Dear Rod:
I’m working on my private pilot certificate and am a bit worried. My instructor never does a preflight briefing with me. He just shows up and says, “OK, let’s go,” and we walk out to the ramp, hop in the plane, and begin the engine start procedure. After checking with a few other students on an aviation forum, it appears that my instructor’s behavior is a bit unusual. It seems that most of the forum students get at least some ground instruction before departure. What do you think I should do?
—Carl
Greetings Carl:
Ground “preview” enhances and enriches your in-flight learning. It’s simply unreasonable for your instructor to put you in an airplane without explaining the objectives of that day’s lesson. In my opinion, that behavior is unprofessional. Normally, you should expect to receive ground instruction (pre- and postflight) that totals at least half the total flight time. If you fly for an hour, expect a half-hour of ground instruction. The ground time will vary from lesson to lesson depending on several factors, but this is a good starting point for evaluating the instruction you’re receiving. Tell your instructor that you’re willing to pay for both pre- and postflight briefings. If he’s more interested in flying than teaching, then you should become more interested in finding another instructor. You deserve better.
Dear Rod:
I had a disturbing experience on a recent training flight with a flight instructor. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable with his hand over the back of the seat, but I didn’t say anything. Then, during the flight he let his hand fall on my leg. I removed his hand and he just laughed. Of course this made me feel very uncomfortable. Is this normal? I’m not so sure I want to fly with this jerk again.
Sincerely,
—Patty
Greetings Patty:
Yes, this person is indeed a jerk, and no, you should not fly with him again. It’s amazing to me that anyone would act so irresponsibly. Apparently his mommy and daddy didn’t teach him that he’s not supposed to touch other people without their permission.
Believe me when I say that Mr. Fastfingers doesn’t represent the male instructor population. His behavior is not normal; it’s abnormal and very wrong. So don’t get back in the cockpit with him. But do inform the flight school about his irresponsible behavior, both verbally and by letter. That should make an impression and might keep another student from being sexually harassed.
Dear Rod:
I recently flew with a pilot whose skills weren’t sufficient for me to feel comfortable endorsing his flight review. I encouraged him to return for more training but he dismissed the idea. His flight review hadn’t expired, so he was still legal to fly. My first impulse was to report him to the FAA. What are your thoughts on the matter?
—Paul
Greetings Paul:
There’s no reason here to report this fellow to the FAA. I assume you did your best to sell him on the idea of additional training and he didn’t buy from you. That doesn’t mean you inform the FAA of your opinion. If we were to report everyone we thought flew poorly, then the FAA would have to open a drive-through window, because pilots would be reporting each other right and left. If he’s really deficient, then other instructors will reach the same conclusion, and he’ll eventually be forced to get additional instruction because nobody will sign off on his flight review. If this were an ethical or moral issue (based on your description, it’s not), then you would be correct in considering a report to the FAA. Since you’re not the airport police and this isn’t an ethical or moral issue, there’s no reason to report anyone.
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