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Feature Article: Gaining Experience
Once reasonable proficiency in the four basics and landing
procedures has been acquired, it is important that the instructor
provide variations such as are likely to occur during student
solo flight. I don't believe a student should be soloed until
he has experienced, with the instructor, at least light to moderate
turbulence, low ceilings, unanticipated wind changes, reduced
visibility and unexpected ATC directions. Any of these factors
can so disrupt the thought processes and performance of a student
as to create a dangerous situation. Instruction should provide
the student with at least one exposure to possible events that
are common to solo flight.
A proper flight program shows a student what his limitations are.
The initial restrictions imposed by instructor endorsements will
eventually be replaced by those perceived by the neophyte pilot.
The instructor must expose the student to those situations that
will give him experience in determining his personal limits. In
addition, there are aircraft and regulatory limitations that must
be known to the pilot. Personal limitations apply to and are set
by all pilots. Aircraft limitations are set by the manufacturer
using superior pilots and new planes. The pilot must make allowances
for how much he and his aircraft deviate from superior and new.
The FARs set limits designed to promote safety, consideration,
and efficiency.
Experience is what you think about what has happened. Flying gives
you, the pilot, exposure to experiences. Your contemplation of
those experiences as recorded in your logbook reveals what you
gained from the experience. Another source of experience is learning
from others. The sharing of experiences and profiting from them
is ingrained in the folklore of flying. Most aviation books and
magazines are replete with a sharing of experiences. Start with
"Stick and Rudder." Every personal and shared experience
should be evaluated for its usefulness. You can never know too
much about flying. The best way to learn about flying is to teach
it. Teaching a skill makes you understand it.
One essential of the successful program is the frequency of the
flight lessons. Anything less than twice a week is too little,
anything more than three times a week is going to require near
full time ground study. Make a One-half hour of tower visiting
time for every three hours of flight. The instructor expects a
phone call the evening before the flight to review the flight.
Feel free to phone at other times to discuss flying or your concerns.
The pilot who never (seldom) practices flight in the outer performance
ranges of the aircraft is not prepared for the critical flight
situation. This would include such speeds as Vx and Vy climbs,
short and soft approaches, slow flight, minimum controllable,
slips, go-arounds and ground reference. The reserve capacity between
requirement and capability decreases with passage of time. It
is for this reason that the time interval between student flights
should never be more that three or four days at most. Unless you
learn from it, whatever you experience while flying will not result
in improvement. Don't practice beyond the parameters learned with
the instructor. If you want to go beyond these parameters, do
it with the instructor.
Every flight decision is a judgment decision. A decision/performance
line, extending through 'best,' to better, to good, to bad to
worse, to worst exists. There is no one way to perform any flying
operation. If the operation, such as slow flight, is achieved,
the actual performance is along this line. The instructor teaches
performance and decisions along this line and his level of acceptance
sets the achievement standards of the student. As flight training
progresses, standards are changed and raised and raised again
and again. This process must be recognized and accepted by both
instructor and student. There is no more an end to this continuum
than there is the mathematical "pi".
Research shows that the more experience you have the more quickly
you will make critical decisions. Practice making decisions makes
the decision-making process more efficient. This ability applies
to all aspects of flying. If the pilot is not exposed to situations
that require decision-making skill, the skill will not develop.
Practical training opportunities must be afforded the student.
Last Modified March 5, ©2026 TAGE.COM
