Building confidence on the air
Dear Rod:
I'm a relatively new instructor with one student who's proving to be more of a challenge than I thought. It's not his flying that's the problem. He flies well, and I'm almost ready to solo him. His problem is that he becomes terribly nervous when using the radio. Sometimes he freezes up and doesn't know what to say. At other times, he'll forget where he's going or where he is when trying to talk to ATC. This is a problem, because I can't solo him without greater confidence in his ability to work the radio (we operate out of a tower-controlled airport).
Thanks,
Ms. Mann
The central issue here is in knowing why your student is flummoxed by the radio. This is something you can discover with a bit of careful questioning. Once you know the reason, you'll know the solution. So, here's what I want you to do.
The next time you fly with this student, tell him you'll be his proxy for radio work. All he has to do is say to you what he'd actually like to say on the radio. You'll transmit his message and evaluate his response.
Here's what I suspect you'll learn. First, you'll see whether or not he actually can understand the tower's transmissions. If he can't understand a tower controller who speaks at 60 with peak gusts to 90, that's a problem whose solution is more exposure to ATC transmissions (either by purchasing a small VHF radio or listening to ATC transmissions via the Internet).
Next, you'll learn whether he knows what to say or how to respond to a radio call. If the tower asks if the next landing will be a full stop, and he says to you, "Fuel stop? Oh, my gosh, the tower wants me to make a fuel stop. He must see fuel leaking from the airplane. Houston, we have problem, we're going in," then you know your student needs a hearing aid and perhaps anxiety meds.
If he properly interprets ATC's transmission and provides an adequate reply, then you know he's suffering from "mic jaw," the most common form of radio anxiety around-the fear of making a mistake on the radio and transmitting that mistake at the speed of light to all who may be listening. The solution for this problem is to have your student talk on the radio until he or she realizes that he can speak without embarrassing himself.
Of course, I know how sneaky instructors are. That's why I suspect that once you're confident your student is hearing and replying properly, you'll simply and secretly hold the push-to-talk switch when he tells you what to say to ATC. That said, you won't have to repeat it, but you will point out to the student that he's just made a perfect transmission. Once you revive him, he'll be on his way to VHF broadcast confidence.
A left-handed question
Dear Rod,
I am getting close to my IFR checkride and I have one skill (of several) that I am working on perfecting. I am left handed, and, after many hours of flight time, my left hand has become used to being on the yoke, so recording clearances (in flight) from ATC has been challenging.
I have tried writing and controlling the yoke with my right hand, and have had unsatisfactory results with each. I would appreciate any referrals and/or suggestions that you may have.
Sincerely,
Candie
Greetings Candie:
As I see it, when someone is writing down a clearance while flying, they aren't really doing much with their hands. And when a student's hands are on the controls while looking at paper, she's usually discombobulating the airplane from its trimmed flight path. That's why some pilots just steer the airplane with their feet as they copy the clearance. Here's how to do it.
Make sure the airplane is trimmed, and simply use the rudders to keep the airplane going straight. What the inclinometer's ball does is irrelevant in this instance. Pay no attention to it. Just keep the airplane on the appropriate heading and be happy with the results. Then again, if you're using your feet to steer and the airplane begins to climb slightly, apply just a bit of rudder to start a slight turn for 5 to 10 degrees. This should cause the airplane to descend as you return it to its original heading.
On the other hand, if the airplane descends on its own, then use your right hand to provide just a bit of back pressure on the elevator, correcting any altitude increase with rudder application, as described above.
Prepping for the CFI ride
Dear Rod,
I have my CFI-Airplane checkride scheduled soon. What will be the best way for me to prepare for the checkride? To me, all of the information is overwhelming.
No Name Given
Greetings Mr. NNG:
Here's the best advice that I can give you in preparation for your CFI checkride. Show up prepared to teach. If the designee/inspector is doing his or her job, then he'll be looking for you to do what's expected of someone testing for an instructor rating: teach!
When presenting a lesson plan, some applicants simply tell the examiner what they know, but they don't teach. For example, they'll present a lesson but they won't stop at the appropriate places and question the student (the examiner, in this instance) about what's being taught. Not teaching but just telling is an enormous mistake to make on this ride. After all, isn't that what good instructors do? Don't they explain and demonstrate, followed by some student trial and practice with a review and evaluation at the end of the lesson? Isn't that what the teaching process is all about? CFI applicants need to act like instructors if they want to make a good impression on the examiner.
So during the oral or the practical portion of the exam, explain-then demonstrate. Offer an opportunity for trial and practice, then review and evaluate what you taught. If the designee doesn't want to see you teach but is only interested in your knowledge, then let him or her make this call. Don't assume that simply demonstrating your knowledge without teaching it gives you an advantage on a CFI checkride. M
Logging a student's instrument approaches
Dear Rod:
Can an instrument flight instructor log the approaches he makes with his students in actual instrument conditions and can this count toward his instrument currency?
(Question asked by a fellow flight instructor)
Greetings:
The answers to your questions are, yes and yes. The FAA has been consistent in its response to these questions for the past 26 years. In a more recent interpretation, dated August 2008, the FAA once again said the following.
"The regulations expressly permit an authorized instructor conducting instrument instruction in actual instrument flight conditions to log instrument flight time (FAR 61.5 1[g][2]). The only remaining issue is whether, even if properly logged, the approaches are considered to have been "performed" by the instructor within the meaning of section FAR 61.57 (c)(l). The FAA views the instructor's oversight responsibility when instructing in actual instrument flight conditions to meet the obligation of 61.57( c)(1) to have performed the approaches."
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and is part owner of a Cessna P210. Visit his Web site.
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