Difficult 1st Days Instructing - Comments please

[G-SPOT]

I have my first days instructing tommorrow, our club CFI has kindly arranged for me to do a couple of Post PPL checkouts, first one is a guy who hasnt flown for a number of months since doing his skill test last year and the second one is a very senior pilot who has just joined our club and needs a checkout for insurance purposes.

He does not know my experience (or lack of) do I "Come Clean" or not mention my lack of instructional experience and get through it best I can and retain a modicum of self confidence for the rest of the day.

I feel happy with my abilitys and am not timid I just thought a couple of trial lessons would have been more appropiate

I think that a suitable agenda would be:

Climb out to practise area, couple of clean stalls, steep turn either direction touch drill for engine fire in flight into a PFL 2 circuits 1 x-wind, park aeroplane and breathe deep 40 minutes tops

An inexperienced professional looking for some friendly advice.

Ta very much

[Breaking_Clouds]

Sounds like a good program G-string!
It has been a while ago when I had my first day as an instructor, and I don't know if this will help you, but I did sort of the same thing.
With my first instructing job my first flight was in a PA Archer, and the only planes I had flown so far were Cessnas. While the student was waiting in the sun to get on the airplane, I was reading the Airplane manual. Looking back I had more trouble finding my way back to the airport than teaching the student how to fly the airplane.
About the experience, I would just tell about your (in)experience if they asked! Otherwise don't mention it. (Most student will be able to notice it anyway.)

Also look at it this way: There are both pro's and con's about new/fresh instructors.

Pro: You just had the exams/training, so you should have a high standard and a fresh memory of all the theory and rules etc.
Con: You don't/ might not have that much experience with interacting with students.

The Post PPL checkouts will be pretty easy I guess, since the students will basically fly the same way as you have been taught.
The senior pilot checkout might be a little bit more tricky. He might try to bluff his way through the checkout.
Just stick to your program, it looks good. If the pilots perform to a standard that you think is safe, sign the logbooks and you're done. Otherwise, don't hesitate to let them come back for another refresher lesson.
Just make sure they are safe operating the airplane, it's your license that's at risk and their lives.

I hope this helped you out a little bit.
Good luck, have fun,
BC

[BEagle]

Sounds like a good sortie profile. But why not get both your 'students' to fly the new SEP Class Rating Proficiency Check profile (virtually exactly what you described anyway) and say that you'll fly that together so that they'll know what the new JAR requirements are for a revalidation proficiency check. You'll impress them with your knowledge and they'll probably appreciate it as a practical introduction to the new requirements. Also check whether either is in need of the biennial JAR 'training flight with an FI' to be signed in their logbooks. Best of luck!!

[G-SPOT]

Beagle I have just printed off AIC378W and will use it as a comfort blanket all tommorrow, at least I have something to tick......!!

Many thanks for both replys and the good advice

[Ozgrade3]

G-Spot,

I'm not that far ahead of you, now have 55 hours instructing under my belt. I was thrown in the deep end, 3 trial flights in the training area, then inherited a student that was starting circuits, probably the most demanding sequences, especially for an inexperianced instructor.

You will find, talking, flying, giving correctives, identifying the need for the corrective, deciding what is required, verbalising it, checking that the student has carried your command properly9especially near the ground - say approaching round out or flare), will be challenging to say the least.

Decide now, the words or phrases you want to use, keep it simple(more power, more back pressure, less power, are we high, are we low etc). Words you can spit out when you're under pressure.

It won't come easily, and will take some time to get used to, I'm just now starting to feel somewhat comfortable and allow the student to make bigger mistakes before taking over.

Don't be affraid to take over, and demonstrate the sequence or manouver to the student and remember, when explaining something to the student that needs more than a few sentances, take over the controls so he student can concentrate on what you're saying.

You'll love it, especially when one of your students pulls of his/her first greaser.

OG3

[tealady]

If the school you are instructing at is going to "do the right thing" and you are being supervised by the senior instructor on duty, then he/she should be briefing you BEFORE THE STUDENT ARRIVES, PRIVATELY, to ensure that your first day butterflies are well and truly settled. He/she should also be available at the end of the sessiion to sit in on your de-brief to the student with an explanation to the student that as this your first day working for the company that the you have covered all the requirements for the lesson. This instills confidence in the student that he/she is being looked after by the company and that there is a committment to provide quality instruction to all customers.Smile and show that you have every confidence in your own abilities, enjoy yourself and Good Luck!

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

So how did it go then?

WWW

[G-SPOT]

Thanks for all the replys and post's, my main worry was the very experienced pro pilot who has just succesfully applied to our club. Hee needed a check out for insurance purposes. Luckily the guy was an absolute pro and all I needed to do was ask him to do the next exercise. His airmanship was absolutlely exemplary height, headings, speeds etc were all absolutely nailed making it a very straightforward trip. Learnt a lot from that trip if the truth was known.

So 3.5 hours, some crap weather and a couple of happy students later I feel great that its over, excited about the next time and absolutely buggered so Im of for an early night.

Thanks for all the replys, going to be a handy forum this

[Capt Homesick]

G-SPOT, hi, welcome to the brotherhood! Best advice I can give (after about 1500 hours instructing, up to CAP509 eventually) is:
THE STUDENT MOST LIKELY TO KILL YOU IS YOUR BEST STUDENT!
My first summer instructing, I had a student who had excellent handling skills, worked very hard indeed (every day off, he was at the club, if the weather was bad he did groundschool). He ended up finishing his PPL in 43 hours (excellent for a part time course, spread over 4 months of Scottish "summer").
Just before his GFT, I asked him to do a glide approach. I was happy, because in general his flying was almost up to BCPL standard. I did not allow for the fact that his EXPERIENCE was nowhere near that of a BCPL candidate. In slightly windier conditions than he had practiced glides in, he lost a little speed (only 2 or 3 knots), I didn't catch it, and we did a very hard landing. The engineers checked the a/c out, the CFI gave me a chewing out (which I did not pass on to the stude; it was my fault), and we both learned about flying from that!
PPL checkouts can be even more dicey. Few PPLs get enough flying time to be really current, and my skills certainly deteriorated between checks (until I got my AFI rating, and could fly regularly with other people paying!) Watch them like a hawk, keep your own lookout, and if you adopt a relaxed seating position during the flight, go back to full "alert" posture as you enter the circuit. If nothing else, the sight of you resuming a "ready to take control" seating position will remind th student not to relax, even if he is almost home.
I was lucky, I survived being a prat- I haven't made that particular mistake again. I have lots of imagination- I can always think up new mistakes to make! :rolleyes:

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Its PPL checkouts that I find most hazardous. There are some gash, argumentative and opinionated PPL holders out there who resent anybody under 40 telling them how to do something better. Its difficult to draw the line between treating them like a customer and getting them to change their ways.

Best of luck,

WWW

[MaxAOB]

;)

Quite agree with the comments here. It is very easy to be intimidated by experienced people when you first start. Some can fly the aeroplane better than you can at times! However if they have a level head and mature you will not have a CRM problem - which is exactly what it is. YOU are the aircraft captain and he/she should respect that. I flew with an 85 year old lady who no longer had a medical, thought oopps here we go. Turns out she was perfect - delivered spitfires in the war!! Had an excellent flight. Stick to your guns and ensure everyone conducts the same test. The SEP flight recently introduced is a good idea. I would not want to be a member of a flying club where I would be worried of flying with an instructor. The comments by Mr G BOOT Esq in this months FLYER are I think out of order, professionals are checked out at frequent intervals and I have found the worst GA pilots tend to be wealthy types who buy thier own plane and until now have not been subject to any kind of refresher training since obtaining their licence. Most club members cannot afford to fly often enough to remain within the clubs currency rules - especially at this time of year. Around April we do yards of currency/refresher flights and it's a good thing. All the PPLs really enjoy it. AOPA were trying to get this sort of scheme off the ground voluntarily anyway. Stick with it G-SPOT even Chuck Yeager learns something each time he gets up in the air!
;) ;) ;) ;) ;)