Insights

New instructors are students

As the chief flight instructor for five flight schools over a 35-year period, I interviewed and hired many instructors, but it took awhile to develop a procedure that paid good dividends. At first, I hired those who were in the right place at the right time, but that didn't always work out. My success factor skyrocketed, however, when I wised up and started hiring "students" for this important job.

I say students because that's what new instructors are. If hired, they are about to embark on a two- to three-year learning experience that has no equal.

My new interview process started by discussing the applicant's background, education, and future plans. When I asked for a description of the most important flight instructor attributes, I hoped that the applicant would say communication skills, patience, attitude, and the desire to learn.

If that occurred, I would ask six or seven questions regarding aerodynamic responses that occur during slips, stalls, spins, chandelles, and lazy 8s. One word sums up most answers: Amazing! A lot of self-confident storytellers passed through my office during those times.

On the flip side was the individual who, when not confident of his answer, said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know." If that person had a good appearance, a sense of humor, and obvious sincerity, my first action was to shake his hand and tell him he was hired. Without exception, these individuals -- male and female, young and old -- were good instructors.

Instructing is high-end learning. I once knew an airline chief pilot who only hired pilots who had at least two years of full-time flight instructor experience. The knowledge that those individuals possessed -- about airplanes, the FAA, and people in general -- is invaluable, and it pays big dividends.

His hiring philosophy made sense to me and validates my experience. I've flown with hundreds of co-pilots, and those who spent considerable time in the instructor's seat usually had a good attitude and excellent skills. Pilots who know that learning never stops are reserved and attentive, and they do make the best pilots and the best employees.

How did I acclimate these inexperienced instructors to the new job? It was relatively easy, because I always used comprehensive training syllabi and my extremely successful training philosophy of "maximum confidence, minimum workload."

Here are some procedures that my instructors were required to follow:

• Record and charge for all training -- flight and ground -- that students receive. That includes the mandatory preflight and post-flight briefings.
• Never dodge a question or pretend to know everything. Look up what you don't know.
• Cancel the airplane and give ground instruction when a student is not properly prepared for a lesson. To fly when unprepared wastes time and money.
• Anyone can point out an error. Make certain that students know why an error occurred -- that's the true sign of a teacher.
• Drop students who repeatedly forget or are late for scheduled lessons or do not apply themselves. They may become an insurance liability during solo flights.
• Talk when an explanation must be given, but primarily ask questions and let the students do the talking. Explaining something to students does not guarantee retention.
• Carry a notepad and one-half of a manila folder to the airplane. Critical items are mentioned in flight; minor items are noted for the postflight briefing. The folder is used to cover the flight instruments so that maneuvers are taught using visual references before the flight instruments are introduced for increased precision.
• If flight safety is not being compromised, let students make mistakes and thereby learn from actual experience.
• Adhere to my "rule of three." Students must perform each maneuver satisfactorily on three separate flights before they advance too far in the syllabus.
• Fly the airplane only when absolutely essential for demonstration or safety.
• Never touch a switch or control on the instrument panel unless absolutely necessary. If something is incorrect, a teacher makes subtle suggestions to the student.
• Maintain student enthusiasm by ending each lesson on a high note. Most lessons should end with an example that reflects progress.

Instructors who employ those procedures will continue to learn, and are well on their way to becoming the best pilots.

Ralph Butcher, a retired United Airlines captain, is the chief flight instructor at a California flight school. He has been flying since 1961 and has 25,000 hours in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Visit his Web site.