CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 2 - 7

Chief's corner

Enjoy the ride

By KRISTINE HARTZELL
first officer to encourage them to simply savor the joy of flying. When the after-takeoff check is complete and they are out of the terminal area busyness—comfortably en route and on autopilot—the training captain is encouraged to ask the first officer if he’s ever been above FL180? Ever been this fast? Ever seen such an amazing view? Incredibly, the room went silent. Grins of acknowledgment crossed the faces of those of us who have had the pleasure of working in that type of window office. As flight instructors, we have the unique opportunity to inspire, lead, teach, and mentor in a world many only dream about. While ensuring our students learn all they need to earn their certificate and fly safely, for their sake as well as our own, we should never forget to enjoy the ride.

in 2010, AoPA conducted a survey on the flight training experience as part of its Flight Training Student Retention Initiative. The results of the survey outlined attributes, which defined the “optimal primary flight training experience”—one in which students are most likely to complete their training and earn a private pilot certificate. The survey results listed attributes such as instructor effectiveness, organized lessons, value, and quality of aircraft among many others, but most interesting to me was that when asked to describe the most positive aspect of flight training in AS reSponSIble StewArdS their own words, oF our ClIent’S FlIght the sheer enjoyment trAInIng budget, we of flying emerged at run through the the top. As flight instrucSyllAbuS to enSure we tors, most of us are CrAm AS muCh uSeFul InFormAtIon AS poSSIble driven and goal oriented. We spend Into the SCheduled a lot of time workFlIght bloCk. ing toward a goal— whether the longer term goal of completing a student’s training or the immediate goal of completing the day’s lesson within the scheduled time. As responsible stewards of our client’s flight training budget, we run through the syllabus to ensure we cram as much useful information as possible into the scheduled flight block. But how much time do we spend teaching our student to enjoy flying? Recently, I was at an industry meeting where an airline hiring manager and friend of mine was reviewing the current state of regional pilot hiring, the outlook, and the concerns facing new airline pilots. Much of what he said was bleak— leading into the typical bemoaning about pay, airline financial instability, and schedules. Suddenly he paused. He began to discuss a concept that his airline uses to try to combat these negativities: He recommends to his training captains that they take a minute or two on the first day of line flying with a new

Kristine Hartzell, an ATP, CFI, CFII, and MEI, has worked as an instructor and check airman in part 61, 141, 142, 121, and 135 operations. She’s the Air Safety Institute’s Chief Flight Instructor and a mother of two.

did you know?
AoPA's flight training Excellence Awards
AOPA’s Flight Training Excellence awards— brought to you by Flight Training magazine— will be given annually to flight schools and independent flight training providers who deliver an exceptional flight training experience through educational quality, customer focus, community, and information sharing, and put those practices to work every day. If you are aware of a flight school or independent training professional that’s doing an outstanding job of supporting student pilots and helping them succeed, please complete the online award nomination and encourage your fellow pilots and student pilots to do the same (http://flighttraining.aopa.org/awards).

www.airsafetyinstitute.org | 7

http://flighttraining.aopa.org/awards http://flighttraining.aopa.org/awards http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 2