How to approach / teach SEMI-NEW Stud.

[BoDEAN]

My first student has about 20-25 hrs under his belt. He has solo'ed a few times, and did 1 solo cross country. I start with him TUES/WEDS/THURS next week. Would anyone care to offer suggestions on how I approach his training, and where to start?

He mentioned his Landings need some work. I told him I would go up with him for 2 hrs, and take a training outline, and hit key things, and make notes on what we need to work on , and what he is doing ok. Then the next day, do a ground lesson with him and maybe some flight, to get the basics back down on what he need's work on, and on the third flight, have another CFI backseat with us, to make sure I am not missing anything on what skills he needs work on.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for this new CFI. Thanks

 

[great cornholio]

Well first off congrats on the job man. Guess you took that one you were posting about a few weeks ago? Well anyways this kind of thing happened to me a few times over my CFI days. What to do kinda really depends on how long it has been since the student has flown. If it has been pretty recent like not more than a year then go ahead and just have him demonstrate the normal stuff like stalls slow flight steep turns s-turns turns arounda point landings and since he did a cross country how bout some pilotage too and from the practice area. When he is doing all of that make sure you stay as quite as you can that way you can evaluate him better. If you need you can even take notes while you are up there so you remember what to talk about on the debrief. That way the debrief goes better and the student will get more out of the end product. After he shows you some manuevers you can give advice in the air to help him improve if he needs it. This flight will give you and idea of how he flies and you will see first hand his strengths and weaknesses then you can taylor the rest of the course to fit his needs. However I would not take another cfi to ride in the back. Number one that might make him uncomfortable and then you will not see his true skills and number 2 if he feels that you need a CFI to watch over you while you work the student will lose some confidence in you and you will have a hard time regaining his trust and he will not learn as much. If you feel that you need help then the best way to do this is to send him up by himself with a more experiecnced CFI and have that CFI do an eval flight and then ask the CFI if there are any weaknesses in the student that he can see and ask if any of those weaknesses could be from your teaching style and ask for advice on how to fix your style if it is "broken". But remember each person learns differently so what works with this guy might not work with the next. Anyways good luck. I know how it feels to be a brand new CFI. Hope this helps.

 

[bobbysamd]

Semi-new student

If you're taking over his training, by rights you should review all the training required by 14 CFR 61.87. Take him on a flight, give him remedial training as necessary, and give him a fresh 90-day endorsement. For cross-countries, same, pursuant to 14 CFR 61.93. You are working in a Part 61 school, so I imagine there is a certain level of standardization. In other words, make sure that the student is performing to those standards and that you feel comfortable signing him off and sending him on his local solos and cross-countries.

You can accomplish the above training and work on landings with him in a flight or two. Assign him a cross-country, review his planning, and take him on the cross-country. When you get to the destination airport, work on his landings. During that time at various points you can throw in an aborted takeoff, engine failure after takeoff, engine failure in the pattern (doing it on downwind abeam the numbers was my favorite), a go-around, and a no-flap landing. You could work in slips during the no-flapper. Take a break. Go home, and on the way you can do airwork, hoodwork, high altitude emergency with ground ref maneuvers after the descent, and a diversion.

What some people do is to time the return x-c for night. Obviously, you won't be working on ground refs at night and simulating a high-altitude emergency might not be wise, but night is the perfect time for hoodwork, radio navigation, and, of course, night emergencies. If you choose that method, your student should practice at least one night landing without his landing light. On the trip out, in daylight, work in airwork and the other procedures more appropriate to daylight.

Finally, at least in your head, work up a lesson plan. It will help you. There is a method to the FOI madness.

Don't forget to make it fun. Block off the airplane for the afternoon, and after the outbound leg, get out, stretch your legs, and have a coke or lunch/dinner.

The way to approach this student is as with all students. Be yourself.

Hope that helps. Best of luck with your first student. You will do just fine.

 

[Toy Soldier]

I suggest doing the above mentioned ideas as well as picking up a GLEIM syllabus. Use the syllabus to "catch up" his training as well as provide standardization for your future lessons.

Using a syllabus will ensure that students don't get wrapped up into different "instructor techniques" as they change from instructor to instructor.

I have picked up students that have been through several instructors and it seems like they are always having to "start over" in their training. By start over I mean "being assessed, etc."

One of my instrument students had to go to another instructor while I was away on vacation and the syllabus worked out well. The student showed up to "Bob" and said, "Please do GLEIM lesson #5 with me"! I then picked back up on lesson #6.

The syllabus also prevented the other instructor from "going off course" in the training. I know that the training would have gone off course because the same CFI was doing instrument approaches with a pre-PPL student as part of the BAI training! That definitely ain't in "no" syllabus!

Therefore, I suggest the following techniques:

1. Use a syllabus , even an aftermarket brand...
2. Print the following required training sections out of the FAR's , glue them into the back of the logbook and then initial each area as you cover the subject. (simply cut and paste them from the on-line FAR's into a word document.)

Section 61.105: Aeronautical knowledge.

(1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;
(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;
(3) Use of the applicable portions of the "Aeronautical Information Manual" and FAA advisory circulars;
(4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;
(5) Radio communication procedures;
(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;
(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;
(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;
(9) Weight and balance computations;
(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;
(11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;
(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and
(13) Preflight action that includes --
(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and
(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.

Section 61.107: Flight proficiency.

(1) For an airplane category rating with a single-engine class rating:
(i) Preflight preparation;
(ii) Preflight procedures;
(iii) Airport and seaplane base operations;
(iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds;
(v) Performance maneuvers;
(vi) Ground reference maneuvers;
(vii) Navigation;
(viii) Slow flight and stalls;
(ix) Basic instrument maneuvers;
(x) Emergency operations;
(xi) Night operations, except as provided in §61.110 of this part; and
(xii) Postflight procedures.

3. Use the PTS as a guide. Use the PTS to check the quality of the previous training (standards being met, etc.).

Good luck!