Best book for flight instructors

[C.M]

Hello
Can anyone suggest a book which is specifically addressed to flight instructors and focuses on the best practices for delivery quality flight training?
I would say that a large portion would probably be addressing psychology . What to say , what not to say , how to say , how much to say , how to make student visualize something , and a bunch of other things that are proven to work or come out of research .
If the book emphasizes more on airline pilot training that would be ideal but any other more general would be great too .
Thank you

[Genghis the Engineer]

Honestly the free one from the FAA is one of the best I've ever seen.

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook

G

[PerArduaAdAstra]

The New Zealand CAA publish a great instructor guide. I am not allowed to share links, but if you find aviation dot govt dot nz and then add this
/licensing-and-certification/pilots/flight-training/flight-instructor-guide/
onto the end of it you should be fine.


https://www.aviation.govt.nz/licensing-and-certification/pilots/flight-training/flight-instructor-guide/

[TheOddOne]

In the UK, R.D. Campbell 'Flight Instructors Manual'. Still available from popular aviation suppliers. Pooley's also do a TEACHING THE TEACHER - INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL. I've also got a copy of 'The Flying Instructor's Patter Manual by Peter Phillips and Robert Cole. I don't know if this is still available and in any case, not as good as Ron Campbell's seminal work, but still with some worthwhile content.

HOWEVER, I'd strongly advise you to consult with the people providing you with your Instructor course. They ought to have course material aligned with the way they deliver their training which might not strictly fit in with any publication.

TOO

[Fl1ingfrog]

No one to date has replaced Ron's 'Flight Instructor Manual'. It doesn't fit into the pocket but remains an excellent reference on the shelf after your pre-course preparation, during the training and for reference once the initial studies are complete. It provides the lesson 'long briefs' and for the inflight lessons the required 'short briefs' plus the white board layouts (the once traditional 3 column layout). Todays syllabus has changed in a little detail but; the same tune with some notes in a different order, nothing is really new as some might argue.

[PerArduaAdAstra]

Pooleys, in the UK also have a great set of instructor guides which come with a complete set of PowerPoint presentations and lots more information besides. Try Googling "Pooleys Flying Instructor Guide".

[Whopity]

https://www.ontrackaviation.com/instructor_manual.html

[BEagle]

Whopity, hopefully that manual has amended 'loosing control' to read 'losing control' by now?

Why do people teach 'effect of slipstream' before the student has even been taught to use the engine controls?

[Fl1ingfrog]

Threat Error Management (TEM), which replaces Airmanship, has been incorporated in all of the pre-flight briefings in each part

The above is taken from the Ontrack Instructor Manual. This claim is totally wrong and has become a major obstacle, in many minds that I encounter, to them taking on board Human Factors/Threat and Error Management concepts. Airmanship is broad and undefined, it acts as an umbrella encompassing all aspects of flying and behaviour around aircraft. Airmanship on its own can and is defined by individuals and their particular culture, traditions and geography. TEM although not exhaustive seeks to define very narrow paths and the particular defined needs as they are required. In many aspects it seems to reinvent the wheel. TEM was originally conceived for multi-crew public transport operations to be specific. I am a big fan of the introduction of HF/TEM more widely into single pilot private operations but its place must be under the umbrella of Airmanship operating outside of the head office defined demands.

[C.M]

Astra I cannot thank you enough !

[PerArduaAdAstra]

Astra I cannot thank you enough ! You are very welcome, PM me if you would like some more personal advice. I have been in the game for a while now.

[LTCTerry]

Honestly the free one from the FAA is one of the best I've ever seen.

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook

G
American flight instructor candidates and young instructors will disparage this book. I was once a high school science teacher and exempted the Fundamentals of Instruction that come out of this book. Only recently when working with four guys who want to be instructors did I have to look at it.

I was impressed. After a life spent doing lots of professional adult education and training adults to be trainers, I see lots of wisdom in this book provided one is willing to read and heed the advice. Sometimes you have to dig for it.

If you are a tactile person, consider splurging on a printed copy. I had mine spiral bound at a local print shop so it will open flat.

[DAHenriques]

I did a major article dealing with this exact issue for World Airshow News this year. If you email me I'll be happy to send you a copy.
Dudley Henriques
[email protected]

[ifitaintboeing]

A few suggestions, in no particular order.

The following can be downloaded FREE of charge:
EHEST Helicopter Instructor Manual (https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/general-publications/ehest-helicopter-flight-instructor-manual) - although it's written for helicopter instructors, Part 1 is equally applicable to aeroplanes. Content is very good.
FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook) - some good stuff in here
TC Flight Instructor Guide (https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/flight-instructor-guide-aeroplane-tp-975)
NZ Flight Instructor Guide (https://www.aviation.govt.nz/licensing-and-certification/pilots/flight-training/flight-instructor-guide/)
CASA Flight Instructor Manual (https://www.casa.gov.au/flight-instructor-manual-aeroplane)
IATA Instructor and Evaluator Training (https://www.ifalpa.org/media/3630/guidance-material-and-best-practices-for-instructor-and-evaluator-training.pdf)
UK CAA Standards Document 10(A) (https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=1202) and UK CAA Standards Document 43 (https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=list&type=sercat&id=22)
CAP 737 Human Factors Handbook (http://www.caa.co.uk/cap737) - puts some of the CRM/TEM stuff into context

The following are paid publications:
On-Track Aviation Instructor Manual (https://ontrackaviation.com/instructor_manual.html) - Part 1 (T&L) and Part 2 (LAPL/PPL)
Flight Instructor's Manual - Campbell
The Flight Instructor's Manual - Kirshner

For a bit of fun:
Chipmunk Flight Instructor's Handbook (https://hang-out.co.uk/uploads/Chipmunk-T-Mk-10-Flying-Instructor's-Handbook.pdf)
1945 Advanced Single Engine Flying Instructor's Manual (https://www.t6harvard.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1945-AAF-Advanced-Single-Engine-Flying-Instructors-Manual.pdf)

ifitaint...

[DAHenriques]

During the 60 odd years I was involved with flight instruction and its associated issues I have probably used and recommended many of the available texts for use in our business.
One thing that has always stood out as primary and something a lot of instructors miss is that whatever text you choose that text should be understandable not only to you as an instructor but as well to your students as it is quite natural that your students will gravitate to whatever sources you use personally.
Along these lines one soon sees that texts such as Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators (one of my personal go-to books BTW) might not be the best choice for your student to go out and purchase. :-))
The old standbys like Kershner are fine as are many other available texts but after looking them all over closely and using many I have to say that above all of them I have come to appreciate the books available from Rod Machado. His books are excellent and for the average student written in language easily understood and retained.
I will freely admit that Rod is a personal friend but I would never recommend anyone as a competent source for aviation material who I believed not to be worthy of that recommendation.
Your choice of course but my vote for you as a new CFI would be to seriously look into what Rod has available.
Dudley Henriques

[BigEndBob]

Lady Bird books "The Aeroplane"

The only book i needed.

[Warlock1]

During the 60 odd years I was involved with flight instruction and its associated issues I have probably used and recommended many of the available texts for use in our business.
One thing that has always stood out as primary and something a lot of instructors miss is that whatever text you choose that text should be understandable not only to you as an instructor but as well to your students as it is quite natural that your students will gravitate to whatever sources you use personally.
Along these lines one soon sees that texts such as Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators (one of my personal go-to books BTW) might not be the best choice for your student to go out and purchase. :-))
The old standbys like Kershner are fine as are many other available texts but after looking them all over closely and using many I have to say that above all of them I have come to appreciate the books available from Rod Machado. His books are excellent and for the average student written in language easily understood and retained.
I will freely admit that Rod is a personal friend but I would never recommend anyone as a competent source for aviation material who I believed not to be worthy of that recommendation.
Your choice of course but my vote for you as a new CFI would be to seriously look into what Rod has available.
Dudley HenriquesI loved Kershner series, especially the Advanced Flight Training manual. I particularly like how he sometimes throws in a “one liner” humor in there to give you a break from getting into it too much.

[DAHenriques]

I loved Kershner series, especially the Advanced Flight Training manual. I particularly like how he sometimes throws in a “one liner” humor in there to give you a break from getting into it too much.

I used Kershner for years. Excellent material, especially the advanced training manual
.
I would say that if you liked Kershner for his humor you would probably LOVE Machado's work. Rod specializes in humor insertion into technical information and he presents difficult to understand information in a light and simplified manner that the average person can understand.
FWIW, I am VERY particular about my recommendations when it comes to flight instruction and associated material. I've known Rod for many years and consider him one of the finest instructors in the United States.
Dudley Henriques

[Warlock1]

I used Kershner for years. Excellent material, especially the advanced training manual
.
I would say that if you liked Kershner for his humor you would probably LOVE Machado's work. Rod specializes in humor insertion into technical information and he presents difficult to understand information in a light and simplified manner that the average person can understand.
FWIW, I am VERY particular about my recommendations when it comes to flight instruction and associated material. I've known Rod for many years and consider him one of the finest instructors in the United States.
Dudley Henriques
I will definitely give it a try.
Thank you so much for your recommendation.
Merry Christmas to you all

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've never met Rod Machado, sadly. I have used his material a lot - mainly the online courses when I was doing FAA certificates a few years ago, but also his IFR survival manual and I bought his imagery package to include in my own briefing material.

Please give him my complements and let him know that if he ever wants to bring out UK / EASA teaching and learning material, I'll be first in the queue to use it.

G

[ahwalk01]

I've never met Rod Machado, sadly. I have used his material a lot - mainly the online courses when I was doing FAA certificates a few years ago, but also his IFR survival manual and I bought his imagery package to include in my own briefing material.

Please give him my complements and let him know that if he ever wants to bring out UK / EASA teaching and learning material, I'll be first in the queue to use it.

G

he never would. The focus on theory is far too overboard.

[Genghis the Engineer]

All the more reason that I'd like to see it done much better than it is right now!

G

[DAHenriques]

All the more reason that I'd like to see it done much better than it is right now!

G
Rod's pedagogy is geared mainly to the GA market. The reason I like his work so much is because his approach assumes from the beginning that the average person who wants to learn to fly an average GA type airplane just might not be ready to dig into post graduate level theory such as that found in Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. Granted there are dozens of training manuals out there that hit the market at some median level below that found in AFNA but Rod has chosen to present high level technical stuff lowered down to language and images Mrs Jones across the street just might begin to understand.
He uses a lot of humor that he inserts to relax people as they study his books. This psychological approach to learning is one I have always tried to instill into the CFI's I have trained.
Naturally there are those who will want to dig deeper into all this theory but reading what Rod has provided actually doesn't require deeper understanding. It's all there......just in an easy to read and understand presentation.
Like I have always said, the area under the curve is just the area under the curve .........and how you go about understanding it doesn't matter a hoot whether it comes to you from Einstein or from a talking 6 foot Panda Bear with a knack for Calculus .
Dudley Henriques

[djpil]

... an average GA type airplane just might not be ready to dig into post graduate level theory such as that found in Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. ....
Dudley HenriquesAerodynamics for Naval Aviators seems to be the source of Australian pilot theory books - notably by Bob Tait or the late Dave Robson (Aviation Theory Centre). CASA here specifies the scope of the theory and many seem to misunderstand the differences between two-dimensional airfoil theory and the aerodynamics of a three-dimensional airplane - they grab snippets from that book but don't bother reading other chapters to get a more complete picture.
If any student asks me a question about pilot theory I direct them to the FAA Handbooks online.

These days I just teach tailwheel, spinning and aerobatics, including teach other instructors to teach that stuff. The only book that covers CASA's Manual of Standards for that underpinning knowledge is my own. Dudley would say that it has too many Australianisms.

[DAHenriques]

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators seems to be the source of Australian pilot theory books - notably by Bob Tait or the late Dave Robson (Aviation Theory Centre). CASA here specifies the scope of the theory and many seem to misunderstand the differences between two-dimensional airfoil theory and the aerodynamics of a three-dimensional airplane - they grab snippets from that book but don't bother reading other chapters to get a more complete picture.
If any student asks me a question about pilot theory I direct them to the FAA Handbooks online.

These days I just teach tailwheel, spinning and aerobatics, including teach other instructors to teach that stuff. The only book that covers CASA's Manual of Standards for that underpinning knowledge is my own. Dudley would say that it has too many Australianisms.

Actually.....................Australians are some of my favorite people.
Dudley Henriques

[DAHenriques]

You know...........in the end analysis you can read all the books and it won't make you a good flight instructor.
If you got the rating to build up time that will be how you approach the job. This doesn't mean you can't be a good CFI following this path because you can.
Some people are just natural teachers. They take to instructing like a duck takes to water. They do a credible job almost without trying.
But for many the road to becoming a good instructor means hard work and above all an unending desire to be a good instructor.
Teaching people to fly airplanes is not a natural skill inherent to most of us. To be good one has first of all to WANT to be good, and that takes effort.
I've written much in some detail on how to go about doing this so I won't elaborate deeply here but I will say that the keys to becoming a good instructor are enjoying teaching, treating each student as an individual, and most of all learning through teaching. Good instructors are constantly engaged in self evaluation where each dual session given is a dual session taken. YES.......good instructors learn as much from their students as their students learn from them............even more.

Dudley Henriques