Advice for New Instructors

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digits_
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Re: Advice for New Instructors

Post by digits_ »

I still recall the rather glorious moment when my multi examiner told me to do the walk around after he just landed the plane from getting his recurrent check ride done, and I pulled out an oily rag out of the cowl flaps...

I think I passed my ride at that moment before we even left the ground.
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As an AvCanada discussion grows longer:
-the probability of 'entitlement' being mentioned, approaches 1
-one will be accused of using bad airmanship
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rookiepilot
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Re: Advice for New Instructors

Post by rookiepilot »

Squaretail wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:23 am
rookiepilot wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 6:30 am
I recall my instructor audibly verifying fuel and oil levels with me after my walk arounds, checking oil themselves, and looking at fuel caps from the ground, to ensure they were secure.
Surprised he had time to do that between instagram posts, checking facebook and re-calculating his time built towards his ATPL.
Your sarcastic comment implies you’ve never seen or heard of an instructor pulling out their phone during a lesson. That I am making it up.

Is that what you are saying?

Answer Yes or No.

I’ve seen it more than once. Extremely unprofessional in my view.

Its checking out on the part of an instructor.

The student has the right to expect full engagement from their instructor, wouldn’t you agree?
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Last edited by rookiepilot on Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Big Pistons Forever
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Re: Advice for New Instructors

Post by Big Pistons Forever »

My 02 Cents

1) The most important lessons you will teach are ex 5 to 9. These foundational air exercise are the building blocks for all future training. DO NOT progress past these lessons until the student can reliably and accurately control the aircraft. The test is that the student can recognize the aircraft’s attitude, appropriately use Attitude + Power = Performance to generate the desired aircraft flight path, and recognize and correct deviations from the desired flight path. They don’t have to be perfect but they need to be able to do the basics with only occasional coaching. As an experienced instructor I was often asked to “fix” students who were in the circuit but not progressing. The problem was invariably not that they couldn’t land, it was they couldn’t fly. On several occasions I had to go right back to attitudes and movements with them. The good news is as I developed as an instructor and started spending more time on ex 5 to 9, my time to solo went up but time to flight test went down and flight test scores were dramatically improved.

2) YOU are responsible for teaching airmanship. Your actions are the one data point that your student will use as to what is good airmanship and what is not. Set the highest possible standards by your actions on every flight. Explain why you are doing something to emphasize the learning. ( eg see how I have moved to the side of the runup area with my tail out over the grass so that I will leave room for other aircraft and not blast anyone with my prop wash, or see there is an airplane on short final so rather than rush lining up and taking off I am going to wait so that we won’t be rushed and maybe miss something important etc etc)

3) Related to point 2 is the airplane is YOUR responsibility. Never leave it unsecured, tidy the cabin and clean the windshield if required.

4) My experience is that knowledge of aircraft systems and how to determine if the airplane is airworthy is often very poor with new instructors. Know the POH throughly and visit the hangar and talk to the engineers. Most of them are very happy to show you the airplane when it is apart and describe how the airplane major systems work.

5) Re the walk around. The POH has a walk around checklist use it when you teach it and make sure the students use it. I never get into an airplane without checking the fuel and oil myself and doing a “360” check (a walk around looking for anything hanging, dripping, or wrong). The only question I ask the student starting on the very first lesson is for them to tell me how much time is in the tanks

6) The Flight Instructor scan is Hobbs, AI, Hobbs DI, Hobbs Altitude, Hobbs Airspeed :smt040
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Squaretail
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Re: Advice for New Instructors

Post by Squaretail »


Answer Yes or No.

I’ve seen it more than once. Extremely unprofessional in my view.
No. I dont doubt you have seen it, my sarcasm is that from your posting history here, you make that assumption of all instructors, hence your first post in this thread. I express genuine shock that you would make a post that doesnt further that narrative.
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