CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2 - 7

Chief's corner

getting it

BY JJ GREENWAY
Sometimes, a pilot can’t make the transition to a bigger or higher performance airplane. Stepping up from a single to a twin, from a light twin to a larger turboprop, or into a jet for the first time are transitions that can trip up otherwise qualified pilots. I instructed a C-130 pilot who seemed at a loss as to what to do

TeACh Flying long enough and you may encounter some-

one who is incapable of learning to fly. This dirty little secret of the flight training business doesn’t get aired much but it is true. I have a book on my bookshelf from early in my flight instructor career with the title Anyone Can Fly. On first reading, I agreed with the premise. A few decades and several thousand hours in the right seat later, I’m not so sure. None of our students are exactly alike. Some appear to have natural stick and rudder talent while others have to work at it. Some show up prepared, others put off the book learning because it lacks the “fun factor” of learning to fly. But what to do with a student pilot who, after 70 hours of dual, simply can’t make consistent landings? Or stalls the airplane while attempting to maintain straight and level flight? Or reaches for the wrong engine to feather during multiengine training? The first culprit I look at is me. Maybe my teaching style is at fault. It’s often easy enough to ask a fellow CFI to fly with a student and compare our experience. If the problem student responds differently to a different CFI, consider the problem solved. It may be no fault of your own; sometimes personalities just don’t mesh. If you’re still stymied, dig deeper. Question why your student wants to learn to fly. Maybe their spouse who flies is encouraging them. Maybe a child of a professional pilot is being pushed into a flying career, against their will. I’ve found that students who learn to fly for the wrong reasons have more difficulties in their training than students who are motivated by their own deep inner desire to learn. Fortunately, most students who realize that they’re not “getting it” lose interest and drift away. You may encounter a student who is so stubborn, they just don’t give up. Stubborn is good, in some cases, but an instructor owes the student an honest assessment of their skills. Document the student’s progress in detail. You should be doing this anyway. Beyond the documentation your flight school may require, it’s permissible to keep your own records on a student’s progress. If it comes time to level with your student it is helpful if you can point out exactly what it is that they’re not “getting.” Of course, there are other permutations as well. I’ve had a student who simply seemed to enjoy being a student. On nice days, he liked to take a lesson; if in the mood, he’d ask me if he could solo. He seemed comfortable with the arrangement and it worked for both of us. Nothing about his skills indicated he couldn’t perform well enough to take the practical test; he just wasn’t serious about becoming licensed. Another student (maybe he holds the record) first soloed back during the Nixon Administration. Several decades later he owns two lovely, well cared for, hangared airplanes and has yet to receive a sign-off for his private pilot practical test. He seems happy taking dual instruction occasionally, and soloing when the mood strikes. Who am I to stand in the way of his aviation dreams?

StudentS whO leArn tO Fly FOr the wrOng reASOnS hAve mOre dIFFICultIeS In theIr trAInIng thAn StudentS whO Are mOtIvAted by theIr Own deep Inner deSIre tO leArn.
without a handful of throttles and a wing filled with propellers when he stepped into the right seat of a Boeing 767 for the first time. The line portion of his qualification took about four times longer than average—but he got through it. A very proficient Baron pilot I knew had difficulty transitioning to a twin-engine turboprop when he was hired by a regional airline and eventually washed out of training. An F-16 pilot with about 1,300 hours total time was used to being solo in the cockpit and we had a good time over the course of a few days getting him to reach out to other airline cockpit crew members and delegate duties. Pilots reach their overload or maximum level of their capabilities at different levels. The savvy flight instructor learns to pick up just exactly where this level is with each of his or her students and works to overcome the training obstacle.

JJ Greenway, a CFI since 1980, has given dual instruction in aircraft ranging from the Luscombe 8A to the Boeing 767-300ER.

Flight instructors
model Code of Conduct
The permanent editorial board that oversees the work of the “Aviators Model Code of Conduct” has released its newest model code, for flight instructors (www. secureav.com). “Developed by a team of aviation professionals and drawing upon decades of research and experience, the Code recommends operating practices designed to improve the quality of flight instruction and the safety of flight training operations,” the organization said in an April 18 news release. Obtain the brochure at www. secureav.com.

www.airsafetyinstitute.org | 7

http://www.secureav.com http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2