The Most Important Skills?

[VNugget]

So...If you're not on a checkride or a real-life scenario you're not going to add power on recovery?! If I were on board you better have a good reason that is stated clearly in advance of this 'stunt.'

Yes, what's wrong with that? I was just playing around with the airplane, feeling out the edge of the envelope, going in and out of the stall, with plenty of altitude. An experience I think every pilot should have in all the light singles they fly. That's a "stunt?"

I decent instructor knows that building a student's confindence is extremely important. Say what ever it takes (within reason) to build that student's confidence and get improved performance. That's part of the big picture IMO.

Let me clarify, I am by no means writing her off as a lost cause. I only noted how she brought up a an important point regarding personality and flying, it went right over everyone else's head, and how even though she's currently a poor pilot (as per her own admission) she sees the big picture, and the soothsayer doesn't.

Of course, if it was up to me, I'd see to it that she get repeatedly drilled with all kinds of situations, build up her confidence, and get turned into a good pilot... even though it might take an unusual amount of time and effort. Whatever it takes; that's what teaching is all about. Well when I really start teaching, I'll find out what it takes, now maybe I'm in just my overly optimistic 'gonna change the world' phase; who knows.

An extremely experienced instructor who comes from a several-generation lineage of great aviators, who is my mentor, told me about one of his students. She was a doctor's wife who had very little confidence in her flying, and was deathly afraid of even simple steep turns. He told me about how over several years, he built her up little by little, pushed out her skills and limits a tiny step at a time, and now has her doing solo acro.

 

[Uncle Sparky]

I can't speak for the airline guys, but for corporate pilots;

-the ability to fabricate authentic looking receipts
-the ability to convincingly lie to ATC about your indicated airspeed
-rote memorization of happy hour "windows" in thousands of cheap hotels

 

[Say Again Over]

Uncle Sparky, That's great!:laugh: :laugh:

 

[Thedude]

Looks like Vnugget created a alt profile to quote himself. WOW


As an instructor

Plays well with others is very important, IMO...if you can't get along with instructors and fellow crewmembers, or handle constructive criticism, or the occasional "DON'T EVER ********************ING DO THAT AGAIN!"...

 

[mhcasey]

" P.S. A hugely disproportionate number of my friends and acquaintances from the aviation dept. drive manual transmissions."

I live in Austin, TX, and got an automatic because the traffic is so godawful most of the time...

I just started working on my Private License, and when I got back on the ground and started driving home after lesson one, I noticed about 10 minutes into the drive that I had my right hand on the "shifter" in my car and was pressing down on the floor with my left foot when the RPM's got high...

Now I really want to sell my car and get a standard.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

Almost anyone can learn to fly including your grandmother. But some people just shouldn't start if they have no inclination for such an avocation. I have found that the lowest common denominator is whether or not that person could ever learn to drive a car with a manual transmission. If a person can not now, nor could ever really learn, or would be a very slow learner in their attempt to learn to drive stick shift, then that person is a bad candidate for flying lessons. On the other hand, even if a person doesn't now drive a car with a stick but would be eager to learn and does learn quickly, likes it and really developes a feel for engine loads and needs to downshift, then that person will have no problem learning to fly. And to go further, if a person can fly any airplane reasonably well, then they would have no problem flying most any type of airline equipment, i.e., 727, A320, 777, 747, or whatever. All airline equipment is made to be easy to fly.

MHCASEY: As you can see, stick shift is the best indicator of a potential pilot. Congratulations on your up-coming certification.

 

[coloneldan]

Uncle Sparky, I like your thinking. LOL If I didn't know better I would say that you and I used to fly for a corporation that is now refered to as Cluster F*ck Airlines. That was almost our mantra. LOL

 

[TrafficInSight]

Looks like Vnugget created a alt profile to quote himself. WOW

Not likely.

I can vouch for every one of his examples.

Even if he does point at the wrong town sometimes

 

[Thedude]

I almost removed my above post for being drunk and generaly sirly...but then again nahhhhhhh

 

[dumblonde]

1. multi-tasking skills
2. ability to finesse the controls
3. selfconfidence (not arrogance)