CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 10 Issue 4 - 41

CHIEF'S CORNER
AS I SIT HERE WRITING THIS ARTICLE, WE
HAVE OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE FALL/WINTER
HOLIDAY SEASON. Halloween is a week behind

us, we're in the season of giving thanks (shouldn't
that be all year?!) and Hanukkah, Christmas, and
Kwanzaa are coming up in less than a month.
By the end of December when presents are
unwrapped and holiday meals are leftovers only,
we'll be settling in for a winter's nap, length yet
to be determined. The new year is ahead full of
possibilities and opportunities-what to do?
Let's talk about giving back for a moment. It's
a popular topic inside and outside of aviation.
There are plenty of opportunities for us to
do that. But specifically, what about as flight
instructors, how can we give back to aviation?
The obvious answer is to mentor a new student,
not necessarily your own. I frequently find
myself in that position in talking with staff
members here at AOPA who are going through
flight training. It's not a constant thing, but a

conversation here or there, usually beginning
with "how's your flight training going?" And then
listening, really listening to what they're telling
me. Is it a brusque "fine, great, no worries" with
something hidden behind that comment? Is it an
animated retelling of the maneuver they nailed
in their last lesson? Or is it the hesitant tale of a
stumbling block in their way of moving forward
in their training? Whatever the answer, the key is
in the listening, and then asking more questions
as I help them to understand what's troubling
them or celebrate their success.
My greatest pleasure as a flight instructor is to
help somebody gain a deeper understanding of
a topic or maneuver. If it's one that I myself may
be a little rusty on, even better because now I'm
learning too. Delving into source material is
always fun and showing somebody how to find
their own answers is even better. Once we've
figured it out, I try to check back with them after
a bit to see if our chat helped.

How else can we give back? Well, you might be
aware AOPA has been trying to grow the pilot
population and encourage a new generation
of aviators through our various You Can Fly
programs. Certainly, participating in any of those
is a great way to give back to the community,
from hosting a Rusty Pilots seminar and
completing the flight reviews for those "Rustys"
to talking with your local schools to see if
they're interested in using the AOPA high school
curriculum. Joining a flying club or starting/
sponsoring a flying club can also be an excellent
way to support cost effective flying. You can find
more information on the You Can Fly website.
Youth programs are also a very good way to
give back-and they are my favorite way. I've
been involved in two, one with a direct aviation
relation-the Civil Air Patrol. From giving
orientation rides to cadets to actual flight
training and mission training, CAP is a fun way
to get involved with aviation-oriented youth and
adults. It can be expensive-I won't tell you an

ONE LAST THOUGHT TO CLOSE OUT THIS YEAR-YOU CAN GIVE BACK TO AVIATION BY BEING A SAFER
PILOT. TAKE SOME TIME TO GET SOME PROFICIENCY TRAINING, CONSIDER ADDING A RATING, GETTING
CHECKED OUT IN A NEW AIRCRAFT, OR TAKING AN AVIATION ADVENTURE TRIP.
http://youcanfly.aopa.org
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 10 Issue 4

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