Closing in

Most of the work of training a new pilot has been accomplished. All the boxes have been checked, requirements are met, the time is rapidly approaching to make an appointment with the designated pilot examiner. These final hours of flight training and ground school are perhaps the most valuable and productive sessions in the private pilot curriculum.

For the flight instructor, this fleeting period of checkride preparation presents an opportunity to add special touches of wisdom, beyond just covering the required bases. In a little while, the CFI and learner will go their separate ways, so if there’s some bit of hard-won knowledge or technique that needs to be passed along, this is the time to make it happen. “Someday, you may need to know this,” we can tell the almost-rated pilot, “so pay attention to what I’m showing/telling you.”

Students at this stage are capable of learning at a faster pace, building on the foundation previously laid, compared to when they were first struggling to learn basic control of the aircraft. They have undergone the inundation of information needed to pass the knowledge test, they’ve done phase checks, they’ve seen all the airman certification standards items. Now, they can absorb the finer touches and precision applications that would have been beyond their ability a dozen hours ago. More progress can be made in these final training sessions than in all the previous lessons.

Don’t waste this chance. It might be entirely possible to create a satisfactory pilot in the minimal hours allowed by regulation and syllabus, but why not take the extra step to encourage superior flying? It’s not that the graduated fully fledged flyer can go out and meet every challenge right away, but rather that he or she needs to be inspired to desire and undertake future growth. Being satisfied with having passed a practical test is well and good, so long as the new pilot realizes that it’s only a passage into a broader world of opportunities for improvement.

Making it real

Almost every task in the ACS can be expanded to mimic realistic scenarios that encompass future challenges. What if, for instance, the new pilot encounters a runway that’s both short and soft, requiring a combination of the individual techniques they’ve practiced, with perhaps a crosswind component added to the workload? How about simulating a loss of braking capability, just to illustrate how much runway might be required to roll off with only tire friction and aerodynamic braking?

I have several semi-challenging short runways that I use for “graduation” exercises, some turf, some with approach obstacles. It’s one thing to pretend the home-field runway ends at a mid-point taxiway exit. It’s an entirely different matter to meet a restricted landing area in person, where a precision touchdown really counts.

Simulating unusual attitude recovery for the instrument flying portion of the practical exam typically involves the dreaded “graveyard spiral” or an approach to a stall from excessive pitch attitude. Why not let the applicant create their own scenario, by making them fly the airplane while head-down and attempting to stay straight and level by visceral feel alone? After a minute or two, they will look up to find an entirely unexpected instrument depiction. Alternatively, I might fly the airplane through some gentle reversal maneuvers with their eyes diverted, with alternating climbs, descents, and left and right turns, before returning control to the now-internally confused student in level cruise. Their spinning inner ear often leads them to depart from the stable state into an undesired correction.

Navigation challenges will certainly crop up in the pilot-to-be’s career. I find it enlightening to disable the GPS and hand them a paper chart, instructing them to “use this to find your way home.” Dependency on the digital depiction of one’s location is a fragile thing. It is important to refresh your mental orientation of a flight’s progress every so often, so that if the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate falls upon you and posits “Where are you?” it is possible to establish a likely location and heading, pending the arrival of a landmark. “Where is your closest airport?” is another useful challenge, followed by, “How will you get there?”

By now, most student pilots have become inured to a simulation of engine failure. They know the drill: establish best-glide speed, look for a landing site, perform restart actions. They also know the power will be restored after a successful outcome is assured. Why not, then, make it a for-real replication at an airport, with the engine idling until touchdown and rolling off the runway? This time, they are informed, the power is not coming back, and they must set up a pattern that will keep them in a position to make the arrival with altitude to spare. Confidence comes from knowing how much altitude is needed to complete a 360-degree turn, how much extra height is needed to reach key positions in the approach, and how executing a tight pattern can bring the airplane safely home.

Failure of various instruments should have been part of normal training. As a final test, unfold a sectional chart and cover up the entire panel prior to entering the traffic pattern, announcing “Land the airplane without the aid of instrument indications.” Periodically, ask the trainee “What do you think is your airspeed?” and lift the chart away occasionally to prove that maintaining correct attitude does indeed produce results. “Does your rpm sound a bit low?” or “Is the noise of our airspeed normal?” lets them know the value of listening to the airplane in such a situation. “Do you think power needs to be adjusted to maintain the glidepath?” prompts them to keep their attention on achieving the proper outcome.

If possible, introduce students to other aircraft types, even if just for a quick ride, so they’ll know there is a big, broad world of options in aviation. This is not to distract them from their polished checkride preparation, but to give them a perspective they would otherwise never find until released into post-instruction freedom. Yes, they are all airplanes, but each one has character and personality. The more of these wonderful tools of freedom we experience, the more we learn about the range of possibilities available.

Infusing knowledge is, at this stage, easier than when the student was immersed in initial study and knowledge test memorization. They now have some fluency in airplane-speak. If they’ve been doing their homework for the oral segment of the checkride, they will already be able to interpret the runes of the sectional chart and retrieve information from the pilot’s operating handbook. This is the time to challenge them with “what if” and “why” scenarios, going beyond rote response to reach a higher level of understanding. Infusing a thirst for knowledge that will follow them throughout their pilot career should be the goal.

There is a reason, for instance, that some of the total fuel capacity is considered “unusable”; explain that such fuel is unlikely to feed when the aircraft is in an attitude associated with maximum climb. Teach them why Class E airspaces have differing floors, and their significance. Explain that each regulation was written for a purpose, usually after an accident. Be sure the soon-to-be pilot understands the rationale behind the rule, beyond just memorizing its words.

When discussing weather acquisition, this is the time to add real-world nuances to simple translation of meteorological data or flipping through graphics. Point out that forecasts have to be verified by comparing them to contemporary terminal reports, which might differ. Wind direction might be more significant at some airports than others because of local terrain, and large bodies of water play a role in nearby airports’ weather trends. Make sure they go into their aviation careers knowing all the different ways they can acquire weather information, not just one or two self-brief sites.

Before turning them loose, potential private pilots should be given hands-on indoctrination into the responsibilities of airplane stewardship. They will no longer be given a clipboard with keys to a fully fueled trainer pulled out onto the ramp. Make them put fuel into the tanks, using a self-fueling kiosk. Show them how to tie down an airplane and how to hangar it on their own. Using the maintenance logs, have them show you how many hours are left before an oil change is due or when required inspections are coming up. One day before long, when they are totally responsible for an airplane, your guidance will be put to practical use.

These are the most productive, most precious final hours of instruction. Do not waste them by simply role-playing applicant and DPE. Go beyond checkride prep, while there’s still a chance to foster an attitude of learning. FT