To all CFI's: Stupidest student questions.
- Thread starter hambone
- Start date
navymmw
Well-Known Member
Pachong,
I hate to go off topic here, but I love your sig. I had to search google for the full image.
Now since i'm not a cfi I guess I will post my stupidest moment while training for my Private,
Going through my in range check into Nashua I said them all out loud,
Power....2000RPM
Fuel Pump....On
Fuel Selector...Fullest tank
Flaps......1
I did everything, except I said the fuel pump was on and made the movement with my hand about a foot away from the switch, I never switched it, not a proud moment for me, lol.
I hate to go off topic here, but I love your sig. I had to search google for the full image.
Now since i'm not a cfi I guess I will post my stupidest moment while training for my Private,
Going through my in range check into Nashua I said them all out loud,
Power....2000RPM
Fuel Pump....On
Fuel Selector...Fullest tank
Flaps......1
I did everything, except I said the fuel pump was on and made the movement with my hand about a foot away from the switch, I never switched it, not a proud moment for me, lol.
cguerrant
Well-Known Member
While I was in the army we went on x-country to evansville and ate at a barbecue buffet reataurant. The pilot that was being evaluated that night said to everyone which there were several other IP's line pilots and crew chiefs that he wanted to be a taste tester for restaurants when he got out of the army and without missing a beat his IP said.....why don't you learn how to fly first. I almost choked I laughed so hard.
Fly_Unity
Well-Known Member
Thats pretty common among students. I even seen once where a guy says "gear down", he then makes the movement with his hand and proceeds to almost land gear up. I guess chair flying has its drawbacks?
Joe
Well-Known Member
I'm sure I have plenty but they're escaping me at the moment, but one of my former coworkers was doing an instrument stage I check a few months ago and during pre-flight would ask the student, "What's that?" It had absolutely nothing to do with IFR Stage I, but he does it anyway. When they get to the elevators, the student says, "These are the spoilers." The check instructor just keeps a straight face and says "Okay." When they get to the ailerons, he asks again. The student stops and says, "Oh, you must think I'm an idiot. Those are the elevators. These are the spoilers." My coworker's only reply was, "You're half right."
Krieger
Well-Known Member
Foreign student. We were having a group discussion about class Echo Airspace.
Me - how many letters are in the word MAGENTA?
Student - .....two...?
Me - I said how many letters are in the word MAGENTA!
Student - OH! CARB HEAT!
Me.... Seriously (while his fellow students were laughing at him)
Me - how many letters are in the word MAGENTA?
Student - .....two...?
Me - I said how many letters are in the word MAGENTA!
Student - OH! CARB HEAT!
Me.... Seriously (while his fellow students were laughing at him)
Bernoulli Fan
Controller
ha! Is the seven-letter thing to remember the 700-foot floor or something?
A150K
Well-Known Member
:rotfl:
Krieger
Well-Known Member
Joestructor
New Member
One question that ticks me off is:
"Why do I have to learn how to use an E6B? This electronic one works too!"
*Facepalm*
"Because I am the instructor and I say you learn how to use it"
"Why do I have to learn how to use an E6B? This electronic one works too!"
*Facepalm*
"Because I am the instructor and I say you learn how to use it"
Krieger
Well-Known Member
I would have gone with
Because the batteries will never fail!
Because it's faster than the electronic model
Because the cool kids are doing it
DavCo
Well-Known Member
Okay, as a Captain at a low time hiring airline, I got these two, on the same day. In cruise, briefing the visual, I asked for "seventeens" (flap 17 numbers for landing) after he prompted me, asking "what speeds do you want?". He selects flaps 17. 
On the way back, into a 20 mile final with a glideslope back up he says, "Can you shadow me on this one??" WTF? That was just the first two turns of the day.
On the way back, into a 20 mile final with a glideslope back up he says, "Can you shadow me on this one??" WTF? That was just the first two turns of the day.
Maurus
The Great Gazoo
Student #1
On a Stage 2 Check I had a girl do a cross-country for me. She was doing just fine and then I gave her a diversion. She takes me exactly to the airport but couldn't find the airport. She then proceeds to circle around the airport looking out the airplane in the opposite direction of the airport. She looked everywhere except in the small area she was circling around. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and assumed she just couldn't see the airport as the runway was brown and it was fall.
I gave her a second diversion to a runway that was freshly paved and painted. Stood out like a sore thumb. The exact thing happened. Arrived at the airport only to circle over the top with her looking in the wrong direction. Get on the ground and I come to find out every one of her training X-countries were to the same airport. She didn't really know how to find airports from the air.
When I gave her a recheck she did just fine on the original X-country plan. Gave a diversion and she went north instead of west. The worst part is that there was a huge lake that we were paralleling that would easily help give her position. She couldn't find the lake on the sectional.
Student #2
I was training a guy for his instrument and the lesson was a VOR tracking lesson with DME Arcs. We already had a lesson or two on VOR navigation and DME arcs. First we did some maneuvers. Once the maneuvers were finished I told him to take me direct to the VOR. He tunes and idents it just fine. Then he uses the OBS to center the CDI with a TO indication and turns in the proper direction. When he arrived at his heading he realized that the CDI was fully deflected. He turns the OBS 90 degrees to center the needle again and proceeds to turn again. He continued to do this for about 5 rotations around the VOR when I finally told him what was happening.
Later in the lesson I asked him if he remembered how to do a DME arc. He said yes. We starting flying outbound from the VOR and I told him to do a 10 DME arc to the 060 radial and intercept it inbound. He turned at the proper time and in the correct direction. I then notice that he is not moving the OBS. Every once in a while he would twist his heading 10 degrees. He literally flew the arc within .1nm without using the navaid and not knowing when he was in relation to the VOR.
I should have expected something crazy to happen as the lesson before he stalled the aircraft during slow flight. His reaction to the stall was to pull back on the yoke.
On a Stage 2 Check I had a girl do a cross-country for me. She was doing just fine and then I gave her a diversion. She takes me exactly to the airport but couldn't find the airport. She then proceeds to circle around the airport looking out the airplane in the opposite direction of the airport. She looked everywhere except in the small area she was circling around. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and assumed she just couldn't see the airport as the runway was brown and it was fall.
I gave her a second diversion to a runway that was freshly paved and painted. Stood out like a sore thumb. The exact thing happened. Arrived at the airport only to circle over the top with her looking in the wrong direction. Get on the ground and I come to find out every one of her training X-countries were to the same airport. She didn't really know how to find airports from the air.
When I gave her a recheck she did just fine on the original X-country plan. Gave a diversion and she went north instead of west. The worst part is that there was a huge lake that we were paralleling that would easily help give her position. She couldn't find the lake on the sectional.
Student #2
I was training a guy for his instrument and the lesson was a VOR tracking lesson with DME Arcs. We already had a lesson or two on VOR navigation and DME arcs. First we did some maneuvers. Once the maneuvers were finished I told him to take me direct to the VOR. He tunes and idents it just fine. Then he uses the OBS to center the CDI with a TO indication and turns in the proper direction. When he arrived at his heading he realized that the CDI was fully deflected. He turns the OBS 90 degrees to center the needle again and proceeds to turn again. He continued to do this for about 5 rotations around the VOR when I finally told him what was happening.
Later in the lesson I asked him if he remembered how to do a DME arc. He said yes. We starting flying outbound from the VOR and I told him to do a 10 DME arc to the 060 radial and intercept it inbound. He turned at the proper time and in the correct direction. I then notice that he is not moving the OBS. Every once in a while he would twist his heading 10 degrees. He literally flew the arc within .1nm without using the navaid and not knowing when he was in relation to the VOR.
I should have expected something crazy to happen as the lesson before he stalled the aircraft during slow flight. His reaction to the stall was to pull back on the yoke.
Wing_96
Well-Known Member
I can't top the OP's student, but had a funny moment recently.
I gave a flight review recently to a guy at an airport with parallel runways. I'll call them 20R, and 20L to protect the innocent. 20R is much longer and wider than 20L. We were making circuits in the pattern when the tower called him, "Aircraft 123, cleared for the option on runway 20L." His response was to the tower was, "Well, if I have the option, then I would like to land on 20R." He said this with all seriousness, and was not trying to be funny.
I gave a flight review recently to a guy at an airport with parallel runways. I'll call them 20R, and 20L to protect the innocent. 20R is much longer and wider than 20L. We were making circuits in the pattern when the tower called him, "Aircraft 123, cleared for the option on runway 20L." His response was to the tower was, "Well, if I have the option, then I would like to land on 20R." He said this with all seriousness, and was not trying to be funny.
N18040
Well-Known Member
I had a lab partner in one of my classes well into A&P training. I know that this guy was at least close to having his commercial at this point in time if he didn't have it already. Anyway we were discussing hydraulic flight controls on airliners and how they have artificial load feel springs. The lab instructor asks if 172s have load feel springs, and this guy answers that yes they do. He then goes on to explain where they are located and everything.
pullup
Homewrecker
I assume he is now working for Colgan?
ryan1234
Desensitized Member
You don't need to constantly be turning the VOR to know where you are in relation the the VOR. Back when I did my instrument checkride my DPE (who was an old mil instructor) showed me how to think through things like that.
Basically if the profile is to intercept the VOR, fly outbound on the 180 radial, fly a 10nm DME arc to intercept the 090 radial inbound... All you would really have to do is make sure you were on the 180 radial outbound, turn left 90 degrees prior to and maintain 10 DME, keep turning a little more left when you get 10.1, not exceed 9.9. Set the VOR to intercept the 090 inbound. Done. IMHO, that method helps to build better SA over all.