Sincerely,
Sam
Greetings Sam,
I can understand why you feel bad, but that's the price of having a conscience. Here's my take on the problem.
Everyone makes mistakes - you, me, and all of the other folks on this planet. You made an embarrassing mistake, and there's not a darn thing you can do to make it go away. It's important, however, to put this in perspective. Pilots with much more experience than you have gotten lost. Some have even landed at the wrong airport with an airliner full of people. Imagine making a mistake like that and bringing along a few hundred eyewitnesses to help you remember it. While you shouldn't feel proud of your mistakes, you can certainly feel proud of the way you handle them.
My advice is to feel bad about this for as long as you need to, then move on. Find comfort in knowing that you can learn from this experience. Mistakes like these become focal points in your personal development. You can draw strength from them. The smartest airline captain I know once landed an airplane gear-up when he was a general aviation flight instructor. He told me that this mistake made him realize how vulnerable he was to distraction. It made him a more thoughtful pilot as a result.
The next time you're inclined to toss aside the basics of navigation, you're sure to think twice, especially when you recall how embarrassing the results can be. We all make mistakes. The secret is to learn to avoid repeating them. That is how I recommend you look at this problem.
In regard to your student, if you mess up, then 'fess up. Apologize to him. Tell him that you made a mistake because you didn't follow the same procedures you tell others to follow. Tell him that both of you can clearly see the consequences of not doing it right, even when an experienced pilot is involved. While the apology is important, the opportunity for your student to learn from the experience is of greater significance. Let him know that if he wants to fly with someone else, you'll understand. Make it easy for him to decide what he wants to do. Don't make him feel uncomfortable in the process.
If you're worried that other instructors and staff at the FBO are likely to hear about your faux pas and give you the business, then make a preemptive strike. Apologize publicly. Tell the folks at the FBO that you made a mistake and will use the experience to make you a better pilot and instructor. A public apology is the best-kept secret on this planet. Human beings are often quick to forgive those who admit to and atone for their mistakes.
Other than that, welcome to the club of those who make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
Focus On The Flare
Dear Rod,
I recently had an annual checkride through my aero club. The only area that I was counseled on was my landing flare. The CFI performing the checkride insisted that I need to yank back on the yoke to bring the nose high into the air while landing on the main gear.
I always land main gear first, but I do not yank back on the yoke. I ease the yoke back enough to get the mains touching first, then the nose follows. I must have landed seven times, and each time I did not get the nose up enough for his taste. My question is, as long as I land nose up, main gear down first, is there a problem? How high is right?
My best,
Greetings Kenneth,
There are two times when the word yank is useful: When you're lifting a ship's anchor from the sea floor and when you've got Hulk Hogan in a headlock. This word is seldom used in an airplane. And it's not appropriate in your situation.
You don't need to yank anything in an airplane. The nose only needs to be high enough so that the main gear touches the runway first. Normally, you wouldn't land with the nose as high as you experienced unless you are making a soft-field landing. And even soft-field landings don't require yanking in any shape or form.
Related Articles
