Students making mistakes with 70-80 hrs

[kevmor99]

I have a student that doesn't fly too regularly, sometimes going a few weeks between lessons. Overall, it seemed like he was getting close to finishing up, so after not flying for a few months we did a mock oral. It went well, so the next week we did a "checkride prep" flight.

We discussed it to be a simulated "cross country" to a nearby airport and then a diversion. Although the day of, he didn't have a flight log (although it was only about 35 min away). He had a heading and that was about it. During the flight, he just about went into a nearby Class C airspace before I intervened. He explained that his heading should have kept him clear. At the airport we divert to, he entered the pattern at the wrong altitude (1000 vs 800 AGL). I ask him to raise his wing during a turn to check for traffic in the pattern, and he disagrees (says it's a bad idea?). On a short field approach, he slows to the short field speed and makes the base to final turn that slow.

To me these mistakes aren't from not being "current" or not knowing stuff. It seems more like laziness or maybe a lack of responsibility? Other CFI's, have you had a student like this before?

 

[Finny]

I've always flown my pattern altitude at 1000AGL unless the AFD says otherwise. I'd check to see if his other CFI taught him that. The other stuff just sounds like rust and a lack of attention to detail. Do another check ride prep with them after clearly going over your expectations and I'm sure you'll get a better read on their abilities.

 

[Fencer]

This is a 200 hours-before-PPL student a CFI friend of mine has couple. He will be all right on check ride. He might fail on first try but would pass easily on second.

 

[Old Pete]

All of these "mistakes" seem to result from poor student-instructor communication. You say that he didn't have a nav log prepared, but you don't say why he did not prepare one. Were you clear in what you expected from him? You say that he calculated a heading; during your pre-flight briefing, did that heading seem appropriate? If not, did you tell him that? If it was, why did you go off course? You say that he thought that raising a wing to look for traffic is a bad idea, but you don't say what his reason was(I can think of several). If he was coordinated and configured properly on his base to final turn, I really don't understand why flying the recommended short field speed is a problem. The only way I can really tell if he is like any other student I have had is to fly with him.

 

[mshunter]

He sounds lazy. With students like that, you have to be very clear what you want from him, and that you won't sign him off until he takes responsibility for himself.

As for what @Old Pete is getting at, all good points. But, I think your student has some explaining to do.

 

[ahw01]

Some people don't do all the homework they should. If they haven't drilled the procedures like the short field some of the steps will be missing as it isn't concrete enough in the long term memory.

As for 800 vs 1000 ft, an easy mistake to make under pressure. I wouldn't be worried overly about that, more not correcting errors on approach, landing.

He won't know his unknown unknowns, who taught him flight planning? It doesn't always sink in unless you sit with them and see how they approach it.