What makes a "better" pilot?

[OldTownPilot]

With all this discussion about academies, FBOS, et al, the term "better" has come up a lot.

So the question begs, what is "better" in your personal oppinion? what produces a "better" pilot?

1: Inate skill. Some people just aren't made to controll them selves in a 3-d dynamic environment. Some people were born with a yoke in their hands.

2: The instructor/student relationship. How well can the instrictor convey what needs to be done. How well does the student learn form the instructor's teaching style.

3: Variety of experience. Flying in dynamic weather systems. Flying various types of aircraft. Flying different mission profiles.

 

[SeatClutcher]

As a passenger, I vote for #1 combined with #3.

#2 has little to do with being a good pilot and a lot to do with being a good teacher.

 

[Swen]

A pilot becomes better by either experiencing or being trained towards the infinate possibilities of aviation.

 

[subpilot]

A student who is looking to learn it right and not learn it enough to pass the test.

An instructor who can tailor the training to suite your needs and learning style. At a lot of big flight school the instructor has to follow the syllabus and has very little leeway. At an FBO, the instructor has complete control of your training program (which can be good or bad depending on that instructor).

 

[killbilly]

A student who is looking to learn it right and not learn it enough to pass the test.

An instructor who can tailor the training to suite your needs and learning style. At a lot of big flight school the instructor has to follow the syllabus and has very little leeway. At an FBO, the instructor has complete control of your training program (which can be good or bad depending on that instructor).

Man, I am glad you just said that...see new thread to follow...

 

[tgrayson]

With all this discussion about academies, FBOS, et al, the term "better" has come up a lot.

So the question begs, what is "better" in your personal oppinion? what produces a "better" pilot?

1: Inate skill. Some people just aren't made to controll them selves in a 3-d dynamic environment. Some people were born with a yoke in their hands.

2: The instructor/student relationship. How well can the instrictor convey what needs to be done. How well does the student learn form the instructor's teaching style.

3: Variety of experience. Flying in dynamic weather systems. Flying various types of aircraft. Flying different mission profiles.

4. The standards to which the instructor holds the student.

 

[PanJet]

4. The standards to which the instructor holds the student.

Yes and no.

A truly good pilot, in my opinion, will realize eventually, if not at first, the standards that he/she needs to live up to. I've seen cases where students aren't held to the highest standard, yet they put up their own standards and to this day I'd say the student is better than their instructor was. I've also seen the opposite where a student will finish a checkride and be done with their instructor and just become sloppy.

As for the original question, I say that some people do have innate skill which I see as important, but more important is what people do with what they have. Can they make good decisions? Do they know their limits? Are they able to learn from mistakes? Do they have the confidence to explore and gain experience? Those are the important questions to ask I believe.

Some people just don't have it in them, but it's very hard to tell, and one should always be careful of judging, because about the time you think someone is going to wash out, a lightbulb clicks on in their head.

 

[Dugie8]

A student who is looking to learn it right and not learn it enough to pass the test.

An instructor who can tailor the training to suite your needs and learning style. At a lot of big flight school the instructor has to follow the syllabus and has very little leeway. At an FBO, the instructor has complete control of your training program (which can be good or bad depending on that instructor).

How do you figure? I never once was forced to do or not do any maneuvers or training with a student at UND, I had complete authority on how I trained the student. I had a syllabus to follow, but it was not rigid or unbending, just ask any student that has gone through the multi engine program.

 

[fish314]

With all this discussion about academies, FBOS, et al, the term "better" has come up a lot.

So the question begs, what is "better" in your personal oppinion? what produces a "better" pilot?

1: Inate skill. Some people just aren't made to controll them selves in a 3-d dynamic environment. Some people were born with a yoke in their hands.

2: The instructor/student relationship. How well can the instrictor convey what needs to be done. How well does the student learn form the instructor's teaching style.

3: Variety of experience. Flying in dynamic weather systems. Flying various types of aircraft. Flying different mission profiles.

Yes.

 

[subpilot]

How do you figure? I never once was forced to do or not do any maneuvers or training with a student at UND, I had complete authority on how I trained the student. I had a syllabus to follow, but it was not rigid or unbending, just ask any student that has gone through the multi engine program.

ok... I didn't say at UND this happens.

I worked at a big flight school for a while and I was very restricted on what I had to do and when to do it. It was explained to me that my students were not my students, they were the flight school's students.

I then went to an FBO and I could do whatever I wanted (needed) to do with MY students. If I wanted the very first flight to be a 5 hour cross country in IMC I could have done that.

 

[tgrayson]

A truly good pilot, in my opinion, will realize eventually, if not at first, the standards that he/she needs to live up to.

The original question is "what creates a good pilot" (paraphrase). A "truly good pilot" cannot realize that he isn't measuring up, because, by definition, he is not a good pilot. Now, a poor pilot can realize that he isn't measuring up and become a good pilot, but that is once again due to his having appropriate standards. These standards are best established by his first instructor, but I agree that they can be established by later instructors or any role model that he encounters.

Innate skill certainly helps, but unless the pilot is introduced to the proper standards, his talent will merely help him achieve mediocrity at a faster rate than the average pilot.

 

[PanJet]

The original question is "what creates a good pilot" (paraphrase). A "truly good pilot" cannot realize that he isn't measuring up, because, by definition, he is not a good pilot. Now, a poor pilot can realize that he isn't measuring up and become a good pilot, but that is once again due to his having appropriate standards. These standards are best established by his first instructor, but I agree that they can be established by later instructors or any role model that he encounters.

Innate skill certainly helps, but unless the pilot is introduced to the proper standards, his talent will merely help him achieve mediocrity at a faster rate than the average pilot.

I see what you're saying.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

At an FBO, the instructor has complete control of your training program (which can be good or bad depending on that instructor).

If they are 141, which MANY FBOs are, then this isn't the case. They have to follow the specified training program approved by the FAA.

 

[Fly4Pay]

In my mind, being a "better" pilot is a combination of things. Obviously, you have to have the physical skills. But as I used to say when I was a primary flight instructor, give me enough bananas and I can teach a monkey to land the plane--so that ain't it.

Part of it is judgment. You get that from experience--partly from making mistakes, partly from watching others make them. But one way or another, mistakes are in there somewhere. Make lots of mistakes. Preferably non-fatal ones. Fatal ones make it much more difficult to be a good pilot.

Finally, especially for those of us who work the big planes (and by "big", I mean any airplane where said pilot is not alone ), people skills are key--whether it's being able to effectively communicate with a student so that actual LEARNING occurs (as opposed to just lecturing or posturing) or the CRM issues in an airliner or military flight deck.

Over my years of flying, I've seen people who excelled in one or more of these areas but sucked in another one. Those pilots struggled, without exception. You have to have a balance of the three. Personally, I consider my self average in the stick-and-rudder department. And since I've made a LOT of mistakes (non-fatal ones!) and watched many more (gotta love flight instruction), I've gained some pretty good experience and judgment.

I consider my CRM skills to be what made me (in my own no-so-humble opinion) an above average military pilot, though. At first I thought I wanted to be a turn-and-burn fighter jock. Thankfully, I didn't measure up enough in the stick-and-rudder category (see previous paragraph), and ended up in a crew aircraft, which I LOVED. I've taken crews overseas for peacetime and combat. I've been on fire, and I've been shot at. I've been bored out of my skull. But working with a crew, and learning how to EMPLOY the crew (as in to employ a weapon system) was what made the whole time worthwhile.

What makes a "better pilot?" Do it. Live it. Love it.

 

[Killtron2000]

Most of my hours at this point are logged dual received and the skills that help me I think are just being able to think while distracted and perform under pressure. It's probably a whole different game with a crew an autopilot and a boss so someone else could comment on that better.

 

[mtsu_av8er]

If they are 141, which MANY FBOs are, then this isn't the case. They have to follow the specified training program approved by the FAA.

So, an instructor in a 141 program can't be creative?

If not, that instructor needs to turn his ticket in and go tow banners.

 

[tonyw]

Raw talent will only get you so far. Take any professional athlete. They've obviously got the raw talent, but they spend hours every single day practicing to build upon that talent.

Flying is no different.