INSTRUCTOR PLT OF A PIPER SENECA; PA34; INSTRUCTED THE INST STUDENT TO LEVEL OFF AND STAY CLR OF THE 400 FT OVCST AND RETURN TO LAND AT A NON TWR INST APCH ARPT.

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I WAS INTENDING TO GIVE ONE OF MY INST STUDENTS A LESSON ON FLYING APCHS IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS. THROUGH LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON CONDITIONS WERE BEING RPTED 1100 FT TO 1800 FT CEILINGS AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. A LITTLE AFTER XA00 PM LCL TIME MY STUDENT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FOR AN IFR TRAINING FLT TO GRR. FLT SVC RPTED 1800 FT CEILINGS AND 6 MI VISIBILITY FOR BOTH GRR AND LAN; WHICH ARE INLAND FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY WX INFO FROM THE ARPTS ALONG THE LAKESHORE; AND WE DID NOT ASK (1ST MISTAKE). WE WERE ALSO TRYING TO FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES WITH SOME RATHER SOPHISTICATED EQUIP IN THE OWNER'S AIRPLANE (2ND MISTAKE). THIS CAUSED A DELAY AND WE DID NOT GET OFF THE GND UNTIL AFTER XB00 LCL TIME. UPON REACHING 400 FT AGL; WE WERE AT THE BASE OF AN OVCST LAYER (WE WERE INTENDING TO GO UP TO 1000 FT AGL AND GET A LCL IFR INTO GRR). I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO LEVEL OFF TO STAY CLR OF THE CLOUD LAYER AND TO KEEP THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE ARE BASED AT AN ARPT OUT IN THE COUNTRY; WITHOUT AN INST APCH; SO OUR COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO FLY A TIGHT CIRCLING APCH; AND AFTER A FEW TENSE MOMENTS LANDED SAFELY. IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT I WAS LEGAL THE WHOLE TIME; HOWEVER; SUCH ACTIVITY IS CLRLY UNSAFE. UPON LNDG WE CALLED AND ASKED FOR THE FLT CONDITIONS AT BIV WHICH IS ALONG THE LAKESHORE. BIV WAS RPTING 400 FT AGL AND 4 MI VISIBILITY. IT WAS SHORTSIGHTEDNESS ON MY PART; NOT GETTING A MORE THOROUGH WX BRIEFING AND NOT HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OWNER'S EQUIP.