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"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
Whatever. For now I regard aerobatics and tailwheel training as diversions that use time and money that could be better spent in improving the basic skills you were supposed to be learning in the first place. You probably wouldn't say that if you had tried it. I honestly believe I'm a much better Mooney pilot because I started as a tailwheel pilot. I believe I can land in shorter distance and I never have had the typical Mooney transition problem of landing on the nose wheel (very expensive). I've not had an opportunity to use my aerobatic training in the Mooney but if I ever get flipped upside down I don't think I'll react with simply fear because its a picture I've seen outside before. When I hear 1/2 the commercial pilots out there say that they are afraid to slip on short final because they think they might spin a tear comes down my eye and I wish they'd all had some tailwheel training. When I see people struggle with cross winds I think the same. I also believe I'm a much better CFI for it. I don't worry that a student might get uncoordinated and spin the Cherokee when he should stall it, I've spun before, I'm not concerned about it. If I were scared my students would pick up and that and they would be afraid too. I also believe tailwheel training should be required for all CFIs. Your students will try to land sideways every time (actually BFRs for rated pilots are usually worse). You need to have the confidence with your feet to let teh student get 3/4 of the way to the grass and then kick in just the amount of rudder to save the day. If you do more, or sooner, the student will never learn. The only think more directionally unstable than a taildragger is a pre-solo pilot in a 172. You really need to have a lot of confidence in what you do in order to present the right skills to your students. They really need to feel confident that they are not taking you to the edge of your skills and that the two of you are going to be an insurance claim. -Robert, CFI |
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![]() "Robert M. Gary" wrote in message om... "C J Campbell" wrote in message ... I also believe tailwheel training should be required for all CFIs. Your students will try to land sideways every time (actually BFRs for rated pilots are usually worse). Ain't it the truth? However, rather than being ready to 'save' a student every time, I prefer to talk him through it. I only step in if it appears that serious damage to the aircraft is imminent. Students feel like they have 'failed' and become discouraged if the instructor is constantly taking over. They also feel like they have 'failed' and they become discouraged if they blow a tire, so it is a fine line. Knowing when to intervene is quite possibly the essence of being a good flight instructor. Every now and then I learn something odd, such as how a student's cowboy boots might be contributing to his inability to use the rudders properly. |
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"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message om... "C J Campbell" wrote in message ... I also believe tailwheel training should be required for all CFIs. Your students will try to land sideways every time (actually BFRs for rated pilots are usually worse). Ain't it the truth? However, rather than being ready to 'save' a student every time, I prefer to talk him through it. I only step in if it appears that serious damage to the aircraft is imminent. Students feel like they have 'failed' and become discouraged if the instructor is constantly taking over. They also feel like they have 'failed' and they become discouraged if they blow a tire, so it is a fine line. Knowing when to intervene is quite possibly the essence of being a good flight instructor. I think it's both. You try to talk them through it but if they start to go off into the weeds you need to let them go a bit before you jump in. They need to feel the plane and don't need CFIs jumping in all the time. Then you taxi off and talk about what happened (usually the student asks). Probably the most important thing a CFI needs to be able to do is give instant feedback. Whether a student is doing turns, stalls, etc if something doesn't come out right we need to be right there with a reason. Also important is to keep a mental count of the number of things you've corrected a student on and make sure you balance than with the number of thinks you've given them a pat on the back for. Learning to fly can often leave you feeling pretty low, its important that, as CFIs, we really show excitement when students do well. I think the job is 50% psychology. The reason I got into CFIing (in my spar time) was that I noticed that there really were not a lot of active "real" GA pilots teaching. Most CFIs either only teach or flying airlines or something else. There aren't a lot of CFIs out there that can tell you about their IMC trip last weekend down south and impart that personal experience from flying the family around. CFIs should actively be doing the type of flying that students plan to do. Every now and then I learn something odd, such as how a student's cowboy boots might be contributing to his inability to use the rudders properly. I agree. In the J-3 I found the oddest things would happen when people try to fly with sneakers because they couldn't hit the breaks with stiff soles (I wore slippers). You need to curl your feet to fit your heal into the space where the brakes are. |
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