Maybe unrelated news, but it means a lot to me

I was nominated on our club meeting by our Chief instructor to become a flight instructor. I learned how to fly quick and after having flown for about 5 months the nomination is very flattering.

I am very comfortable at the controls and enjoy slow flying (no problem with flying faster either). The wind does not bother me much and I have been at times the only one flying on the field.

I am looking forward to show people and share experiences with them while they are learning how to fly as well.

Do you guys have some pointers or published procedures that you would have liked your instructor to follow while you were learning?

My motto is : Fly slow, learn the near stall characteristics ... Taking off is optional, but landing is mandatory ...

Thanks in advance!

My current planes:

60 size Protege .71 MDSengine
60 size Hobbistar MKIII OS .65LA engine
120 size SIG four-star with OS 1.20 four-stroke engine
1/4 scale Army Balsa USA Piper Cub with Zenoah G-23
60 size Hangar 9 P47 with retracts on Saito 100 four-stroke<br type="_moz" />60 size Hangar 9 AT6 with retracts on Saito 100 four-stroke

Congrats on the good news. I also am an instructor and I think my strong point is that I speak with my students in a pretty low key tone. Give praise where praise is due. They in most cases are going to be fairly nervous. Above all, remember what it took for you to get where you are. Good Luck[sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Our Thursday night training program has been going well for 12 years now. We have 4 people who have commited to being at the field from 4:30 till sundown each with a buddy box. One of us tends to take the absolute newbies or the true introflight folks who came to the field to watch the fun. The other three concentrate on the full fledged students. We only get at most 6 students at the field each evening. Our method concentrates on the mechanics of flying, forget fancy aerodynamics or other theories till after they learn to hit the field.

First and foremost the student should be flying most of the time, people learn by making mistakes, they can't learn if you keep taking the plane away.

BUT they also get task saturated so minimize confusion by using only 7 basic instructions. All of the instructors use this same wording so that any student can fly with any instructor and get the same benefit. We teach primarily with Kadet LT 40s but it works with any decent trainer. Six of the instructions belong to the instructor, they are:
"You've got it"
"move the stick back towards you"
"move the stick forward away from you"
"move the stick to the right towards me." (We ALWAYS teach standing on the students' right side in the rare event we don't use a buddy box.)
"move the stick to the left away from me."
and "I've got it!"

the student has one command he can give

"TAKE IT!!!!"

Now teach in building blocks.

First flight take off show the student the race track traffic pattern at altitude and let him fly it. Once he is making race tracks with out over turning at each end then continue the turns a little bit and make a figgure 8 over the field. Now toss in a loop and a roll now and then. Go back to the race track and reduce throttle on down wind and let the plane decend for an approach to landing, at 6 to ten feet up add power and go around. If your confident he can do left and right with out thinking add takeoffs. this now adds in the rudder. If he's taking off and flying where he wants it to go move to landings. The instructor sets up the airplane on final about 40 feet up. All the student does is keep the wings and fuselage level and flair at the bottom. Something many pilots forget, or don't realize they are doing is watch the wheels at touch down. Don't fly the plane; fly the wheels. If you're watching the plane it will hit hard and bounce. Bring the plane to a full stop, taxi back and make him take off Turn downwind and the instructor sets up the landing again. When he can hit the field consitantly put it all together.

We fly for 15 minutes, or till the fuel runs out, or till its clear the newbie is suffering a brain cramp and the commands are not making any sense to him.

NEVER EVER YELL
NEVER EVER CURSE

Always praise everything that is done correctly.
Correct by showing what was wrong, then what it looks like when done right.

"NO NO you'er doing it all wrong!" means nothing to a student, he doesn't know what is right!

We ususally have them solo'd in 12 training sessions.

Thats quite an array of planes for only flying 5 months!!