"HankPilot2002" wrote in message
...
I was level at 1500' MSL and ATC announced a Gulfstream bizjet crossing
from my
right to left, 3000' MSL less than a mile lateral distance. I had my
instrument student do a 360 for wake turbulence separation and
dissipation.
ATC questioned my actions and told me the 360 wasn't necessary.

BTW: I was in Class Echo airspace in southern Maine.

I havent been instructing all that long but this did seem to me to be a
classic
wake turb encounter in the making. I am interested in hearing from other
pilots and CFII's on this subject. Was I over cautious ? Or prudent.....

You're PIC. If you feel it necessary to do a 360,
ATC has no reason to be critical. They don't have all the
facts -- perhaps you had reason to doubt your altimeter or
mode 'C' for some reason, or needed to impress upon your
student that it's OK to deviate if you feel uneasy in a situation.
Unless, of course, you were flying IFR in which case you
should probably have asked first.

That said, you were being over cautious to this threat. Wake
turbulence levels off about 800' below an aircraft track, so
you still had 700' of buffer.