Dealing with cocky students.

[MarineGrunt]

Do any of you CFIs out there have a certain way of dealing with cocky (as in the anti-authorative type) students?

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Yeah...show up to your next lesson looking like your Avitar...I'd straighten out in a heart beat.

I'm petrified to even respond to you.

 

[scubabri]

I would let them hang themselves... for example, right rudder in stalls.. let them spin, or get to low on landing, or bounce a bunch.

Basically, let them make the mistakes and then make them fix then.

 

[flynryan15]

SMACK THEM

Use the control wheel lock and SMACK HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Works everytime

 

[Mogus]

Pay someone to kick his ass before he comes in.

 

[bobbysamd]

Anti-authority students

How you handle your anti-authority students may hinge on the amount and degree of authority vested in you by management. If you have your bosses' full backing, you can employ most any reasonable tactic. Such tactics would include canceling flights for unprepared students, refusing to fly with Private students who haven't taken the written but are close to finishing, or flat-out putting your foot down when needed. Or simply going to the Chief Instructor and complaining. And by rewarding them by going the extra mile for them once they start seeing things your way.

I wrote my opening sentence because so many flight instructors lack management's backing to deal with students. I believe that is a major cause of CFI burnout. Teachers need authority to do their jobs. It's something like teachers in public schools. When I was in school, teachers were authority figures to be revered. You acted up, you stayed after school, had a note sent home, were sent to the principal's office, or, worse, your parents were called. Now, because of parents and perhaps the ACLU, teachers' authority at all levels has eroded and they encounter problems doing their jobs because putting their feet down is meaningless.

It's no different in flight schools. So many schools do not stand behind their instructors. Students know that they can run to their instructors' superiors and whine, and get their way.

Finally, now that I've written all that, there are ways to deal with them. I've written about my Mesa private student who defied my instructions and cross-country signoff and landed at an unauthorized airport. He tended to be anti-authority, but otherwise was a good student. I dealt with him by knocking him down one grade.

The mini-rant aside, hope this helps. Best of luck dealing with your recalcitrant students. Hope this helps with your interview, by the way.

 

[labbats]

I don't help them out on anything they mess up on. Radio calls work well because we are in busy class C airspace. Everyone will miss something on the flight, but it's oh so nice to have ATC yell at them. That humbles most.