Late Getting Started

tgrayson

tgrayson

New Member
So, you're an hour late getting started for a two hour lesson, due to an aircraft maintenance issue, what do you do?

Yes, the aircraft is booked all day.
 
It entirely depends on whether or not a single hour will be of value to the student.

In an hour I can shoot two approaches, or practice hold entries, or stalls and unusual attitude recovery......

If it is not going to be of value to the student either do ground or just cancel and resched.
 
bdhill1979 said:
It entirely depends on whether or not a single hour will be of value to the student.
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I know. Choices 1 or 2 are equivalent, IMO. I'm more interested in whether anyone can justify choices 3 and 4. Choice 3 seems closer to what many people actually do. Choice 4 is pretty harsh, but at least it prevents the domino effect.
 
tgrayson said:
I know. Choices 1 or 2 are equivalent, IMO. I'm more interested in whether anyone can justify choices 3 and 4. Choice 3 seems closer to what many people actually do. Choice 4 is pretty harsh, but at least it prevents the domino effect.
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The way I look at it Mx and Wx happens to everybody. If it happens in your slot, sucks to be you. I'm not going to penalize the next guy, because he will have his turn soon enough.
 
That's how I rolled pretty much. Vut when it was delayed, I'd try to call the student ASAP to give him his options. .8 isn't good for ground ref manuevers, but plenty good for touch 'n goes and the "Hey! Look at that car!"/pull the throttle game.
 
I would probably offer to do a ground lesson in the last hour allowed and let the student make the decision to cancel or not.
 
bdhill1979 said:
The way I look at it Mx and Wx happens to everybody.
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What if the lesson that was late getting started was a stage check? Is that high enough priority to inconvenience everyone else? (I consider that even less justified, since it's the result of poor time management on the part of the check airman.)
 
Do ground until the plane is available, then get in whatever flight time you can and still keep the schedule on track...
 
tgrayson said:
What if the lesson that was late getting started was a stage check? Is that high enough priority to inconvenience everyone else? (I consider that even less justified, since it's the result of poor time management on the part of the check airman.)
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How is it the result of poor time management? I thought it was an aircraft maintenance issue? Certain flights do take priority, like checkrides and in some limited cases, stage checks.

I would just try to squeeze the hour in, if possible. We seem to have more than a few people at Skymates that like #3.
 
mojo6911 said:
I thought it was an aircraft maintenance issue?
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I'm proposing hypotheticals to see where values lie.

How is it the result of poor time management?
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Stage checks have a ground portion and a flight portion. A check airman should have an idea how long these things take and plan accordingly. Why should this be different from a regular instruction flight? You allot 1.5 for ground, then you start on time and end it after 1.5. Discipline, discipline.

Checkrides are a bit different story, since the DE usually isn't an employee of the school. However, reserve the aircraft for a sufficient block of time to eliminate problems for those flying afterwards. I usually schedule the plane for half a day. I'm always quite leery of reserving a plane after a checkride.
 
tgrayson said:
What if the lesson that was late getting started was a stage check?
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Stage Check or Check ride - doesn't matter where I'm at. Whatever the check pilot needs they will get, even if that means staying out well after their due back time or leaving late. Is it fair? Nope. Is it worth hassling the powers that be? I don't think so.
 
tgrayson said:
What if the lesson that was late getting started was a stage check? Is that high enough priority to inconvenience everyone else? (I consider that even less justified, since it's the result of poor time management on the part of the check airman.)
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I do say checkrides come first, but that isn't justification for screwing other people over. It has to be a really good reason to have to bump somebody.
 
Most preferable would be to not push everyone back. I think a review of the remaining students of that day might be a good start, then you can decide which of the options is best. It seems most everyone getting flight instruction has a bit of an understanding that things do tend to run over for mx/wx/misc delays.

Plus, there's no "Disappear to the Strip Club next to the airport" option: What gives?:D
 
Depends on the reason the flight was late. Was it the CFIs fault? (if so, give the student free ground so youre not late for the rest of your apointments)

Students fault: do ground and charge 'em double!
 
Whenever I experience some issuue bet it mx, wx, or someone coming in late, I'd rather take the time and do some ground work.

I always make a point that flying is only 50% of becoming a pilot and we need to spend a decent amount of time on ground sesions.

Why rush a lesson, cost the student more cash, and *possibly* provide a rushed, ineffective lesson when you can do a ground session where some learning actually may take place?
 
Time to break out the books and do some ground.
Although there is time for a quick flight, I prefer the ground work when faced with this situation. I have three basic reasons.

1. No need to rush a lesson. Especially if you do not get access to the aircraft at all for the first hour to at least get a preflight done.

2. I am able to assess how the student is progressing in any study material I have given them. i.e. are they doing the work away from me?

and possibly the most important

3. It gives me a chance to see if I need to spend more time, or even do a better job, of teaching a certain area of flight.
 
To me, I guess it would depend on where we were in the student's training. If it was lesson number 2, then I would probably cancel and do ground. However, if we were working on short field landings I would go.
 
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