Flight Training - April 2011 - 51

» By Rod Machado

MALE STUDENTS
be mastered, and based on their experience at having ridden nearly all things on wheels, estimating how it works and how to work it. Then they act on those assumptions, sometimes with great success. Other times, they are forced to return to the basics to master the instructor’s initial instructions. Male students are eager to use their acquired experience and knowledge when approaching a new learning activity. Sometimes, too eager. That’s why a good instructor might begin the training of male students by placing special emphasis on the need to listen carefully and follow directions precisely during the early stages of training, while promising them improv opportunities later. During my Segway training, I made it a point to listen carefully to the instructor’s directions, and I quickly mastered the scooter. But I was continually aware of my natural tendency to assume riding skills where none may have existed.

I RECENTLY RETURNED from a vacation in Rome, where my wife and I took a tour of the city by Segway. Those are the twowheeled electric conveyances that look like they’ll topple over with just the slightest shift in weight (they won’t, but wear a helmet anyway). After the 10-minute Segway training period, I asked our guide about people’s reactions to training on this machine. He said that women were generally easier to teach than men. That didn’t surprise me. I’ve heard the same thing from driving instructors, scuba instructors, and hunting instructors. I came to the same conclusion years ago after having taught many women to fly. The question is, why? The simple answer is that women tend to do exactly what the instructor tells them to do. Men, on the other hand, tend to improvise. This typically involves looking at the machine to

» By David J. Kenny

SAY WHAT?
FREDERICK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT,

AOPA’s home base in central Maryland, can be a busy place. On the first nice day after bad weather, it’s not unusual to find six airplanes in the pattern for one runway, with three helicopters flying their own pattern in the opposite direction on the opposite side. Meanwhile, the soaring club is launching tows and landing gliders on the crosswind runway—and maybe a blimp’s taking off from the infield for good measure. Add calls from inbound, departing, and passing traffic to the activity on the field, and the CTAF gets pretty clogged. Most old-timers recognize this and use the frequency judiciously, but novices sometimes key the mic before tuning the brain. A little thought should convince students of the virtue of listening— listening!—to the CTAF from at least 15 miles out. That might keep them from interrupting a string of position calls to request an airport advisory or say “Any traffic, please advise.” And your own calls should be useful and concise, imparting just the information other

pilots need in terms you know they’ll recognize. That means standard phrasing, nothing more or less. It may be a pain to learn and teach, you may feel it stifles individuality, but this isn’t supposed to be poetry. It’s not even language: It’s code to convey vital information as clearly and efficiently as possible. The same applies to exchanges with air traffic control. If they care why the pilot made a request or can’t accept a clearance, they’ll ask. Especially when they’re busy, what they really need is to understand what the pilot is asking, and be sure the pilot has heard and understood what they’ve said. That means—you guessed it—standard phraseology. Many low-time pilots find radio work intimidating. It shouldn’t be. Just remember that it’s simple shorthand for well-defined ideas. It takes memorization and practice, nothing more.

And don’t get carried away. A perennial favorite is the student who calls “left crosswind…left downwind…left base” and, eventually, “left final” for the runway in use. Left final? Remember, left traffic can be assumed unless a right pattern is specified by the sectional and airport/facility directory. Calling “right traffic” might benefit transient pilots who haven’t done their homework, but once per circuit is probably enough. And however you got there, once you call “final,” other pilots should know where to look.
David Jack Kenny monitors the Frederick unicom in his Piper Arrow.

APRIL 2011 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - April 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2011