Comments on "Flight Instructors Manual"?
 

Has anyone read the "Flight Instructors Manual" by R D Campbell ? If so, can you tell me if its up to date? It is described in the catalogues as covering the UK PPL and UK AFI syllabus and seems just the thing I would like to study before starting a FI course. It sounds worth getting if its up to date, but rather pricey if out of date, and I've been caught out before with books that were out of date....

Ron Campbells book is virtually the approved manual for the course. As long as it is a recent edition, then there will be no problems.

The Campbell version I have was amended in 1994, so may not be the most up to date, but is virtually a bible for FIC so I would recommend it. Heavy reading, granted, but good for reference.

I'd recommend all books mentioned above and would add the RAF Chipmunk handbook if you can get hold of one. This covers (almost) everything in the PPL course and offers a step by step guide of how to conduct each lesson and classic student errors. I'm not ex-mil so had to beg and borrow to get hold of one, but use it all the time.

Ron Campbell is a good reference text though some parts are extremely out of date. Equally Birch and Bramson is extremely out of date -although it may have been revised the style is very old-fashioned. Suggest you go for some of the more modern texts and books such as the Pooleys Air Presentations Pre-flight Briefings with Instructor Notes which come with overhead projector slides. Any FIC school worth its salt should be using this sort of material now not just relying on books written 30 years ago.

Hmmmmmmmm..................;)

Do these notes include:

1. Teaching the 'Point and power' final approach technique?

2. Teaching the 'Standard Closing Angle' technique for visual navigation?

Aren't OHPs a bit 'old hat' now? Is Pooley's moving to PowerPoint or perhaps interactive CBT e-learning methods?

Personally I still use the good old chalk 'n talk (or rather Magiboard 'n marker) - including Rod's red eyes for lookout!

Ron Cambel Instructor Manual
 

Good en yer, BEagle!

Like 'go faster stripes' and fly higher 'Pilot Bags', OHP,s and Powerpoint Presentations are lovely to watch but don't make the aeroplane fly faster or higher or even fly at all.

In fact i sometimes think that such marvelous forms of modern presentation - and they are, simply allow the presenter to escape talking to you at all except as a 'link' in the event.

To all you philistines who like to hide behind the Quartz and Halogen light, think again, you won't always be able to hide behind your trickery! One day a very bright and talented student will look you in the eye and demand that you answer their question yourself candidly but now, not later when you can get the kit and if you can get it to work - be ready for you WILL NEED a felt pen or BEagle's lump of chalk and then to put a string of comprehensive words together, without rehearsal or an allnighter at the PC.

Best of luck to you all but for anybody who can be snotty enough to call Ron's book out of date, remember - the Earth is still round and aeroplanes still have wings - not a lot has changed in how it works and i doubt that a lot has changed in the mindset of the recipient of your brief.

I often used A4 paper rather than than a board to brief an exercise.

The student can just listen to what you have to say, all the little detail extras can be sketched out and the student can then take it with them, so that if they wish, can re-write it at a later date.

All this board briefing is a throw back, i assume, to a CFS classroom full of students.

Once rubbed of the board, that masterpiece is gone for ever!