Mark ---- I also put my students in odd situations by using the switch for the buddy box. I tell them that we are going to play " FIX IT ". You fly the plane in the normal pattern and at times I'm going to mess it up and it's up to you to put it right and back in the pattern. Just make sure that they are ready for this kind of thing and always let them know it's time to play.

I've found that this teaches recovery in a fun way and makes teaching landings a lot easier on the instructor and student as they don't normally make those normally dumb mistakes.

Hossfly made a comment that he likes to keep the instructor throttle set at 100 %, A good idea especially for a new instructor ( not meaning he's new ) my self I like to keep it set at about 3/4 , that way if the student is at very low throttle it isn't like jamming the throttle, which at times will flood the engine and kill it.

This has turned out to be a very interesting thread and it sort of gives us instructors some ideas that other instructors are using. The neat thing is you can take all the ideas that sound good to you and put them into play on your end, if they work --fine if not use something else. ENJOY !!! RED

Be very alert as the student flies and always have a plan for how you will return the plane to a safe attitude or straight and level. After a few lessons, and if the student is doing well, I will usually let them do a little of "what ever you want" as long as it is at altitude and they tell me their plans first so I can critique that too.
I feel it is important to let them "play" a little and by telling me what they plan to attempt I can keep it safe and it doesn't scare the bejeeezus out of me as much either. It's amazing sometimes how little the result ends up looking like what they were trying to do.

Re: "I also put my students in odd situations by using the switch for the buddy box. "

When I was almost ready to solo my instructor would do that and not even tell me until after we landed. He just wanted to see how I would handle the situation. I just thought it was random gusts kicking the plane around! Its a good training idea if used when you are pretty confident in the students abilities.

I think the best thing an instructor had me do ... and i love doing it now... is flying inverted for long periods of time at a time... with the nexstar especially, you have to hold alot of down to keep it up inverted...and it makes maintaining altidude in a turn harder...and makes you have to use the rudder to turn more without losing that altitude...all in all, its good brain to thumb excersise..

Thanks again guys. A lot of what has been mentioned my instructor taught me. Sometimes he would have me go up high and fly anyway I wanted to and sometimes he would have me controlling the plane, yet I thought he was in control of it. Little things like that built my confidence up. He's a great instructor and flyer. I just saw him yesterday and he said he'll get me signed off with my instructor card this weekend. The first time I take someone up to fly ought to be nervous for both of us.

Rob,
Sorry to be coming into this thread late, it's been pretty hectic for me the last week or so.

I would like to add one piece of advice here. As an instructor you need to be able to say "no" to you student. What I mean here is that you need tell the student what needs to be done, and not having the student telling you. I've had several "students" over the years that have a know it all attitude, and they don't like to be told what to do. My only advice to you in situations like that is to explain from the start of instructions that you are the instructor. If they don't listen to that advice remember that you have the training switch in your hand and can take control of the plane. I had one student that every time I would tell him something he would say "I know", "ok, next time", "I've got it under control", "don't worry, I know what I'm doing", and so forth. All the while he was totally ignoring what I was telling him what to do. After a few minutes of this I simply took control of the plane, did a quick landing, killed the engine, handed the radio to the student, told him he was on his own from now on, and walked away. He begged and pleaded with me the rest of the day to take him back, but I told him no because I didn't feel like he was going to change. The other instructors at the field witnessed this happened (we usually compare notes on students anyway) and would not take him up. The following morning he arrived at the field with a written apology and a dozen donuts as a "peace offering", so I gave him another chance. Turned out to be a fantastic student once he started to listen to me.

Just remember out there that you are the instructor and they are the student. They won't learn if they won't listen to you.

Hope this helps

Ken

Mmmmm, donuts. Now we know.

Yep, I'm easy!! but according to my wife I'm definitely not cheap!!!

Ken

RCKen Thats a great story!

Ken, Ummmm...... I hadn't thought about the perks that come with instructing. Donuts? I could be tempted pretty easily with a donut.....

Jelly filled?[sm=thumbup.gif]

Ewwwwwwwwww, jelly filled??? Yuck!!!!! [:'(]

Chocolate glazed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]



Ken

How about lemon filled with chocolate glazing? [sm=punching.gif]

NOW NOW guys, you are picking on Ken and it's not Friday yet. I like Boston Cream.

Ken -- I have a duplicate student of yours right now, we had a little conversation and I think we are fine now, NO donuts though.

ENJOY !!! RED

Well, I did it. I passed my instructor test and even took a student up, all in the same day. Yikes! Here's how it went. I met with my former instructor at the field yesterday and asked him a few times about getting my instructor card. Well it was kind of busy down there with some people bringing new planes to check out so it was going to be a while before he could get to me. Anyway later in the day the instructor gave me the flight test and we filled out the paper work. By that time it was getting late in the day and I figured I would get in another flight or two. Next thing I know a young guy comes up to us and says "is there an instructor here?" The instructor that signed me off looks at me and says "he is." So I had my first student. [X(] It took some time to check out his plane and straighten things out but I got him out flying and he did pretty good. He's been flying on the sim and I only had to save him a couple of times. The light was fading though so I landed the plane and brought it in. All in all it went pretty good and he thanked me a several times. Hey! I just realized, he didn't bring any doughnuts. [>:] Hmmmm..... I'm going to have to put a sign up at the field or something.

GOOD GO !!! Rob. Now you get to see why your teachers tore their hair out. ( just joking )

Just remember that you are the instructor and if things don't seem right -- take over and land if need be and get things right.

This can be one of the best experiences of your RC flying. ENJOY !!! RED

That's no kidding. My instructor must have thought I was nuts or something. Oh well.
Thanks Red.