[Rant Warning] Tailwheel Training

On Tue, 18 May 2004 15:49:51 -0000, Dylan Smith
wrote:

In article , C J Campbell wrote:
There are some people who seem to think that modern flight instructors do
not know how to fly or that they are generally all incompetent...

I'm sure it's always been the case that there's been a body of flight
instructors who can't teach (as well as students who aren't interested
in learning).

The main problem with dodgy flight instruction, as far as I can tell,
isn't that most students aren't taught in tailwheel planes but there's a
high number of "certificate mill" instructors who don't have much real
experience either of teaching or of flying. Because of this, old wives'
tales get propagated (the best one I've heard recently is "Never slip
the aircraft after you've had an engine failure as you'll lose airspeed
and might stall", and one I have recorded on video was "You let your
student solo on grass!? Isn't that dangerous?" from one CFI to another -
both CFIs, I might mention, were in their 30s). Not only do OWTs get
propagated simply because the instructor doesn't have the experience to
know better, but bad technique gets handed down from certificate mill
instructor to the next certificate mill instructor - such as thinking
that there's nothing wrong with a fast flat landing or touching down in
a slight crab instead of having the wheels moving in the direction of
travel over the ground.


This one is a little scary:

"Never slip
the aircraft after you've had an engine failure as you'll lose airspeed
and might stall",

....But this one made my day!!!

"You let your
student solo on grass!? Isn't that dangerous?"

If you really have that on video - make a backup and keep it forever.

Thanks,
z