The Professional Instructor

Training

Koos Kiec

THE PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTOR

Koos ‘Rapier’ Kieck is an ‘uber-pilot’. A career pilot with the SAAF he was a ‘vlamgat’ Mirage pilot and air combat instructor. After leaving the SAAF as a Lt Colonel, he joined Working on Fire to fly their massive Air Tractor 802 Fire Bombers, which he did safely for nine years.

Cheryl Smit Photography

KOOS is dismayed by what he sees as slipping standards in flight instruction and has put together a list of bullet points (what did you expect from an air combat instructor) for a presentation he made to civvy flight instructors:

1. INTRODUCTION: 1.1. How professional are we instructors? 1.2. What is our approach to our students? • Is it just about the income and are we ‘milking’ our students? • Are we just ‘hour building’? 1.3. What is the level of our theoretical and technical knowledge? 1.4. At what level are our flying skills?

A very senior instructor at Dunnottar once said to me, “You are obliged to give the best instruction possible to a student because he deserves the same chance you had. Who are you to play God and deny a student a career in aviation because you don’t like him – or his father – who

is in politics?” Let us therefore consider the characteristics of the professional instructor, so that we may all strive to attain the highest level of professionality.

What do students expect from their instructors, whom they respect and hold in high regard? (Most of them think we can walk on water.) 1. Do I look professional (dress code, grooming etc.) 2. Am I punctual? 3. Am I prepared? 4. Do I deliver?

Now, how do I deliver? The first two points are easily achieved, but I think points 3 and 4 are the ones where we really fall short. Let us look at a typical sortie/flight

Each ab-initio flight should consist of the following: 1. A theory lecture on the aspect: 30 – 40 minutes (Day before) 2. A proper pre-flight briefing: 20 – 30 minutes 3. The actual flight, consisting of the following: • Revision of previous sorties • Instruction on the new aspect • Student practice of new aspect • Demonstration of the next sortie’s new aspect 4. Emergency drill 5. Debrief on all aspects covered during the flight 6. Training file update on the sortie

2. THE THEORY LECTURE: AERODYNAMICS • Introduction – capture the student’s attention • Explain the reason for teaching aerodynamics • Cover all elements of the aspect • Conclude with a brief summary of what was taught • Encourage questions

3. THE PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING • Plan the flight from beginning to end. Use the students’ knowledge to build the sortie • Talk stick and rudder – nose control, emphasise nose position relative to horizon. (The stick and rudder is only a means to manipulate the nose) • Build on student’s prior knowledge • Continuously emphasise safety

4. THE FLIGHT • The student must fly as much as possible • Introduce accuracy from the beginning • The student must do vital actions (Checks) • Gain the student’s confidence and keep the student orientated • Emphasise airmanship – consideration of others in the air Revise the previous aspects until competent Teach the new aspect. Listen to the radio and show airmanship by considering others Do not overload the student, especially in the beginning Time spent on basics will pay dividends Assign homework afterwards and follow up whether it is done Do coordination exercises, it builds confidence. Follow the steps in the syllabus, do not rush If the student is unwell, do not continue –nothing will be absorbed Just before return, introduce the next concept Talk to the student at all times and do not let him do anything that was not covered A professional instructor never shouts at a student, continuously analyses the student and situation and uses various methods of explanation and demonstration to facilitate a student’s understanding.

5. THE DEBRIEF • Is done directly after the flight • Is never negative but focuses on the positive, giving praise where justified • Use the student’s recollections to build the debrief by asking questions such as:… did you see… do you remember…what happened when…where was the nose pointing…what was your power/fuel/flap… • Give the student homework for the next flight.

6. CONCLUSION

We will never be knowledgeable or experienced enough to be a perfect instructor, but we must always strive to get there. It helps to talk to other instructors, discussing our students’ progress with them, being open to learning, even from our students, and admitting when we do not know something, but committing to finding answers.

The fact that a student has passed the Principles of Flight, A/C Technical & General/Met/ Nav exams does not mean he or she can apply this theory to practical flying. It is our task as instructors, to put those together.

Always ask yourself the question “Would I have paid for the instruction I just gave to this student. Would I have passed an assessment by a DFE if he sat in for the whole sortie?”

Author’s note

I sincerely hope that at the least I have set your minds and your conscience to considering the vision of becoming the best instructor possible. We owe that to our industry. 