{"id":9,"date":"2009-11-09T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-09T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/2011\/09\/03\/ins-instructors\/"},"modified":"2011-10-17T03:07:15","modified_gmt":"2011-10-17T02:07:15","slug":"ins-instructors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/ins-instructors\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructing instructors"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure style=\"width: 645px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Click to enlarge...\" href=\"http:\/\/www.aviationcorner.net\/show_photo.asp?id=127059\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/cessna1.jpg?w=1140\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nice pic of the a classical training plane: The Cessna 172. In this case, LV-IGM waits for runway clearance (Photo: Esteban Brea).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\">To teach another instructor can be the most rewarding experience or the scariest. On one hand you are dealing with an experienced pilot who needs to practice certain manoeuvres but he already knows all the basics. On the other hand, you are dealing with an experienced pilot who needs&#8230; well, you get the point.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The problem with experienced pilots is that they don\u2019t usually make stupid mistakes. Theirs are more complex and more unexpected because, hey, this guy knows what he is doing. Right? Yeah, sure.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">I discovered this universal fact one evening. I was working with another CFI who wanted to add an instrument rating to his certificate in order to teach instrument students. I started his training making one wrong assumption. That his instrument procedures were already sharp, if not by experience by many hours in the simulator.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">As instructors, we were granted free access to it whenever it wasn\u2019t being used by paying customers. I had spent many hours on it before starting my own CFII and I assumed he had done so too. Before our first flight I asked him about his instrument procedures and if there were any areas where he felt weak, in order to move straight into those areas and expedite the training as much as possible. He told me that he felt ready for the check ride already and that he just wanted to get the 3 hours of dual so I could recommend him for the practical test. <\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse\" id=\"table2\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th align=\"center\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\n  google_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6842223591044281\";\n  \/* AM - Pie de portada *\/\n  google_ad_slot = \"2102090342\";\n  google_ad_width = 468;\n  google_ad_height = 60;\n  \/\/-->\n  <\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n  <\/script><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">So we departed on our first flight to perform what basically amounted to a mock check ride. I put him under the hood and he flew some approaches and then entered a hold. He was rusty and out of check ride tolerances. Still I didn\u2019t find any problems that couldn\u2019t be corrected with some practice. <\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Then, during a hold we actually entered a cloud and he just lost it. Altitude, speed, bank angle. He couldn\u2019t maintain any of them. I asked him about that but he said there was no problem, he was just feeling tired. So we called it a day and returned to the airport with him under the hood but in VMC.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">On our next flight the same thing happened, here is a cloud and, hood or no hood, there goes the aircraft control. Here is where I started to suspect a problem with basic attitude flying. Was he cheating by looking outside when he was supposed to be looking inside the airplane? No way, not an experienced instructor. He would know that there\u2019s no point in cheating to yourself. I asked him about it and he confirmed that he was always looking inside.  <\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">For our next flight (by now we had both agreed that it wouldn\u2019t be enough with the 3 hs specified by the FARs) we scheduled an airplane for the evening. That made things easier with my schedule. It was a beautiful night with many lights in the ground from the cities around us. The plan was to work on basic attitude flying from an instructional point of view. We did some steep turns and stalls with that reference (that should have been invisible for him anyway).<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 645px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/image001.png?resize=640%2C480\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Please note that ADI shows a 45\u00ba turn, nose down, high speed, and the descend rate is 2000 ft. \/ min.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\">Then I took him over the water, with about 5 minutes looking outside to relax, and I made him climb to 4500 ft. and asked him to perform another steep turn under the hood. Over the water there were not lights so, even tough we were legally operating in VFR, there was nothing to see outside. <\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">He went right at it without applying any backpressure at all. The airplane entered a graveyard spiral in but the indications were clear. Altimeter winding down, VSI showing 1500\/2000 fpm down, speed increasing. And yet he was doing nothing! Not talking, not moving, nothing. I took the airplane I explained to him what had gone wrong \u201cmore back pressure, crosscheck all the instruments\u201d and then he gave it another go. <\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Once again he got into the same unusual attitude. For a moment I thought he was having fun with me. Playing the inept student or something. I took the airplane again, I asked him what he had done wrong and he seemed to understand. This time, I told him, I would not touch anything. I would give him all the time to recover. I trusted him as a pilot and as an instructor. He grabbed the controls and banked&#8230;<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Two minutes and 3000 ft. latter I asked him what was wrong. And he said that nothing was. Cold mathematics told me that if I didn\u2019t do something in 60 seconds or less there would never be anything wrong again, for either for us. That\u2019s when I felt cold fear gripping my throat. I took the airplane, recovered at about 1000 ft. over the dark water and headed back to the airport.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#C0C0C0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div align=\"center\">Advertising<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div align=center> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6842223591044281\";\n\/* Link unit for text *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"4669723431\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 468;\ngoogle_ad_height = 15;\n\/\/-->\n<\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">Why did I endanger both our lives that way? Why did I let him get so low before reacting? I still don\u2019t know. I trusted this person. I assumed that because he said he could fly in IMC it was actually true. Granted, not many people overestimate so much their own skills, or fail to recognize when they are having a bad day. But still I should have seen the signs before and be ready for anything.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">What did I learn from it? That whenever I am instructing, no matter if it is student pilot on his first flight or a retired airline pilot getting a checkout, my job is to catch their mistakes. And they all will make them. Just as you or I do. It\u2019s just a matter of time and, perhaps, of attitude.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Nobody is perfect, not even instructors. That night, over the Gulf of Mexico, I proved it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spiraling down into the ocean. We have between 70\u00ba and 90\u00ba of bank; the Vertical Speed Indicator indicates -1500 feet per minute, the altitude is 2000 ft and descending. But I am not concerned yet because to my right sits an instructor. I ask him if everything is all right. He keeps staring somewhere between the instruments and says, \u201cYes, of course it is\u201d. Now I am really scared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":72,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/cessna0.jpg?fit=640%2C453&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1JKRl-9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6765,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/bridger-aerospace-innovation-in-firefighting-forestry\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":0},"title":"Bridger Aerospace: Innovation in firefighting forestry","author":"Javier Vera Martinez","date":"Friday 17 June 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"As a new summer season begins in the United States, many states and counties across the country are beginning to prepare for potential wildfires. Citizens are well aware of how destructive these fires can be.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General aviation&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General aviation","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bridger-06.jpg?fit=800%2C537&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bridger-06.jpg?fit=800%2C537&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bridger-06.jpg?fit=800%2C537&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bridger-06.jpg?fit=800%2C537&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/dutch-f16\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":1},"title":"New colours for Dutch F-16AM Fighting Falcon demonstrator","author":"Robert Nispeling - Karo Aviation","date":"Thursday 2 April 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Just at the beginning of the Europe air shows season, The Royal Netherlands Air Force released his new demonstration F-16AM at Volkel Air Base. An spectacular colour scheme to represent the country\u00b4s air arm.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Air shows &amp; aviation events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Air shows &amp; aviation events","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/air-shows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/p-7.jpg?fit=640%2C307&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/p-7.jpg?fit=640%2C307&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/p-7.jpg?fit=640%2C307&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5802,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/skyhawks-illustrated-10709-the-first-skyhawk\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":2},"title":"Skyhawks Illustrated #10709: &#8220;The first Scooter&#8221;","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Wednesday 23 June 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Literally \"hand built,\" XA4D-1's first prototype rolled off the Douglas Aircraft Company plant at El Segundo, CA, powered by a Curtiss-Wright J65-W-16A engine and fitted with a one-piece windscreen, no tail hook, refueling probe nor \"sugar scoop\" exhaust baffle. Moved by road to Edwards Air Force Base, CA, it was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Defence &amp; security&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Defence &amp; security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California (1954)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/06\/195253672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/06\/195253672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/06\/195253672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/06\/195253672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6220,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/the-dean-of-surviving-meteors\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":3},"title":"Dean of Meteors Mark IV &#8220;premium retirement&#8221; at Estancia Santa Romana, Argentina","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Monday 19 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Oddly enough, the oldest Meteor F.Mk.IV built in Gloucestershire (UK) survives to the present day in private hands after a negligible stint with the British Air Speed Record Team and a quarter century career with the Fuerza A\u00e9rea Argentina (Argentine Air Force, FAA). Although a couple earlier cockpits reportedly survive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Defence &amp; security&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Defence &amp; security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Senior suite","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/08\/DSC_0985_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/08\/DSC_0985_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/08\/DSC_0985_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/08\/DSC_0985_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8783,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/airbus-set-to-win-chilean-carbineers-training-helicopter-contract\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":4},"title":"Airbus set to win Chilean Carbineers training helicopter contract with no competition?","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Wednesday 9 August 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Exclusive research by Gaceta Aeron\u00e1utica reveals that European manufacturer Airbus is set to win a Chilean Carbineers request for quotations that will result in thr retirement of the Bell 206 JetRanger as the service's primary helicopter pilot training platform.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Defence &amp; security&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Defence &amp; security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carabinero H125","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3023\/08\/Sin-titulo.png?fit=1024%2C556&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3023\/08\/Sin-titulo.png?fit=1024%2C556&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3023\/08\/Sin-titulo.png?fit=1024%2C556&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3023\/08\/Sin-titulo.png?fit=1024%2C556&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5679,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/rodney-butterfield-and-pucara-a-517-1-2-my-first-reaction-was-what-on-earth-is-a-pucara\/","url_meta":{"origin":9,"position":5},"title":"Rodney Butterfield and Pucar\u00e1 A-517 (1\/2):My first reaction was \u2018what on earth is a Pucar\u00e1?\u2019","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Monday 5 April 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Visiting A-517 in North Carolina in February 2020 gave us not only a chance to inspect a valuable piece of aviation history. We also were able to talk at large with its present owner to try and comprehend the ideas, ideals and frustrations he built around this interesting aircraft.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wrecks &amp; relics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wrecks &amp; relics","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/relics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rod Butterfield & A-517","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/01\/20200208_115043_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/01\/20200208_115043_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/01\/20200208_115043_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/01\/20200208_115043_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":337,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions\/337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}