Load of tosh but hey ho. One of the reasons i let the bigger flying licence go to get out of that frame of mind. I still have the seat of the pants LSA licence now and suits me to the ground. Barnstormers et al. I used to love the weather check flights at Detmold with the Beaver.
My instructor was a law unto himself! Even had his own call sign allocated when flying through the US class airspace in East of England.
Been away from it nearly 15 years now. No chance of any sort of medical!
I also did aero’s with an old Ford Air chief pilot (English) who used to fly the last of the Vulcans before they were demobbed. Best aeroplane ever built!
When i was renewing after 20 odd years, i flew with an instructor at Waterford, this guy was so old school it was scary. Returning from a sortie over the Irish sea in twilight,he asked can you see the runway cos he had left his glasses in the clubhouse. so muggins here flew the circuit and landed very sweetly without lights on the ground or on the panel. Got into the clubhouse after he lambasted the ATC for not turning the lights on, and he says"oh here they are" (in his shirt pocket). Like you i learned more from him in an hour than the ponces at the other school in 10 hours, that i later went to. Missed the slot by 1 day due to theory running out. Went on to complete the licence in the CZ rep, within 3 weeks. Best flying ever.
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