On Mar 8, 12:54*pm, Evan Ludeman wrote:

I believe, given the proper resources, candidates for private and commerial pilot certificates with glider category ratings, could entirely manage their own flight-training development, and in large part, teach themselves to fly.

I believe they can and should be empowered to do that."

FWIW, I'm not an instructor and I'm not "invested" here. *Just simply wondering if I'm the only one that's a little queasy at this prospect.


I think the key words are "proper resources". That includes training
students how to use the simulator _properly_ and what its limitations
are. I don't think Scott is arguing that people should be completely
left to their own devices from the word "go". Rather, I think he's
positing that students don't need a flight instructor looking over
their shoulder every minute of practice.

For obvious reasons we can't let students go up "solo" in a real
glider to practice maneuvers before they're ready to handle a complete
flight on their own. But in a simulation environment, a student with
proper orientation and guidance can "woodshed" certain aspects of
their flying, without constant supervision. For example: If they can't
handle landings yet, then have them pause and reset the sim after they
get into the pattern and get to base or final leg. They can _still_
learn general aircraft control, proper use of trim, turn-coordination,
and other skills without having to worry about (or even know about)
the flare and landing.

Let me go "old school" with this: Did any of your flight instructors
ever teach you "chair flying"? Where you sit in a chair and close your
eyes and talk through (or pantomime) a maneuver or part of a flight?
This is an accepted part of flight training and has been used for
decades. And the same dangers of "simulation" apply to "chair flying":
You have to understand the limits, and be wary not to practice
improperly. But if you're on-guard for those issues, you can still
derive a great benefit from such practice.

I continue to believe that one of the biggest problems with glider
training is the fact that students may only get 1 "lesson" (or day of
flying) every 1-4 weeks. That leaves a lot of time in-between to
forget skills and to impede the encoding of muscle-memory responses
(kinesthetics, or the "feel" for the controls). Since daily tows are
not practical for most of us, simulator sessions to "fill in" around
real training can be of great benefit in speeding the learning curve
and dampening the impatience and frustrations that many students go
through.

--Noel
(CFIG in-training, and user of flight simulators for 27 of the 35
years I've been alive)