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Old May 12th 07, 06:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
buttman
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Posts: 361
Default Don't be rude on the radio

On May 11, 9:28 pm, "Dudley Henriques" wrote:
PLEASE!
Do I REALLY have to reiterate to you that pulling a fuel valve on a student
on takeoff is poor technique for a flight instructor dealing with a
student.....and this goes for having a runway 50 miles long....IT JUST ISN'T
A GOOD SAFE PRACTICE TO DO THIS?


'Safe' is a relative term. What is exactly does 'safe' begin and end?
You admit that a practice engine failure on takeoff is perfectly safe
when done by closing the throttle. The only difference between pulling
the throttle instead of the gas valve means you have power if you need
it. With a wide and long runway 50 feet below you, what would you need
the power for?

I admit there could be a perfectly good reason why you losing that
ability to add back power could result in an accident, but I haven't
heard it. I bet if I were to print out this thread and give it to the
FAA office, I'm pretty sure they'd agree with you. I actually would be
surprised if they recommended doing it. But at the very least, they'd
give good reason to not do so (I hope). It's like one of those puzzles
that you know has an answer, and you kind of know the answer, but non
the less is nowhere to be found.

Do I REALLY have to tell you that regardless of a traffic situation in the
pattern, and regardless of your position in that pattern and the position of
another aircraft in or coming into that pattern, YOU as the pilot in
command, and as the instructor flying with a student, should KNOW what to do
in ALL situations and should have done whatever was needed quietly and
professionally without further discussion or incident regardless of the
actions of the other pilot ?


What should I have done? I misjudged the Cirrus. It was a mistake. I
regret that it happened, but it happened. I thought it would be
further out, but apparently he was closer. I wasn't looking right in
front of me, I was looking further out because thats where I thought
he was. I'll say it for the 100 millionth time; I made a mistake. I
don't know what you want me to do...

This situation should have been a non event for
you as an instructor....period!


It sort of was a non-event. I took the controls from my student,
turned back to rejoin the extended downwind until the cirrus passed,
turned final behind the cirrus, then made a call to the CTAF saying I
had re-established on final behind the cirrus. I didn't snap back at
him, I didn't start crying, I didn't end the flight there... It did
bother me a little, but what do you expect? Are you saying that the
comment bothering me means I'm a bad instructor? Is a controller who
is annoyed by a snappy pilot a bad controller?

At the very least, what you SHOULD have done
in the Cirrus situation is avoid the problem by taking whatever action was
necessary to insure the safety of your aircraft.


What makes you think I didn't "ensure safety of my aircraft"? You are
making things up.

If there was an issue with
the Cirrus pilot concerning his language, this should have been nothing more
to you than a golden opportunity to stress the safety issue with your
student. The language issue should have been another golden opportunity to
stress the need for proper radio etiquette with the student at the moment of
infraction,


What makes you think I didn't use this as an opportunity to teach my
student proper radio technique? If I remember correctly, my student
(who is a native Chinese speaker, who can hardly speak English in the
first place) even commented "what was that guy's problem" as we were
heading home.

I also think that way I didn't snap back (something I'd never EVER do)
goes to teach my student more than I could ever tell him on the
ground.

NOT here on the group as a rant!


Why? People here made threads ranting about little stuff like this all
the time. I remember a thread about tower induced go-arounds lot too
long ago. How is that any different? Or any of the other 10,000
threads that are made here every year. What exactly makes this thread
so intolerable? I seriously want to know so I won't make anymore.

In my opinion, just these two examples are quite enough for me to make a
decision about you as a flight instructor.


And those "two examples" are completely ridiculous. So your opinion is
worthless.

You asked me for specifics. I have given them to you.
I realize of course that my personal opinion of you as a CFI might not be
exactly to your liking. I have no objection whatsoever if you would like to
print out the entire two threads on pulling the fuel valve on your student
pilot and also the incident in the pattern with the Cirrus and take both of
them down to your local FAA office. Then report back here if you like with
their collective opinion on these two situations involving your decision
making abilities as a CFI.
Sometimes a fresh input from another source will shed much needed light on
an issue.
Dudley Henriques