Flight Training - August 2011 - 52

INSTRUCTOR REPORT»

you let them go solo. Remember, the purpose of solo flight is to allow students to develop skills in a supervised setting. It’s important for a solo student to know what action to take when things happen in the course of a flight, such as when another airplane shows up on the frequency

solo point, we gradually assume a passive role, quietly waiting for the student to make his or her own corrections, watching for the timeliness and appropriateness of decisions made without our input. This does not mean there are no errors, but rather that errors are handled without our stimulation, including going DON’T DEMAND PRIVATE PILOT around. STANDARDS BEFORE SOLO. Assuming that I’ve CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT. not been required LOOK FOR CONSISTENT OUTCOMES. to act to avoid a or on the runway. He or she must compounded error, I then ask the understand when and how to go student, “What should you have around from a botched landing, done differently that time?” to see and how to recognize the signs if they can self-critique to improve of a weather change, like blowing the results. If he or she can explain dust, dropping visibility, or scud. the error of their ways, solo is rapEven with careful supervision, idly approaching. there are plenty of decisions for Next, we must make sure the a solo student to make. The CFI student’s acceptable performance must verify, by observing reaction is not because of luck—maybe and unprompted response, that a they’re just having a good day. student pilot can take charge. I prefer to see the same good work So, how do we know when repeated on a subsequent lesson it’s time to go? I start by asking before I view it as solo quality. myself, “Have I been actively doing And finally, I am looking for conanything recently?” That is, what sistent outcomes—not necessarily has been my role in the teachidentical circuits around the pating process? As we approach the tern, but takeoffs and landings that

are corrected to roughly the same level of result—on target, on speed, under control. If the student delivers three consistent, unaided takeoffs, climb-outs, traffic pattern legs, approaches, and landings, I will open my door, carefully fold in the belts, and tell him or her, “Take it around by yourself, just keep doing what you’ve been doing.” Then, if there’s no protest (never force a genuinely reluctant student to solo), shut the door and walk away, without hesitation or eye contact. The idea is to have the student continue without interrupting the flow of pattern work, so nervousness is minimized.
KEEP IT SAFE AND ENJOYABLE.

Control the environment to bias it toward safety and success. Launch first solos only on a day with benign, familiar weather conditions, with at least an extra hour of fuel and daylight remaining over what will be needed. Have a means of communication available if things go awry, but don’t plan on using it; if you expect your student will need advice or encouragement

FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EMPLOYMENT
Opportunities are starting to appear
» By Rod Machado

IS IT POSSIBLE to find work as a full-time flight instructor these days? If reading my email or any of the aviation employment ads found on the Web is an indication, it sure seems to be the case. Here’s just one example. I recently received an email from Michele Rash of Air Wolf Aviation, located in Anderson, South Carolina. She is looking for two full-time and two part-time flight instructors. Rash had previously placed an ad in the local newspaper and found little success. As Rash states it, the airlines are hiring, and it’s hard to find qualified,

capable CFIs. Air Wolf is unique in the sense that it has a 97-percent pass rate and its teaching motto is, “Professional flight instruction by career flight instructors.” Its word-of-mouth reputation apparently brings more students than it can handle. Now, to be fair, I’ve never met Rash, but she seems like a real professional, and it’s always beneficial when instructors are aware of employment opportunities. Of course, pay and cost of living are always important considerations. Consider that the area around Anderson in South Carolina is a relatively inexpensive place

to live. That is an important consideration for anyone thinking about relocating for a job opportunity. After three months learning the ropes, Air Wolf offers instructors $25 per hour for flight and ground instruction. As Rash says, “I’m willing to pay proportional to the instructor’s knowledge base.” One of her other experienced instructors makes $40 per instructional hour, with a full schedule sheet to boot. If you love to teach, you can get paid a relatively fair amount for your time. My intent here isn’t to provide an ad for Air Wolf. Instead, I wanted you know that there are companies out there looking for full-time instructors—and there are sure to be more as the economy recovers and the airline hiring ramps up.

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Flight Training - August 2011

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