Your most boneheaded mistake as a CFI

[Airway]

We all make mistakes, even as CFIs.

I think I topped the bunch today, though! I was going up on my own to practice some ADF work, and the winds were out of the West, and we have runway 6x24.

I got cleared to taxi to 24, and since lately the winds have always been out of the North lately, I by habit taxi to 6. Ground never tells me anything. So I go to the runup area, do my run up, hold short of the runway and announce holding short at 6 for W.Bound dept, and tower says wind280/12 runway 6 clr for takeoff. So as I begin to taxi to the rwy it hits me. 280/12...rwy 6?

So I call up the tower and ask them to taxi to 24 and admit my stupidity.

Anyone done anything stupider? I was embarassed...though I wonder why they never told me. They were closing in 15 min maybe they were looking for their keys.

 

[minitour]

Why didn't they tell ya? Not a big deal...didn't run into anyone or cause a LOS so...why bug ya bout it, right?

I've done the same.

"N123 taxi to 32"
"Taxi to 32, N123"

Sure enough...I end up at 23 rrrrready to go...

biggest bonehead thing? hmm....

I p!$$ed off the tower controller in my Student days. I was doing touch and go's with a CFI and we were climbing out on left crosswind and the controller issued a clearance that there's NO WAY I could have complied with...but no callsign went with the clearance so I replied "Was that for N123?"

ooooh boy...that lit up some fireworks....but I wasn't a CFI thing, so I don't know if that counts....I had a CFI in the plane...do I get 1/2 a point?

-mini

 

[MFRskyknight]

Not a CFI, but awhile ago I spaced and forgot to verify 'flaps up' in the 172 during the 'go' part of a touch-and-go. That didn't hurt me nearly as much as how I reacted could have; out of habit (from what you usually do while still rolling on the runway) I pulled them all up 60' off the ground.

Recovered about 10' agl... it's like forgetting to verify carb heat OFF for a touch-and-go. You've done it god knows how many times before... but it's a good argument for the importance of VERIFYING the checklist items you think you've got licked.

MFR

 

[MFRskyknight]

"N123 taxi to 32"
"Taxi to 32, N123"

Sure enough...I end up at 23 rrrrready to go...

It gets worse when the controllers are the ones with the dyslexia.... fun times at OUN! :nuts:

MFR

 

[81Horse]

Anyone done anything stupider?

Oh, hell yes.

Doing touch-and-go's in a Beech Sierra, with a commercial student. I made the grievous mistake of letting my attention wander from said student's right hand. Instead of flap retraction, guess what I got?

Crrrrrrunch! A propeller at T/O RPM makes a fantastic brake.

In front of a fully-crowded patio at the airport restaurant, too. My self-image has never fully recovered (but that's a good thing). IMO, most training incidents and accidents can be traced to complacency (fancy word for CFI overconfidence and/or burnout) -- it's a killer.

 

[frog_flyer]

We all make mistakes, even as CFIs.

I think I topped the bunch today, though! I was going up on my own to practice some ADF work, and the winds were out of the West, and we have runway 6x24.

I got cleared to taxi to 24, and since lately the winds have always been out of the North lately, I by habit taxi to 6. Ground never tells me anything. So I go to the runup area, do my run up, hold short of the runway and announce holding short at 6 for W.Bound dept, and tower says wind280/12 runway 6 clr for takeoff. So as I begin to taxi to the rwy it hits me. 280/12...rwy 6?

So I call up the tower and ask them to taxi to 24 and admit my stupidity.

Anyone done anything stupider? I was embarassed...though I wonder why they never told me. They were closing in 15 min maybe they were looking for their keys.

yes, it took me .003 seconds to realize that stupider isnt a word. i guess my reaction time is getting higher with my age

 

[Lead Sled]

I made a mistake once... I thought that I had made a mistake. I was wrong.

'Sled

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

These examples are ridiculously tame. Flying is all about correcting mistakes. That's all I see written above. I'll pass on contributing however. I have to go to bed in an hour and I'd need more time than that.

Mr. I.

 

[frog_flyer]

I made a mistake once... I thought that I had made a mistake. I was wrong.

'Sled

story of my life

 

[MFRskyknight]

I made a mistake once... I thought that I had made a mistake. I was wrong.

'Sled

booyah!