INSTRUCTOR REPORT A good instructor is always learning INSTRUCTOR REPORT offers insights for students and tips for CFIs. GOOD FROM THE START Breaking up with bad habits is hard to do » By Jason Catanzariti THERE IS AN old saying that a man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client. The same can go for teaching. I once made the mistake of trying to teach myself how to play the guitar, despite an almost complete lack of musical knowledge or talent. I eventually realized I had given myself some very bad habits BAD PILOTING HABITS CAN BE SAFETY HAZARDS, IN ADDITION TO BEING DIFFICULT TO BREAK. that have proved excruciatingly difficult to break. The FAA stresses that flight instructors occupy a critical place in pilot training for the same reason. Whatever you learn first generally stays with you, for good or for bad. It logically follows that the best way to avoid bad habits is to learn good ones from the start. Bad piloting habits can be safety hazards, in addition to being difficult to break. Flight instructors generally do an excellent job in this regard. We have practical test standards to work from; good lesson planning and curriculum development is usually part of CFI training, as is the development of a sense of professionalism. But every so often you may run into a client who has a habit you deem unacceptable. How do you help a pilot break a bad habit? Ralph came to me after amassing about 40 hours at another flight school without soloing. Worse, he felt his training was going nowhere and he was getting very discouraged. After talking and flying with MARCH 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING / 51