PA-18/19 Super Cub
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
I was conducting OJTI on the Local Control position and had numerous inbound and outbound IFR aircraft. Cub called up requesting SVFR from the northwest; he was told to remain clear of the Class D. He then climbed above the airspace and came to the northeast of the airspace based on my Trainee's recommendation that the weather appeared better to the northeast. I kept him out of the airspace but after numerous prodding's from my Supervisor; I was instructed to ask if he could maintain VFR and proceed inbound; the Cub said he could and proceeded to about a mile northeast of the field. We got him in sight and then got a C172 in sight so my Trainee gave the Cub SVFR inbound instructions and he landed in front of the Cessna who was on about a four mile final. Later in the session a helicopter called inbound from the southeast requesting SVFR and we had a Baron inbound on a RNAV approach. My Trainee instructed the helicopter to remain clear of the Class D surface area and proceed to the southeast and maintain VFR at or below 500 FT. The same Supervisor again said that the helicopter could be brought in if he could maintain VFR; the Trainee then without my instruction asked if the helicopter could maintain VFR which the helicopter said he could. The Trainee then told the helicopter to proceed inbound and report one mile southeast of the airport. We quickly got both aircraft in sight before they entered the airspace at which point the Trainee gave the helicopter SVFR instructions and gave him clearance to transient parking. After the OJTI session I looked up in the 7110.65 if an aircraft could maintain VFR in an airspace reporting IFR conditions and both me and the Supervisor could not find a definitive answer. I would recommend that SVFR and VFR operations in an airspace reporting IFR be better spelled out in the 7110.65 and for a Supervisor to be better trained so as to not instruct a CPC to do something that may be illegal if they are not 100% sure what they are telling them to do is correct.
Tower Controller providing OJT during less than VFR minimums described instructions from a Supervisor who indicated that other than a SVFR clearance could be used for VFR traffic inbound.