Dave.Touretzky@CMU-CS-A.ARPA (07/28/84)
Re: the question whether an SOB or a mellow person makes the better flight instructor: One of the things they teach you when you become a flight instructor is that people learn best when they feel good. They don't learn so well when they are uncomfortable, upset, or intimidated. Obviously, then, an instructor who is an SOB is not teaching as effectively as he could. A calm approach really is preferable. Just because one is calm does not mean one can't demand excellent performance from a student. A good instructor will point out every error the student makes and insist that he demonstrate proficiency before signing him off for a checkride, a BFR, or whatever. There are moody, temperamental, SOB instructors out there who are also shoddy pilots and ineffective teachers. Being nasty is no guarantee of expertise. Some famous high time pilots claim that they still hear the voice of their first flight instructor in their head, growling "watch your airspeed" or some such. One can indicate displeasure without making the student feel like slime. There is one school of thought that says that if you yell at someone the instant he makes a serious mistake, you'll make such a big impression that he'll never make the same mistake again. That's a lousy way to teach. I remember taking multiengine instruction from a guy who yelled. It was a rush course; everything happened very fast. He gave me an engine cut on takeoff and I reached out to feather the wrong engine. The guy turned to me and yelled "You feathered the wrong engine! That's it! We're dead." I remember thinking, "you schmuck; if you'd quit yelling long enough for me to get this stuff figured out, I wouldn't be feathering the wrong engine." A student may work very hard to earn the approval (or at least avoid the wrath) of a temperamental instructor. But students will also work hard to earn praise from someone they admire for positive traits, like professionalism, self-confidence, and patience. The most professional instructors I've flown with (e.g., two USAir pilots, a Learjet captain, and a designated examiner) have all been friendly and relaxed in the cockpit. They might growl occasionally, but shouting was simply beneath their dignity. As a part-time CFI, I try to keep that lesson in mind. -- Dave Touretzky, CFI-AM