Flight Training - January/February 2023 - 47

SWITCH
AND
SAVE
are safe and effective. If that direction of
knowledge is not correct, the CFI's original
track must be torn up and a new path
established. The scars of the removed
track remain, however, potentially impeding
your recall. It is essential that the
CFI knows the correct procedures and
presents them correctly to you. Chose an
instructor " who teaches it right-right
from the start. "
Regarding the next principle-readiness-select
a CFI who is ready to deliver
an effective lesson. Prior to each session,
expect to see from your instructor
a written plan that follows a syllabus
encompassing the items required by
the FAA's curriculum for the certificate
or recurrency being sought. Readiness
supports the principle of primacy since
planning maximizes the likelihood that
the instruction presented will be accurate
the first time it is offered. Your instructor
should also provide direction for locating
relevant training materials. Avoid the CFI
who skips pre-lesson briefings. Learning
requires access to appropriate training
materials and a review of those documents
prior to your lesson.
Readiness also means being physically
ready for learning-adequately rested,
hydrated and fed. No " airport lunch " consisting
of salty cheese crackers and soda
pop from the FBO's vending machine.
Select an instructor who appreciates your
readiness to learn and does the needful to
prepare you for effective learning.
Information presented with
emphasis is more likely to be retained
than a recitation of facts presented in
monotone by a dull CFI. Look for the
instructor who puts emotion and gusto
into the subject being taught, such as
using scenario-based training and relating
subject matter to actual accidents,
incidents, and successes. The CFI who
teaches with passion for aviation and a
commitment to safety is far more effective
than someone who simply wants to
add hours to his or her logbook at your
expense. Select the CFI who exhibits
an intensity for teaching as well as an
intense passion for aviation.
INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE
A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
THAT INSTILLS CONFIDENCE
WITHIN THE STUDENT, AS
WELL AS AN APPRECIATION
FOR THE FULFILLMENT THAT
AVIATION OFFERS.
Experts in how people retain information
stress the need for repetition.
Hence the role for recurrent training in
aviation. Beware of the instructor who
fails to review previously covered material
or is content with simply checking off the
boxes in a training syllabus. The proper
sequence for procedures fades with time.
Repetition avoids slipping into the gutter
of forgotten techniques or allowing the
gears of your mind to become rusty.
Recency of training also is a factor in
recall, particularly if the information is
new and not typically part of your normal
activities. New material learned yesterday
may be top-of-mind today but easily lost
tomorrow. Learning that endures is influenced
more by the principle of primacy
than the principle of recency. In other
words, primacy trumps recency.
Select a CFI who practices these
principles of learning. Finding such an
individual requires research that may be
difficult to obtain. Candid discussions
with students who have worked with your
instructor candidates may be effective,
and tapping into the airport rumor mill
helps. Take the time to make a good
choice. The effort will pay dividends. Your
primary flight instructor sets the course
for your career as an aviator. FT
JOHN W. OLCOTT is an airline transport pilot,
CFII, and remote pilot, as well as former president
of the National Business Aviation Association.
FLIGHT TRAINING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 47
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Flight Training - January/February 2023

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