American Flyers Archives

Jetwhine

Diary of a New Flight Instructor

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I like hanging around with other flight instructors. Not only do they understand how an airplane flies, but they also know the intricacies of those dark corners of a flight envelope … things that can lead a new pilot down a rabbit hole of trouble if they’re not careful.

Good flight instructors also understand that while a syllabus is a valuable tool to keep both student and teacher focused on the goal … the checkride … instructors must understand the need for flexibility in the process because everyone doesn’t learn exactly the same way.

Dave Pavoni’s a new CFI at Morristown’s American Flyers. We spoke a few weeks ago about why he took the time to earn the rating, as well as what he’s learned about teaching people how to fly and how to keep them flying safely all their lives.

Give it a listen.

Jetwhine podcasts are available on iTunes.

Rob Mark, Publisher

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Wandering around Addison Airport, a busy Dallas-area reliever, one Monday morning in late April, I dropped in, unannounced, at the airport’s four flight schools. Given the day and hour, I assumed they wouldn’t be busy and would have time to talk. Surprise is an inadequate word to describe their bustling student activity, that they offered warm, sincere greetings when I walked through the door, and that they took time to talk, even when they learned that I wasn’t a prospective student but just curious.

Monarch Air runs a fleet of Garmin G1000-equipped Cessna 172s and a similarly-equipped flight training device. Touring the facility and ramp, the instructors were mostly in their 20s and the half-dozen students I saw ranged from an equal age to double it. Everyone seemed engrossed in their particular lessons, but the body language of both students and teachers spoke the loudest: they were serious, but having fun. Smiles and shining eyes don’t lie.

Similar environments and teaching activity awaited me at Airline Transport Professionals (or ATP) and American Flyers. Both offer professional and personal training, and both were in session during these two visits. The students I saw at ATP looked like they were somewhere on either side of 30, except for the guy in the school’s computer testing facility. A Piper Seminole was parked on the ramp, and I assumed the student I saw briefing with his instructor would soon slide into its left seat.