Shortcomings in flight instruction?

[Blackhawk]

Yeah, but think of all the other things that go into flying an ILS besides asking for it and flying the needles-NOTAMS, charts, etc- I just don't think that teaching them what they would need to know is practical within the confines of a private syllabus.

Instead I teach them to ask for a no-gyro ASR/PAR. We try and do some... ATC permitting.

 

[Blackhawk]

It wasn't until my commercial training that I realized that CFIs were not salaried.
My private/instrument instructor was salaried for 30 some plus flight/ground hours/Medical benefits...but I can't believe how little those wages were for hours.

Students don't know what is going on when the jump into the game, and it is not their fault, most would pay more per hour and I believe that. I don't know anybody that is taking instruction at our shop do due to our CFI price. Yeah once in a blue moon a guy will call comparing prices, but it is rare.


Edit: I know you are not suggesting CFI pay shouldn't be raised because of what you have said in other posts. So what are you barking at?

I am actually a firm believer in the free market. I only have an issue with those who complain about CFI wages... after posting about where to go for the cheapest training. Not sure if you were one of them and I don't want you to assume I thought you were.

 

[MikeD]

I do the same for my students prior to their solo cross country. We fly into narrow dirt strips so they are comfortable landing on dirt roads if necessary.

Had a PL the other day when on an SEF, the rotor speed decided it wanted to go down along with the RPM. Glad it was found that out there rather than on a real one.....

 

[Blackhawk]

Had a PL the other day when on an SEF, the rotor speed decided it wanted to go down along with the RPM. Glad it was found that out there rather than on a real one.....

Man, all my RW emergencies were in the UH-1, including a loss of tail rotor control.

 

[MikeD]

Man, all my RW emergencies were in the UH-1, including a loss of tail rotor control.

I hate those simulated jammed-pedal situations where you have to make the shallow approach to a run-on, and manage torque (nose position) with the throttle.

 

[amjon]

Scenario based training is great since it teaches the student how to evaluate risks based on their own skill. That's a skill set they can take anywhere, long after I'm done with them. It takes their mindset from "well, my instructor said..." to "well, let's look at the risks involved..."

More IMC training. That 3.0 should be in the clouds. Teach them how to ask for an ILS.

Next is slow flight. I don't want the student to just know how to fly slowly, I want them to be comfortable doing it. They'll need that comfort for any proficient landing/takeoff/go-around, especially once they're done with the 152/172. There was an accident in NC in May 2007 that's always stuck in my mind... a Doctor, his Doctor friend, and Mrs. Doctor were killed when their 400 came in too quickly to a short length, higher altitude runway.

I agree with you. My instructor has taken me into IMC twice. Once for a short time and once for almost an hour. I don't plan on flying into IMC before I do my instrument, but you never know what can happen in a moments notice. I was very surprised by how little you feel in actual verus the googles.

 

[Douglas]

Not sure if you were one of them and I don't want you to assume I thought you were.

No, but I know the thread.

 

[poser765]

I agree with you. My instructor has taken me into IMC twice. Once for a short time and once for almost an hour. I don't plan on flying into IMC before I do my instrument, but you never know what can happen in a moments notice. I was very surprised by how little you feel in actual verus the googles.

Sometimes it's hard to get them actual. Have one guy now who got only two hours. Any other time it was either severe clear or sirmets for icing

 

[Ajax]

A couple favorite scenarios:
-Flying to KDAL to pick up Chipotle (we didn't have one in the town where I taught).

Why not go to CLL and pick up Freebirds instead?

But seriously, I think I was lucky with my private cfi. He insisted on me getting good experience whether it be flying to busy airports like KIAH and KADS for my dual cross countries. But what I really liked was that for instead of flying under the hood we did a lot of that work in actual. My favorite moment from my private was late in the game, about a week or so from my checkride and he wanted me to fly over the field to get some practice on the teardrop entry but because of jets in the area they wanted me to fly over the field at 2500AGL. Right when I was over the field tower informed me that the plane that was supposed to be on crosswind made it a very tight pattern and instead was on downwind so they asked if I could go straight on in. My CFI told me that normally in this situation with a pre-private he would take over and put the plane on the ground but said that since I am close to my checkride this was something he wanted to see me be able to do, although he did scoot his seat all the way up and kept his hands on or near the yoke to make sure that he was there to correct me if something looked ugly. I put it down shortly after the touchdown markings which made him happy.

On my instrument, my CFI was notorious for changing my standby radios during an approach to make sure that I double checked before I just hit the stby and started talking. Little things like that helped me I think.

 

[Blackhawk]

I hate those simulated jammed-pedal situations where you have to make the shallow approach to a run-on, and manage torque (nose position) with the throttle.

Yeah, that was it. At night, no less... into Cairns, of course.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I find customers tend to shortchange themselves. It isn't terribly difficult to get someone through the private pilot requirements with 40-60 hours, but it is pretty difficult to make them an extremely competent pilot in that time. When they are constantly nickel and diming you to death, it can be difficult to balance customer satisfaction and signing off a proficient pilot.

 

[mooneyguy]

I find customers tend to shortchange themselves. It isn't terribly difficult to get someone through the private pilot requirements with 40-60 hours, but it is pretty difficult to make them an extremely competent pilot in that time. When they are constantly nickel and diming you to death, it can be difficult to balance customer satisfaction and signing off a proficient pilot.

:yeahthat: Domestic students are definitely that way, I have notice that foreign students are not so worried about it, Since they pay up front. But when your pulling out the wallet at the end of every flight like the domestic student...that's another story.

As for the PPL, there is NO WAY you can completely cover everything that a pilot really needs to know. I personally think short, soft,and emergency landings are the most under covered.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Why not go to CLL and pick up Freebirds instead?

CLL isn't class B

We had to go to Class B on that flight (141 TCO requirement).

I have been to CLL on an instrument x-c though...we still had 3.x hours of flying left and decided against all 3 of us in the airplane eating mexican food, so we opted for Potbelly's instead.

 

[Ajax]

CLL isn't class B

We had to go to Class B on that flight (141 TCO requirement).

I have been to CLL on an instrument x-c though...we still had 3.x hours of flying left and decided against all 3 of us in the airplane eating mexican food, so we opted for Potbelly's instead.

Very wise decision. CLL has a backcourse that I always wanted to do but never got around to it.

 

[Mike H]

One flight I vividly remember was with the naval pilot. He asked if I've ever done a turn and made the compass stay in place. I said that I haven't, so he put the Citabria in a 90 degree bank and brought it around probably 720 degrees in the turn and said "see the compass didn't even move off the E". .

that wasn't the compass, that was the fuel gauge