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"We cannot expect a bamboo to grow in a field of reeds." --Taekwon-Do saying-- The flight instructor, his or her student, and the relationship between the two are the essential, human cornerstones of the flight training process. All three of these elements in the equation - teacher, student and relationship - must be functioning in a satisfactory manner for the process to be successful. In any working situation, each participant will have responsibilities and roles to fill. It is important to know, if we are to be an active participant and contribute in a positive way to the success of the enterprise, what those responsibilities are and of what the roles consist. According to a recent American Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) brochure, "A good flight instructor is an essential component of good primary flight training. And good primary flight training lays the foundation for a lifetime of safe, skilful flying, and learning." A good flight instructor can accomplish very little, however, without his or her compliments: a good flight student and a positive, working relationship. According to the Flight Instructor Guide prepared by Transport Canada, "…for the information and guidance of pilots preparing to apply for flight instructor ratings, and for use as a reference by qualified flight instructors," while acting as a flight instructor, "…your aim is to give students good instruction and sufficient practice so that they can fly aircraft proficiently and safely." This gives us the basic, journeyman definition of the flight instructor’s job. It’s the equivalent of the "do no harm" basis of any professional endeavour. The very least we expect is that, at the end of a lesson or succession of lessons, the student will have been told no serious lies and an environment has been created where learning was possible. We can, of course, hope for a bit more. We can hope that the instructor is well versed in the knowledge, skills and experience of both teaching and flying and is able to create and maintain an excellent learning environment. We can hope for, as so delightfully described in a Taekwon-Do training manual someone left in my office, for an instructor who demonstrates: Strong moral and ethical standards, Clear outlook and philosophy in life, Responsible attitude as an instructor, and Scientific mind in matters of technique We can hope for a person who is skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in both flying and teaching. A proficient pilot with no teaching skills or experience can be just as poor a person to choose as an instructor as can the person who is a good teacher but lacks the knowledge and skills provided by a depth of experience as a pilot. Unfortunately, as Ralph Butcher, a very experienced pilot and flight instructor and contributor to the AOPA magazine ‘Flight Training’ wrote, "No all training is equal." Flight training has traditionally been an aviation entry job and is often seen as a means for young pilots to earn sufficient PIC hours to qualify for a "real" job in aviation. Part one of the equation: students - check out who will be teaching you, what his or her experience is as a teacher, instructor and pilot, and how successful he or she has been as a flight instructor in preparing students for successful entry into the world of aviation. The best instructor in the world, however, can do little to help a student who is not willing or able to deal with the knowledge and skills required to become a pilot. As the Flight Instructor Guide says, "No one ever learns except through their own activity and there is, strictly speaking, no such art as teaching, only the art of helping people learn." As my brother puts it, "Education is largely self-inflicted." It is not expected that a student begin flight training with prior knowledge or skills directly related to flying an aircraft. What a student brings to the adventure is a willingness to learn, a decision and a commitment to do the best he or she can, a basic background of knowledge and information including mathematics, physics, language and a reasonably balanced personality that will be able to sustain the up and downs, the triumphs and disappointments, of learning to fly. As the Taekwon-Do manual says, "A student must never tire of learning. A student must always be eager to learn and ask questions." Active participation and focus on the part of a student is just as important as the information, experience and positive, learning environment created by the instructor. Part two of the equation: students - have a clear look at your level of commitment to the process of learning to fly and monitor throughout the process your level of effort and focus. If you find yourself in a passive role in the learning process, you will also find your progress will be very, very slow and difficult. Instructors - monitor and inform your students about their level of focus and willingness to participate and contribute to the process. Be willing to discuss this issue if it appears to hinder a student’s progress toward the goal of becoming a pilot. The relationship between an instructor and his or her student is the third part of our three-part system. We can envision a situation that includes a very good instructor, a very good student and yet lacks a positive, working relationship between the two people and thus stands in the way of the end goal: the student’s progress toward becoming a pilot. We all have a feel for the basic chemistry between people and are aware of it. In many cases, a little work can clear up differences and open the way to developing the positive, working relationship we require. Respect, honesty, integrity and trust: all excellent descriptors of a successful, working relationship. Sometimes, sadly, it simply isn’t going to work, and we need to investigate alternatives. Part three of the equation: students - trust your own sense of how you are being treated. Do you have a clear sense that your instructor shows you respect? Is he or she honest, forthright and forthcoming with the information, both technical and personal, you need to make your training successful? Are you open and honest with your instructor? Are you willing and able to let him or her know when you don’t understand or when you feel you may need more or less practice with a concept or skill? Do you have a feeling of trust for your instructor? Instructors - does your student relate to you with respect and trust? Is he or she able to state his or her concerns? Do you see your student as an important person deserving of your time and energy and focus as a teacher? Is your student making reasonable and positive progress as a result of what you are doing in the learning environment? In the field of education, the statement, "I taught her but she didn’t learn," is directly equivalent to a doctor saying, "I cured him but he died." The educational process is not about what one person does or what another person does; it is about what everyone involved in the process does and how those activities impact the outcome. Unless learning is taking place, we do not have an educational. We simply have activity. Working with people is always a complex, multi-dimensional endeavour. Whatever role you may currently be filling will have its unique set of responsibilities, duties, joys and challenges. Today’s student may be tomorrow’s teacher just as today’s instructor will most likely be looking for advanced training in the future and will thus become a learner, again. We describe the pilot license as a "license to learn" and, as most experienced pilots will be happy to tell you, aviation is a life-long learning process. From the very beginnings of our aviation careers, it can be very useful to understand and appreciate the roles, responsibilities and challenges of, as we might say, both sides and the centre of the coin: the student, the instructor and the relationship between the two.
PRINCIPAL AIR
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