View Full Version : FI Rating - Tips?
Hi folks,
One should be embarking on the FI rating shortly and just wondered if any of you guys could pass on any advice/musings from your experiences?
Also, are there any books you would recommend to facilitate my understanding prior to commencement of said course? <--sounded posh that didn't it! :}
Cheers,
VFE.
PS: What is your opinion on the instructor job market, 21/04/06?
Craggenmore
22nd Apr 2006, 06:36
Read all the PPL T.Thom books inside out.
Flying wise, as you will be maxed out trying to teach, talk and fly simultaneously to begin with, just go with what your FI Instructor says.
Then when you pass and get a job, use other material to help you structure and tweak your lessons to your individual style. R.D Campbell's "FI Manual" is a good place to start.
Good luck :)
onedaymaybe?
22nd Apr 2006, 14:19
No matter how boring the exercise you are teaching is, no matter how boring the student is. Rememeber back to your initial days of learning and try to be the instructor you wished you had.
It is sometimes very hard once the flying gets boring and you loose interest to give 100%. But you need to keep up the enthusiasm for the student as we easily forget that they have worked and saved hard for each flight, and this may be their dream come true. How we are in their flying instruction often shapes the way they feel about flying forever.
Have seen students walking away from a lesson looking depressed as they have recieved a right mouthfull from a disgruntled instructor who wished he was in a jet really. And the student has never flown again, as what he has wanted to do for years has now become something he/she dreads every weekend.
Not technical information I know, but worth thinking about...The personal skills...
Thanks for your replies guys, please keep 'em coming....
Just ordered that 'You Have Control' book by Claire Louise Hatton for some light reading in between the PPL manuals - anyone have any experience of this particular book?
Cheers,
VFE.
porridge
22nd Apr 2006, 18:12
No - I see it was only published last month and I cannot find much detail on content on the publisher's website.
Well in that case I shall post my humble thoughts here when it arrives next week! :)
VFE.
Almost halfway through the above mentioned book and it's got some good tips for managing a busy instructor life, IMHO. Obviously, there are far more subjects covered later in the book but so far so good, although at my pre-FI rating stage I feel it's probably more a book for consumption once I've achieved the FI rating as opposed to now, contrary to what the advertising suggested. However, the second half of the book might render that last comment inaccurate so stay tuned....
Marks out of 10? 8/10 so far - and this is based purely on how it has got me thinking with an instructors mindset (note to oneself: I really should start making notes as I progress through it!). :ok:
VFE.
mad_jock
28th Apr 2006, 20:56
I hope this dosn't count as advertising but on-track do a good set of notes and also a set of OHP's for the individual lessons.
Some say you meant to make them up yourself. Just keep them at home and "improvise" something like them.
Buy a good pack of white board pens (check they are not perm and don't give you headaches when using them) and duster, A bottle of spray cleaning fluid.
Thanks for the pointers M_J, duly noted and much appreciated!
Hope you're well bud.
VFE.