Since You Asked

Handling a CFI bully

Hi Rod:
I started flight training about a year ago. I am on my second instructor. My first instructor was very helpful and he soloed me, but because of problems at the FBO he lost his job and flight training went down the tubes.

I have been training with a new instructor for about six months. After the first few lessons, I voiced a complaint about the instructor's attitude toward the flight school, and I also had a serious face-to-face discussion with the instructor. After that incident I decided it was in my best interests to stay with him. I guess I caved in. I currently have about 58 hours, and I have not soloed cross-country yet. I have also invested about $9,000 in flight training so far.

My problem is, the instructor has a bad attitude. I understand that I have to take some guff to learn. Sometimes, however, it's ridiculous. Some of the problems are: slamming down on the right rudder really hard on approach, in flight; holding his head when I make a mistake with a radio call; and yelling. Lots of yelling. I understand that flying is not a joke, but sometimes I get really scared.

I have never had any bad situations happen while flying or landing. I am now concerned about flying solo because of a lack of confidence and little to no praise from my instructor. It's always something with this guy. He is very hard to please. Please help me.

Ms. Very Concerned

Greetings Ms. Very Concerned:
What a terrible shame to hear that your CFI behaves so unprofessionally. My advice is simple: Find another flight instructor now! Don't spend one more minute (or cent) with head-in-hands man. It sounds like you've got a bad apple there, and maybe a whole orchard. Believe me when I say that there are some fantastic flight instructors out there. These are folks who will stimulate your desire to learn, enhance your love of flying, and allow you to feel more confident about yourself. And you won't have to take any guff from them as a result because these folks aren't gruff.

Your job is to find one of these great people. Yes, you've invested a lot of money, and your flight time has been educational in many respects, I'm sure. But don't keep throwing good money after bad. Stop flying with Commander Rudder Stomper right now and find someone who loves to teach.

Women sometimes face special challenges from "old boy network" CFIs who can't get over the fact that women make fine pilots (although this fellow may be just plain ornery). Try attending a meeting of your local chapter of The Ninety-Nines, the international organization of women pilots. Ask the Ninety-Nines whom they would recommend as a CFI. You can also meet pilots at local flying clubs or safety seminars and ask for their advice. Getting personal referrals is usually the best way to proceed in these instances.

Questioning rate of climb

Dear Rod:
I've been trained to climb out at 500 fpm on IFR missed approaches when flying a Piper Warrior. During my IFR checkride yesterday (I passed), the examiner wanted me to pull back aggressively to V_Y (79 kt) to get the heck out of there on all my missed approaches. I shot my approaches at 100 kt, so getting quickly to V_Y means a steep pitch-up. If in actual conditions, I would think that an aggressive climb maneuver could cause problems (vertigo; also close to stall speed if any wind shear, etc.). What do you recommend?

Thanks,
Matt

Greetings Matt:
Your examiner is providing some very good advice here. There's no practical reason that I can think of to climb at less than the airplane's maximum rate of climb unless you're trying to avoid aircraft or birds above you (even then, some may think that it takes a lot of gull to restrict a climb in these conditions). Altitude is insurance, so get insured. This should not require an unduly rapid change in attitude from approach to climb. A nice smooth transition in pitch is all that is necessary for this maneuver. At V_Y, you aren't close enough to stall speed to worry about stalling as a result of ordinary wind shear.

Protector vectors on approach

Dear Rod:
I'm an instrument instructor and need some advice. When being radar vectored for an approach, the controller will sometimes give my student a heading that provides too little angle for a proper intercept. For instance, because of a shallow intercept heading, one of my students recently intercepted the approach course when he was nearly at the final approach fix. Is it legal to fly a bigger intercept after being cleared for the approach? What would you recommend?

Sincerely,
Barbara

Greetings Barbara:
Yours is a common problem. ATC will usually vector an airplane onto the approach at between a 20- and 30-degree angle, depending on your distance from the final approach fix (FAF). The problem is that a little headwind can easily prevent you from becoming established on the approach at a comfortable position from the FAF. Unfortunately, you can't just take up an arbitrary heading once you've been given a specific heading for the intercept. A heading is part of a clearance, and to do something different you need to amend that clearance with ATC. That's why you might ask ATC for a different heading once you've been cleared for the approach. For instance, you might ask for a 40-degree intercept onto the approach in lieu of ATC's assigned heading. You can even ask for this in advance of the final vector. Think of this as a protector vector, in that it allows your students to get established sooner, which means they can correct for wind and more properly prepare for the final descent.

Nosewheel nuances

Dear Rod:
I am involved in a bit of controversy about how to hold the elevator after touchdown during the landing rollout. One fellow recommends that the elevator be held full aft following touchdown to provide aerodynamic braking and keep the weight off the sensitive Cessna nosewheel. I prefer to let the nosewheel make contact with the ground after landing while still providing some rearward pressure on the elevator to prevent a full transfer of weight onto that structure. What do you recommend?

Thank you,
Dan

Greetings Dan:
I think you have the better idea here. Aerodynamic braking is nowhere near as effective as pedal braking when the wheels are in contact with a hard-surfaced runway. So let the nosewheel make gentle contact with the runway after landing, but don't let the nosegear assembly absorb the full force of that braking. Apply sufficient elevator backpressure to minimize, to the maximum extent possible, the force applied to the nose gear assembly. During braking, this means you need to pull aft on the elevator in such a way that the nosewheel remains in firm contact with the runway yet doesn't lift off the runway surface. Excessive pressure applied to the nosegear can result in poor if not impossible steering control, nose strut shimmy, a collapsed tire, and - in some cases - a ground loop.

Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot for 32 years and a CFI for 28, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site.