**college Paper On Flight Communication*

[Tom426]

Hey boys my name is Erica, Im a junior at UMass Amherst. Im writing a paper for my business communications class on successful communication between the flight instructor and student. If anyone of you studs could think of any examples where a communication error resulted in a screw up or whatever, I would really apreciate it if you relayed the story to me. Im havign trouble finding direct examples of in flight communication errors between the flight instructor intitially or ultimately leading to consequences of some kind. Ok, Thanks!
~Erica : )

 

[LittleDeuce]

School Paper

Erica,

You need to pick up FAA publication AC60-14 Aviation Instructors Handbook. This is the guide CFI's use to get certified. It will give you valuable insight to the CFI/student relationship.

There is no shortage of data/reports on communication breakdowns. We call that poor CRM. Just do a search and you will have more than you need.

Good Luck

 

[CL60]

Proper phraseology

Erica, (Tom426),

Proper phraseoplogy, which is not clearly understood at the level which you are talking about, is paramount in effective communications.

For example; the number 2 and the words "to," and "too," are somtimes confused. The number 4 and the word "for" are also misunderstood.

e.g.,

Instructor says, "climb to five hundred feet."

Student may hear, "climb two five hunderd feet."


If they have traffic above them, you can see the conflict about to occur.



Similar sounding words may also cause problems.

e.g.,

On final approach, the instructor is concerned about a low power setting and says, "power, power."

The student, instead of adding power, calls the control tower and then begins scanning the area because he hears, "tower, tower."


I suggest you obtain an Aeronautical Information Manual at your local airport and read the section about phraseology. It could be a great topic for your paper.

Hope this helps,

 

[skydiverdriver]

What was the classic one, where the airline crew is ready to depart, the flying pilot pushes up the thrust levers, and says "takeoff power." Then the non-flying pilot pulls the thrust levers to idle. Perhaps "set takeoff power," would be less ambiguous.

 

[Delta3]

Cruise Checklist:
Lean Mixture For Cruise

ME:
Lean Mixture (all the way)

Followed by "oops"

 

[bobbysamd]

Instructor-student communications

I'd just add that linguistic differences can compound problems with instructor-student communications. Ask the folks in Florida who number foreign students as their customers. I was one such instructor. Some of these students come over here barely able to speak and understand English. Not only do they have trouble communicating with their instructors, they have a great deal of problems communicating with ATC.

Try searching the NTSB's site, www.ntsb.gov , for examples.

I found a couple of reports about instructors and foreign student helicopter pilots:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X23162&key=1

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20001208X08650&ntsbno=IAD97LA106&akey=1

And one other on an airplane student:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20001211X09673&ntsbno=FTW98LA150&akey=1

Hope this helps a little. Good luck with your paper.

 

[alimaui]

Erica

I dont know the entire scope of your paper, but you might be overlooking the type of instructor-student communication.

At my school, there are many great instructors here, however some people just do not have the skills or tolerance to be teachers. Sometimes these instructors are just there to get those coveted hours in any way, shape, or form. Most of the time they mean well, but the relationship in the cockpit, if stressed can possibly result in very severe consequences. These instructors just do not have the patience to sit next to a learning pilot. During training, it is important to be encouraging in addition to offer advice. While it is important to let the students make some mistakes (so they can learn from them) it is also important to treat these mistakes as nothing more.

Ali

 

[HU-16]

Very well put Alimaui, I agree completely.

 

[ksu_aviator]

I like how she buttered us up to get our comments Well I'll go ahead and share a little story about one of my first students.

We where practicing landings on a very wide runway (thank god). It was a slight crosswind, maybe 7 knots or so. On final everything was looking very good, it was his first time doing crosswinds, so I was talking him through it. When I felt it would be appropriate I instructed him to "add some rudder" what I neglected to say was which rudder. Of course he put in the wrong rudder and not just a little, but all of it. I managed to recover and land the airplane on the very edge of the runway, but I learned my lesson, be very very very specific.

 

[alimaui]

Erica,

By the way, if you want actual situations, feel free to PM me. I have plenty to draw from. I would say lol, but some of them not funny at all.

Ali

 

[bobbysamd]

Encouraging Students

I'd second that comment. Unless you are working with a true bonehead, most people can learn how to fly and be good pilots. Some people are naturals and pick it right up. Others need more time than others, but they will get there. Praise and encouragement are powerful tools, but must be used sparingly and with absolute sincerity.

Let me provide a flying and a non-flying example. While at ERAU I acquired a CFI student from another instructor. This instructor was very knowledgable, a tough and thorough stage check pilot, but very strict and precise. The student was a decent enough pilot. This instructor kept telling the student he was not CFI material. The student did fine with me, and I told him so. He passed his practical and instructed before going to a regional. He now flies (although a furloughee) for a major.

My non-flying example is my mom. She learned to drive later than most people. She was having trouble grasping the mechanics of a stick shift. Her first instructor told her she'd never learn how to drive. She changed instructors, got into an automatic, took a week's worth of lessons, and got her driver's license.

Hope that helps a little more with your paper.

 

[Andy Neill]

Erica,

Even though I am long past being a boy and my wife is the only one who thinks of me as a stud, I do have a couple of stories.

An anecdotal one from the Army's flight training is where the instructor told a foreign student to raise his nose, the student responded by holding his head higher which did nothing for the aircraft attitude.

One I participated in myself involved my own Army flight training. I was flying a UH-1 and pointed out to my instructor in the left seat traffic at 10'oclock. He respnded "I have the aircraft" which I took to mean that he was taking controls. He meant "I see the aircraft you called out to me". The result was that both of us saw the aircraft at 10 o'clock but neither of us were flying the aircraft we were in.

 

[RichardFitzwell]

Erica,

One of the worst air disasters of all time took place because of poor communication between the flight crew and control tower.

It took place in Tenerife on March 27, 1977. Two Boeing 747's collided on the runway due to poor phraseology and misunderstanding. A total of 583 passengers and crew lost their lives.

Link