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Old 15th January 2011 | 15:02
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Pilot DAR
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Joined: Aug 2006
: CPL
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From: Ontario, Canada
A0B9 (I think I remember you from Star Wars)

The advice you have received here is exactly as I see things.

Your learning in the early phases will be most easy with one, or a maximum of two instructors (assuming they co-ordinate well with each other). It is up to the school to recognize, and facilitate instructor availabilty to best suit your learning - you are the client! Much later in your learning, for reasons I'll come to, a few new instructors will be a good thing for you. It's not up to you to facilitate a group of time building instructor pilots.

When I took PPLA training long ago (back when a C 150 was $18 per hour), I was paired with only one instructor, and it went very well. Later, for more advanced training, I was paired with other instructors, and that was just fine.

When I did my PPLH training a few years back, I was equally paired with two instructors, but it went very well, as they constantly updated each other on my progress. Later in my training there, a third instructor did some training with me. This was good for me, in that, as I could demonstrate to him that I could fly to his satisfaction, I was not making it easy for him to see how I was doing this. Was it luck, or skill on my part? Into the lesson, he said, "okay, do that again (confied area approach and land) but this time give me a running commentary of everything you're thinking and considering as you do it, and your decision making." He was totally right. When I did this, he was completly satisfied, and I now knew why I had done it right - that's important! The "old" instructors knew they had taught me, but could not be sure I had retained it all, unless I spoke it. The two instructors also had very different teaching styles, and experience, so I gained the best of both.

As for spinning (a bit of thread drift), yes! Spin aeroplanes! Do it safely, and in accordance with all necessary approvals, but do not give up the opportunity to gain the valuable skills associated with this maneuver. Some are: Slow flight, reconzing correct control inputs, application and holding of full control inputs, unusual attitude recovery, and familiarization with unusual forces in flight.

Hopefully you will fly your (even just PPL) career without ever needing these skills, but still great to have. Spinning is a part of what I am required to do in planes as a part of testing. From time to time, I must spin with other pilots (usually because I'm not insured on a type I'm testing), and I have to spin. Nearly always, the pilot flying with me explains that it has been a long time since he/she has spun (some never). Unfortunate.

My spin testing of yesterday, was such a case. The pilot I was flying with told me that he had spun 172's many years ago. He took the opportunity to do a few spins after I was finished my testing, and did very well. He seemed very happy for a unique opportunuty, in an otherwise "spins prohibited" type.

Get all the good experince you can, whenever you can, you'll never know when you'll appreciate having it!

A bit more thread drift....

Here is a snapshot of the tail video during a spin entry (horizon in lower right). Maximum rate of descent = 9200 FPM, recovery = 2.8G (accelerometer equipped), and 5 knots short of Vne. Spins were Transport Canada permitted in the aircraft for these flight test purposes.

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