Positively learning
Choosing the right words to aid students
As an instructor who specializes in teaching introductory classes to aviation, I must choose my words carefully to avoid sounding like students are unable to do anything correctly. The overall experience needs to be positive and fun. Given that mindset, may I suggest renaming the article “10 Things Student Pilots Do Wrong” (January 2018 Flight Training) to “10 Things Student Pilots Struggle To Learn.”
Patricia Austin
North Olmsted, Ohio
High expectations
Ian Twombly’s article “Right Seat: High Expectations” (January 2018 Flight Training) hit upon some important concepts.
If an instructor or other pilot is sharing a technique, realize it is not an affront to your aviation prowess. Log it in your bag of tricks. If it is a bad technique, discard it.
You will make mistakes. I recently got checked out in a Diamond DA20. Before the flight I knew I had been flaring at 35 feet in the air when flying the Boeing, and getting back into a small aircraft after a couple of years, I was likely to flare on the high side. I mentioned that to the instructor before the flight and sure enough, it took five or six landings before I figured out where the wheels were. The point is, don’t take yourself too seriously, log the lessons learned, forget it, and drive on. That way your past mistakes don’t affect your future flying.
Jay Cornay
Franklin, Tennessee
ERRATUM
An illustration in “Flight Lesson: Slow Acceleration” (December 2017 Flight Training) showed the labels on the ignition switch of a Cessna 172 in the incorrect order. The ignition reads Off, Right, Left, Both, Start. Flight Training regrets the error.
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