10 little things
Ten little things I wish other instructors taught their students
I have taught many students and keep coming up against the same bad habits that are easily cured if taught properly, e.g.
1. When shouting ‘clear prop’, make sure they have turned the intercom off (ouch my ears!)
2. Rather than set the radio volume to full on, why not set a lower radio volume and use the headset volume switch to moderate the sound level.
3. Teach them to use the squelch control on the intercom. It saves everything being turned up to the max.
4. Rather than teach students to apply full left then right brake on downwind, get them to check that their feet and yours are off the brakes.
5. If you are teaching them to lift the wing on turns in the circuit, then make sure they use rudder and aileron to prevent adverse aileron yaw.
6. On some aircraft, carb heat has no effect unless left on for a good 20 seconds. Ask your students to select carb heat at the beginning of the FREDA and downwind checks and put it away at the end. It might have some chance of working then.
7. When taxiing, support the nosewheel with a little up elevator and when turning around pull the elevator all the way back…and add a little power. Nothing worse than coming to a stop with the nosewheel hard over.
8. Rather than stab the brakes and pitch the a/c forward. Teach them to caress the brakes to a stop whilst simultaneously easing back the column to prevent diving.
9. Read checklists out loud!
10. Don’t put students into the circuit if they cannot: climb staright at Vy, level out, do level turns, and slow an aeroplane down. It’s a waste of their money to put them in the circuit if they cannot do these things consistently.
There are many more I am sure, these are just my personal bugbears that I am always having to correct.