CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 4 - 5

AS CHALLENGING AS IT MAY BE TO LOOK ON
THE BRIGHT SIDE WHEN DEALING WITH TRYING
CIRCUMSTANCES, I AM A BELIEVER IN OPTIMISM
AND LIFELONG LEARNING. That's why I try

to find the lessons that I can learn from any
situation, regardless of whether the experience
was positive or negative.
Of the 40+ years I've experienced, 2020 is not
my favorite. You may feel the same way. At
this point, I'd rather look forward to 2021 and
the possibility of a better year ahead, rather
than look back at what we've endured during
the past several months. But, for all its faults,
there are some things we can learn from 2020,
and those lessons apply to aviation.
SOMETIMES IT'S SAFER TO STAY HOME

Whether the concern is questionable weather,
unreliable avionics, lack of proficiency, or
you're just not feeling well, those are all very
good reasons to stay home and avoid a risky
flight scenario. When you face a situation like
that, making the right decision is not only good
for you but you are modeling the behavior you

expect from your students. You could even
incorporate some of your actual examples into
flight training scenarios. By discussing your
decision making process with your students,
they'll learn how to apply theory to real-life
situations they are likely to encounter.
One way to do this is to fill out a personal
minimums contract and work with your
student as she does the same. This exercise
forces your student to think about her
currency, and personal minimums related to
weather, airports, and aircraft. It's a pledge
to commit to the minimums as well as best
practices such as increasing the minimums
with passengers on board, and flying with
a qualified pilot or CFI if the personal
minimums can't be met. Consider comparing
your contract with that of your student, and
discussing the reasons for the differences as
well as what may cause personal minimums
to increase or decrease from day to day. If your
students see you err on the side of safety, they
will likely do the same.

TEACHING REMOTELY, OR EVEN IN PERSON, IS NOT SOMETHING EVERYONE
CAN DO OR WANTS TO DO. AS FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, WE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE
CHALLENGING TO TEACH A STUDENT WHO JUST ISN'T GRASPING A CONCEPT. BUT
WE ALSO KNOW THE JOY OF WITNESSING A BREAKTHROUGH AND THE PRIDE A
STUDENT FEELS WHEN HE MASTERS A TASK.

TEACHERS ARE MIRACLE WORKERS

If you have children or grandchildren who are
learning remotely this year, you most likely
already have an increased appreciation for
teachers and the miracles they accomplish.
Teaching remotely, or even in person, is not
something everyone can do or wants to do.
As flight instructors, we know that it can be
challenging to teach a student who just isn't
grasping a concept. But we also know the joy
of witnessing a breakthrough and the pride a
student feels when he masters a task.
CFIs are an essential part of our aviation
system, and even if we're not able to teach in
person we should continue to seek other ways
to encourage our students to keep learning.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute is one-stop
shopping for all your online safety education
needs. Has your student watched the videos,
taken the safety quizzes, watched the Seasons
of Safety webinar series, or browsed the
accident database, or read the articles?
Have you?
Safety education also happens when pilots
get together for hangar flying. With fewer
people at the airport, and no large gatherings
taking place, the in-person education is
greatly reduced. But connecting is still

https://www.aopa.org/-/media/Files/AOPA/Home/Pilot-Resources/Personal-Minimums-Contracts/PersonalMinimumsContractVFR.pdf https://www.aopa.org/-/media/Files/AOPA/Home/Pilot-Resources/Personal-Minimums-Contracts/PersonalMinimumsContractVFR.pdf https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 4

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 4