Inflight Insights
Words of Wisdom from Flight Instructors
By Nicole Hartman & Rebekah Waters, FAA Safety Briefing magazine
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a common question we ask young people that characteristically receives common answers. Firefighters, veterinarians, doctors, and pilots are frequent responses. Surprisingly, associate editor for the FAA is absent from most lists, but we digress. Nevertheless, understanding why the dream of flying is so appealing doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination. While there are numerous ways to make a career out of flying and the most commonly thought-of option is commercial airline pilot, becoming a flight instructor can be a rewarding and exciting option.
Motives to Mentor
There are numerous reasons to become a flight instructor, the most obvious being the need to teach aspiring pilots and guide them through their training journey. Forecasts project that there will continue to be a demand for new pilots, and people to train them, over at least the next decade. As an instructor, you shoulder the enormous responsibility of assisting students to meet and exceed established standards by transferring the required knowledge. The five main responsibilities of aviation instructors are:
- Helping Learners — Instructors should help learners (students) stay motivated by making lessons enjoyable without sacrificing performance standards to make tasks easy.
- Providing Adequate Instruction — There are different methods for understanding new information, and instructors should get to know their students to tailor their teaching techniques to be effective.
- Standards of Performance — Instructors must train students to the established standards.
- Emphasize the Positive — Fear limits the learner’s ability to perceive; use positive motivation because positive instruction results in positive learning.
- Ensuring Aviation Safety — Always emphasize safety by example.
But you can’t give something that you don’t have yourself. Being an effective flight instructor requires constant education and continuous training. The benefit is the opportunity to hone your own flying skills. Teaching others compels you to revisit basic concepts and develop a deeper understanding of them and requires you to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the aviation industry. Check out the article “FAAST-Track Your Flight Instructor Success” in this issue for resources the FAASTeam offers to support the flight instructor community.
As a flight instructor, you also have to be able to demonstrate procedures, maneuvers, and techniques to your students, enabling you to constantly practice. Additionally, each student presents unique challenges and questions allowing you the opportunity to dive deeper into the subject matter and build upon your proficiency. The outcomes of this continuous learning process are significant enhancements of your knowledge and skills.
The talents of being a flight instructor can also be used to open doors for other employment opportunities. If you aspire to become an airline pilot, working as a flight instructor can help you gain the necessary flying experience to get hired. Additionally, the communication, leadership, and analytic skills you develop as an instructor are highly transferrable and are assets in many other career paths. So even if your journey leads you away from aviation, your experience will still be very valuable.
But the most rewarding part of being a flight instructor, and the reason you might decide to make it your career, is the opportunity to inspire and guide others who share your passion for aviation. Let’s be honest, learning to fly is a challenge and comes with numerous obstacles aside from just absorbing the material. As a flight instructor, you get the chance to help shape your students’ attitudes and behaviors toward safety and professionalism. Your care and support during the tough training times can make all the difference in helping your students achieve their dreams. And the payoff comes when you witness your students “get” the skills you’ve taught them and know that you’ve made an impact on not only that person’s life but the aviation community and safety as a whole.
FAQs
Flight instructors have the immense responsibility to ensure learning pilots develop the skills and knowledge required for safe flight. Obviously and justifiably, this task comes with a lot of questions — common questions, unique inquiries, and the questions they wish more students would ask. Here’s what a few flight instructors had to share from their experiences teaching.
What are the most common questions you get from your students?
👨✈️ Marcel Bernard: How much does it cost and how long will it take to become a pilot? The short answer is that it depends. The cost is contingent on the level of certificate you’re seeking, the type of aircraft you fly, where you live, and how often you train. It can take as little as three months to earn your private pilot certificate, but to become an airline pilot it takes at least two years to gain the required 1,500 hours of flight time. Weather, examiner availability, and your own availability/dedication and ability to learn the required information can also affect your training timeline.
👨🏼✈️ Allan Kash: What part of the runway do I look at when I am landing the airplane? Answer: When turning to the final approach segment, look at the runway and join its extended centerline at the appropriate airspeed and landing configuration. Then look for an aiming point at the beginning of the runway. To ensure a stable descent profile, keep the aiming point in a fixed spot on the windshield. Maintain a stabilized approach and smoothly start the roundout when the airplane is between 10 to 20 feet above the runway threshold. During the roundout, look about 3–4 centerline stripes down the runway to get an accurate sight picture. Looking closer could cause you to flare too high and looking too far down the runway could cause you to flare too low. After the airplane has transitioned from a descending attitude to a landing attitude, continue to look down the runway until it settles a few feet above the runway. As airspeed dissipates, flare slowly and smoothly while looking slightly left of the nose toward the end of the runway. Also, use your peripheral vision to see the edge of the runway, which will help judge altitude and runway alignment as the airplane touches down. Be sure to maintain positive control of the airplane throughout the landing and after touchdown. What can I do to improve my landings? Answer: Practice landings frequently, maintain a stabilized approach, and use the correct airspeeds during the entire approach and landing. When can I solo the airplane? Answer: When you demonstrate the skills needed and do so safely.
👨🏾✈️ Joe Morra: Is flight training safe? I initially felt that there was an expectation to convince people that flight training was “safe.” One day it hit me that it was probably better to discuss that topic differently. I started responding with, the chance of us getting seriously injured or killed was very, very low sitting in this office on this particular day. I went on to explain that when we get into the training aircraft together, the chance of injury or death certainly goes up, but most things in life worth doing involve some risk. Even crossing the street to get on a school bus or taking a ride on your bicycle can be risky. So, if students felt like flight training was something worthwhile to them, then they came to the right place. Everything flight instructors do is about lessening risk and practicing for worst-case scenarios or even minor things that can lead to bad scenarios. Now, when somebody asks me if flight training is “safe,” my answer isn’t yes or no. Instead, it is a longer conversation than they probably expected.
👩🏻✈️ Bob Raskey: What is the best way to succeed on my upcoming check ride? Answer: The best way to succeed in passing your checkride is to focus on your training with your instructor. Ask questions often, especially to reinforce your learning curve. Keep a positive attitude throughout the ground and flight training process. Develop a post-lesson (ground or flight) review of what went right, what went wrong, and what actions to take to be better. Be sure to understand the FAA Airman Certifications Standards (ACS) for each practical test, including knowledge and flight expectations. I found success with my practical tests by continuous training reviews with my instructor and fellow classmates to reinforce my practical knowledge. I also use “chair flying” to perfect the maneuvers that will be examined.
What is the best or most unique question you’ve received?
👨🏼✈️ Allan Kash: Can we use an aviation training device (ATD) at appropriate times in my training? Answer: When available, ATDs provide effective training for aircraft systems familiarization and to better understand maneuvers.
👩🏻✈️ Bob Raskey: What is the success rate of an emergency landing on the water? The reality is that overall general aviation survival rates from ditching in the water is close to 90%. There is strong data that shows that, when faced with areas of trees, rocks, and un-improved land, properly executed water landings have a much higher success rate. The key factors to a successful emergency water landing are to maintain aircraft control, analyze the situation, and take the appropriate actions. The basic element of success in a water landing is to set the proper glide speeds for your plane. Be aware of your altitude, wind, and water conditions below. Choose the best course of action and manage your descent profile. Use “AAA” — aimpoint, airspeed, and aspect (glide angles) — to find a point on that lake where you can land and come to a stop. Make your “mayday” calls and manually activate your ELT. Try to assess the lake water to be close enough to shore but not an area of debris. Try landing into the wind in calm water, brace for impact, touchdown as slowly as possible without stalling, and be ready to egress. Expedite the egress, then asses your surroundings from there.
What questions do you wish more students would ask?
👨✈️ Marcel Bernard: There are four: 1) Do you use a formal training syllabus, and do you use a flight simulator as part of your training program? 2) Are you able to fly at least three lessons a week with me? 3) Are you available to conduct flight training full-time, and will you be available for the next six months? 4) And finally, is there a chief flight instructor, and if so, can I meet them? Becoming a pilot takes a certain level of determination and dedication. Getting questions like these demonstrates a student’s drive and commitment to achieving their goal.
👨🏼✈️ Allan Kash: What can I do to become a better student pilot? Answer: Accept/complete all homestudy assignments. Always be prepared for your next flight lesson. Fly two to three times a week, and train for high proficiency, not just to pass the test.
👩🏻✈️ Bob Raskey: As a progressing student pilot, what actions do you recommend to keep my aeronautical knowledge and flight skills strong over time? A pilot’s journey through initial pilot training to the completion of a commercial or airline transport pilot certificate provides them with critically important flight skills that prepare them to enter rewarding aviation career fields. From follow-on roles as flight instructors, corporate pilots, military pilots, and airline pilots, many skill sets are learned that provide safe operations over time. Yet we can also experience an erosion of our technical and knowledge skills as flying pilots as time passes. As in many professional fields, pilots can decline in certain flying skills due to routine actions, periods of time off, less demand for high-level systems knowledge, and extended periods of positions in non-flying roles. Also not keeping up with technological upgrades on the flight deck and with avionics systems creates a cognitive decline in systems management. Pilots can develop an “automation dependency” which reduces the fidelity of our hand-flying skills. This loss of manual flying skills has been a factor in several aviation accidents and incidents over the years. Pilots should hand fly more, stay updated with avionics generational updates, stay updated on systems knowledge, and develop a personal program of study to keep up with the rapidly challenging aviation environment.
Meet the Flight Instructors 🛩️
👨🏼✈️ Allan Kash is an aviation safety inspector with the FAA’s Training and Certification Group. Before joining the FAA, he did part-time corporate flying and became a flight instructor teaching single and multiengine students, racking up more than 5,400 hours of dual instruction time. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aviation science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
👨✈️ Marcel Bernard is an aviation safety inspector with the FAA’s Training and Certification Group. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle University in 1984. He was a part 61/141 flight instructor and later chief instructor at Freeway Airport in Maryland for 22 years. He also worked as a corporate pilot for 3 years. He holds both an ATP certificate and flight instructor certificate.
👨🏾✈️ Joe Morra is the inaugural Division Manager of AFS-700, the Emerging Technologies Division focused on implementing efficiencies related to drone integration. He owned and operated a part 61 flight school and went on to be school director of a part 141 flight school that has schools nationwide. Along the way, he was an assistant chief pilot and director of operations. When not managing those businesses, he accumulated over 1,000 hours of dual flight instruction given.
👩🏻✈️ Robert “Bob” Raskey was the 2023 National Flight Instructor of the Year. Raskey is a current FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor; FAASTeam industry member; and United Airlines Boeing 777 captain with over forty years and 23,000 hours of general, commercial, and military flight experience. Raskey has been a flight instructor and pilot examiner on various airplanes, helicopters, warbirds, and experimental aircraft.
The Sky is Not the Limit, It’s Just the Beginning
The journey to becoming a flight instructor is challenging and demanding. There is rigorous training, the need for constant learning, and the safety responsibility for your students and others in the National Airspace System (NAS). But the chance to enhance your flying skills, increase employment opportunities, and inspire and teach others earns it a top spot on our “What do you want to be when you grow up?” list.
Learn More
- FAA Aviation Instructor’s Handbook, Chapter 8
Nicole Hartman and Rebekah Waters are FAA Safety Briefing associate editors and technical writer-editors in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service.
