Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

BFRs for highly experienced pilots

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

JediNein

No One Special at all
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Posts
1,256
Howdy!

I would appreciate any suggestions or tips on giving a BFR to a very experienced CFI. This guy has around 10,000 hours; instructs about 60-100 hours each month; and is very sharp on his instrument procedures. He's also not afraid of getting a complete workout in knowledge and skills, but has completed a F.I.R.C. recently, so the one hour of ground is not required.

In the discussion when this instructor scheduled his BFR he stated he had no particular areas he wanted to work on. I'm used to a pilot, even most instructors, suggesting an area or two.

How can I make this BFR a learning experience, still fun, and not a waste of time for this instructor? What areas are instructors weak on? What skills get rusty sitting right seat most of the time, yet with the sheer number of hours compensating for any lack of actual practice?

And yes, I know to keep my guard up. The last 10K plus hour pilot I had on board was pretty close to being successful in killing the instructor. :eek:

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
Refreshing to see professionals at work, kids. Very professional.

Don't consider the individual as a challenge, but as a student. The numbe of hours he has mean nothing. He is with you for a flight review, so go ahead and review.

I prefer to tailor the flight review to the individual. First, adhere to the practical test standards for a minimum passing standard. Everyone must meet this minimum standard, applicable to the certification that the individual airman may hold.

Some things aren't reviewed very often. These include emergency egress, how to properly put an airplane down in trees or water, etc. Cover fighting an engine fire, dealing with inflight fires, etc. Discuss landing on mud or frozen encrusted mud. Review spotting traffic. Hold him to clearing turns. Determine his needs, and then tailor your session to them.

Ask him what he feels he needs reviewing the most. The flight review isn't a test, it's a review. Find what meets his needs best, and then attend to them. Good luck!
 
and if that fails ask him if he would like to see your tits
 
BFR

I would tailor the BFR to his needs. Work on emergencies. It is one thing when you are telling your students how to do them, but put on your hands on the controls and actually executing one may find you swimming in glue momentarily. Give him high-altitude, low-altitude and pattern emergencies. I always thought that pattern emergencies were a lot of fun. Maybe let him talk through the emergencies as if you were the student. Who knows, you might pick up some new ideas.

Flight instructors don't get to fly a lot of instruments. Maybe put him under the hood and at least give him some BAI and maybe an approach. Throw in some partial panel. When I instructed, I looked forward to any opportunity I had to shoot approaches in an actual airplane. Anyone who flew with me who wanted an approach got at least one, a hold, and an ICC with their flight review, but, sadly, that was before ICCs became nearly full-blown instrument practicals. Just the same, ask if he's current on instruments; maybe he might also want a full comp check (IPC). But, better that it come from a non-threatening peer than the big, bad FAA.

Although he just got his ticket punched again, I would still conduct a brief oral, more to satisfy yourself as to his knowlege. Hit on the usual oral subjects, such as certificates, medicals, currency. I would still hit on a few instrument subjects, such as currency and charts and plates, even if your client is not interested in an ICC, just to satisfy yourself before signing off his flight review. You might also ask a question or two about annuals v. 100-hrs., inop equipment, MELs, such things that you know from your A & P background (but don't expect A & P knowlege).

Hope that helps.
 
Last edited:
How about some ILS or other instrument approach work with partial panel? Also, is he instructing "new" students or ones that already have a private certificate or are close to it? My experience from back-seat flying has shown me that ones that only instruct the "advanced" ratings and certificates (i.e. anything above private) are weak in the basics of flight simply because they don't do it often. I probably need to improve on my basic flight skills for that matter - complacency sucks! How about aircraft systems? I flew with an instructor that didn't know what parts fo the engine looked like. That would sure be helpful when doing a thorough pre-flight inspection :rolleyes:

On edit: I see "bobbysamd" types faster than me as I seem to have repeated him on a few topics ;)
 
Well, you know what they say about great minds!

PS-Fulcrum, below, has some great ideas, especially if you can get ATC to give a real (practice) ASR or PAR. If not, you can simulate one.
 
Last edited:
spins ,
cross control stalls ,
control surface malfunctions ,
landing with a stuck throttle ,
try a PAR or a ASR approach if nearby
pattern emergencies
a few circle to land apps ,
then send him on his way ,
thats what i do i hope this helps

fulcrum
 
Last edited:
Excellent

Great ideas Fulcrum...much more effective than reviewing how to land on frozen crusty mud strips! Especiially the ASR part...Nice. of course he should also emphasize that this is only a test, I mean review. Actually, it hasn't been called a BFR since the last NPRM in October of '97. But I don't want to split hairs on the currency issue.
 
:cool:
 
Last edited:
I vote for the showing of the tits, Id pay good money for that... oh wait a second i do pay good money for that..:D
 
You could teach him/her your super-secret lifesaving instrument technique which is only known to one person in the entire world. Oh wait, then you'd have to kill him/her because it's proprietory information ..... hmmmm I guess that would be sort of a downer for a BFR.
 
Thanks for the information!

On the first inverted flat spin he was able to recover on the heading, even though I'd covered most of the instruments. . .

Really, we did some simulator work one day, and a cross country to have dinner with a mutual instructor friend the next. In the sim he demonstrated the ability to eek out 75 fpm up within a few seconds of engine failure. On the cross country trip, I asked him several questions about his experience in the last two years. We did a few maneuvers along the way, and had a stiff crosswind for the first landing. It was dark and possible IFR for the trip back, but we were able to complete the flight VFR, which was good as the attitude indicator in that aircraft is starting to fail. We discussed emergencies and recent changes to the various PTS.

Short, sweet, to the point. The best kind of BFR, ahem, two-year flight review.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
And for the picture of the tits:

h7310pi.jpg

tuti1.gif


tit. n. plural. tits.
1. A titmouse.
2. Any of various small, similar or related birds.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
If the attitude indicator is "starting to fail," then by my way of thinking it has failed. Now, let's get back to the meat of this thread--tits!
 
I think I just learned a valuable lesson here... take nothing in this forum too seriously. LOL
j
 

Latest resources

Back
Top