Admit You Don�t Know

When did it become socially unacceptable to admit you don�t know something? Sometimes it seems as if we are afraid those around us will call us names and point judgmental fingers at us if we admit there�s a gap in our understanding. And then there is the tendency within technological fields, such as aviation, for those already versed in its mysteries to assume a listener knows more than he or she really does. The net result is a situation where students are reluctant to ask questions and instructors don�t know that many of their arrows of knowledge are flying right over their students� heads.

It�s certainly no secret that flying is a skill that exists in a world all its own, complete with its own language, its own set of social and operational rules, and so many nuances as to be mind-boggling. For most of us, there is only the tiniest knowledge overlap between aviation and the �real� world, so it�s small wonder students often have a dazed look their faces�almost none of the knowledge and skills they bring from other endeavors apply. Actually, students don�t develop that deer-in-the-headlights look until they�ve been students for a while�when they�ve soaked up just enough aeronautical knowledge to begin to see what a huge amount they don�t know. Before that, they are overwhelmed, but they don�t realize how deep the education waters can be. The longer you�re in aviation, the deeper those waters become until, there you are�an old, grizzled high-time pilot who knows for a fact that he or she will never absorb even a fraction of all there is to learn. But that�s still far in the future for most students.

The problem with a student who is not willing to put up his hand and say, �Hold it, exactly what does that mean?� trying to learn from an instructor who unintentionally glosses over things or uses language that isn�t understood is that the learning process bogs down from day one. To minimize frustration and confusion, the potential disconnect has to be recognized early and constantly guarded against.

Most of the time, the instructor isn�t aware that the student isn�t understanding what he�s saying. In the instructor�s mind, the message is transmitted clearly, though it may get garbled somewhere in the student�s listening apparatus. It�s human nature to want to avoid looking foolish. So the student who doesn�t understand what his instructor is saying�something the instructor obviously thinks would be perfectly clear to a 5-year-old�is unlikely to compound his sense of inadequacy and risk his instructor�s wrath by admitting that he just doesn�t get it.

If the student is brave enough to speak up, he may discover that the instructor simply repeats the message using equally arcane language, so he still doesn�t get it. Chances of the instructor getting a third shot at explaining himself are slim�no student is going to want to speak up again after humiliation like that.

The real problem here is that only the student knows that he or she doesn�t understand. It�s compounded by the fact that the instructor doesn�t realize that he or she is speaking in a foreign language. Although this communication gap is a common problem in life�between bosses and employees, husbands and wives, and parents and children�it simply can�t be tolerated in the flight training environment.

So, what do we do about it? As a student, instead of doing the easy thing�just pretending that you understand�you need to do the right thing: Ask for an explanation as many times as it takes for you to really get it. Remember that the instructor does not know he�s talking over your head. Even a really bad CFI won�t do that on purpose, and the fact that no one has pointed the habit out to him may be one of the reasons he�s a bad CFI. Oddly enough, bad students�those who don�t ask questions when they don�t understand�can breed bad CFIs. If you ask enough questions, even a mediocre CFI will realize there is a breakdown in his instructional patter and, hopefully, he�ll work to improve it.

In addition to asking questions, you should not be afraid to write things down. Some people seem to feel that they�ll look silly if they jot down notes�as if they don�t have the intelligence to hold information their heads without outside help. This is definitely not the case. The truth is that those who take notes during briefings are the ones who are really serious about learning. More important, they are likely to be the ones who learn the most the fastest. It makes no difference how good you are at learning; there is simply no substitute for writing down key words and ideas. Two things happen when you do. The first is that the act of writing it down imprints the information more firmly in your mind. You have to listen more closely in the first place to be able to assimilate the information well enough to get it from your ear to your hand to the paper. The second, and more important, benefit of note taking is that you can review the information later. Learning is a constant battle against brain drain�that inevitable process where you start forgetting what you learned immediately after you learned it. If you�re flying once or twice a day, brain drain isn�t a strong factor. Flying just once or twice a week increases the drain, and flying once or twice a month really opens the floodgates and lets knowledge gush out of your head at an alarming rate. Reviewing notes taken during lessons will dry up that flood. Review periodically between lessons and again right before each lesson. Does this sound like a lot of work? It�s not, and it is so productive that after you�ve done it once or twice you�ll be amazed at how much better you retain knowledge.

I know it�s dangerous to make generalizations, but here�s one I guarantee to be 100 percent accurate: The most important questions and observations about learning to fly are going to hit you when you least expect it. You�ll be cleaning the garage or ironing a shirt or lying in bed half asleep and your brain, which has been thinking about flying on a subconscious level, will suddenly project something on your mind�s eye. It�ll be something like �Hey, what did he say about adverse yaw when we get slow?� If you don�t write it down that very instant, you won�t remember it when you get to the airport. It�s impractical to walk around with your �I�m Learning to Fly� notebook in your pocket. It is not impractical, however, to carry an index card in your pocket for the purpose of capturing those stray thoughts and questions. Or, if you typically carry an electronic data system or datebook, set aside some space for your training questions.

OK, you�ve gone to the airport and spent a few minutes sitting in the parking lot going over the last lesson�s notes. You�ve jotted down a few questions. You walk in and are greeted by your instructor. Here�s where you�ll see a difference between CFIs. If your CFI heads straight for the airplane, conducting the briefing on the way, you should make up your mind right then to slow the process down. You have some specifics you want covered and you need a little classroom briefing time before going out on the ramp. The ramp is just not a place that�s conducive to good question-and-answer conversation because, among other things, it doesn�t let you take notes.

The best instructors preface each flight with a few minutes�five to 10 minutes is usually plenty�of classroom time that includes a review of the last lesson and a preview of what this lesson will cover. Before he gets into the explanation of the next lesson, hit him with your questions from your last flight. Then, when he gets into today�s lesson, be right there with new questions as they occur to you. Listen closely for that voice inside your head that says, �I�m not certain I understand what he just said.� If you don�t ask the question right then, it�s your fault if you get in the air and something doesn�t make sense. It is easier for the instructor to answer a question on the ground than in the cockpit. It�s also easier for you to assimilate the information when you aren�t trying to listen and fly at the same time. Think of this as a three-step process: explain on the ground, execute in the air, review on the ground. Skipping any of the steps slows your progress.

There�s one more briefing session that occurs after the instructor has left to meet his next student. That�s when you sit down for a few minutes and run back over the flight in your mind. Don�t wait until you get home. Start at the beginning, review everything that happened, and make notes as they occur to you. Keep your notebook handy on the ride home. Your brain is sure to trip over some golden nuggets of learning while you�re sitting at a stoplight.

So, if you think your CFI doesn�t understand you or, worse, that you don�t understand him, take a look in the mirror. You�ll see the person who is in control of the learning process. Resolve to take the instructional bull by the horns by following a simple rule: If you don�t know, ask.