CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 1 - 11

TRIC KS O F TH E TRAD E

COLLECTED WISDOM

EDITOR'S NOTE:
The following is a compilation of flight instructors' favorite techniques
for teaching a procedure, enhancing a student's aviation experience, and
promoting learning. Email cfinewsletter@aopa.org to share your favorite
instructional tip.
GOT THE ALTIMETER SETTING?
The airport where I instruct sits at 500 msl. Sometimes I will set the
altimeter to minus 500. A fair number of pilots will miss that, unfortunately.
-Anton Verhulst
COORDINATED STALL DEMO
I have found that most students do not like stalls. Some think that the
aircraft will fall out of the sky. But if you let them experience stalling the
aircraft and keeping it coordinated with rudder in the stall configuration
as the aircraft descends, they can realize that it is not going to fall out of
the sky. Plus, it teaches them to use rudder effectively.
-Anonymous
	My initial training CFI called this the "falling leaf stall" to
demonstrate how the airplane will gently descend like a leaf (not fall)
as you keep it stalled and coordinated. Great rudder workout!
-Editor
A RUNWAY THAT GETS IN MULTIPLE LANDINGS
Use abandoned military airfields for practicing primary landing
training. You may have an 11,000 foot runway, which translates into
four, five, or maybe even six landings!
-Anonymous

LEARN, TEACH, LEARN
The best way to learn is to teach. Once a student has obtained a working
knowledge of a maneuver, I have them teach it to me-great way for them
to truly learn. Along the same lines, having students verbally express
what they are doing when they perform a maneuver helps them learn. It
also provides insights into their thought processes.
-Anonymous
IFR ATTITUDE DISCRIMINATOR
Have your student place his or her head down wearing a view limiting
device while you perform whatever unusual attitude you choose. The
student believes that this is a flight discipline training exercise, but
while you were scrambling his or her vestibular senses, you also cranked
the DG 120 degrees. Once they recover to straight and level flight, you
have them intercept a VOR radial, track a GPS course, or attempt to fly
a localizer. It is a good reminder to the student that multiple events can
happen at the same time and not always offer an "off" flag.
-Dale Smith
IMPROVING THE LANDING LINE OF SIGHT
My student was frequently flaring and touching down with left yaw in
a Cessna 150. He apparently was using a line of sight that passed over
the center of the nose/propeller to judge alignment of the aircraft with
the centerline of the runway. To help overcome this, I put a piece of
masking tape on the cowling directly in front of his position to use as
a sight reference.
-Anonymous

How about you? Do you have a tip you'd like to share with other CFIs?
Email cfinewsletter@aopa.org to add your wisdom to the list.
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 1
