Independent CFIs: A Couple of Questions

[TCABM]

Seems like the best place for this set of questions. As some of y’all know, I was an aircrew instructor and flight examiner in my .mil career and have pondered the CFI and -I ratings as something to do in my next career, which I’m transitioning to a little faster than planned.

Anyways, for those of you out there doing non-primary instruction (IRA upgrades, transition training, etc.) I have a couple of questions.

1. Have any of you experimented with or adopted virtual meetings for ground training? If so, is that being signed off after the fact (when face to face) or done in something like myflightbook?

2. If not, have you considered it.

3. In either case above, what benefits and challenges do you experience or foresee?

Thanks for your thoughts.

TC

 

[eman1200]

my first instrument instructor (who left me high and dry halfway thru in pursuit of his bovine palpation career) had a zoom call or two for ground and it was great. didn't have to get my fat a$$ off the couch and learn't just as much as I would have if we drove and sat in the flight school white board room. highly recommend it (the online ground, not the dirty cow deed) as an alternative to potential long commutes to the airport.

 

[RyanShort1]

1. Nope
2. Nope
3. Would vary widely and depend on the customer.

 

[schmookeeg]

I do exclusively transitions, IR, and ME. Those primary kids will kill ya

No

No

I'm a techie in my day job. The last thing I need in my life are more Zoom meetings.

...to your potentially implied point, though, I would have no problem logging any virtual ground session.

I am possibly a bad source of anecdata, though, as generally I do not charge for ground or debriefs, ever -- so as to ensure we're relaxed, time is spent on understanding what we're about to undertake (or what crimes we just committed) -- and I compensate for it with a high flight-time rate. So I've stacked the deck against this sort of thing for my own work.

 

[Albany Tom]

I know you're looking for CFI input, but I'm going to toss my 2 cents in anyway, as an instrument student. One on one ground for instrument doesn't seem very efficient to me. All the info is in the FAA books and on the Internet. I have done an hour or two, here or there, of logged phone conference training, but those were just short sessions where I had a laundry list of questions. Debriefs and planning discussions are an exception, but you're at the airport anyway, and my instructor is working similarly to schmookeeg, except he does bill for it. My day job is also techie, and kinda busy, so I fit my studies around that, usually in the evening, and always on my own.

 

[EdFred]

1. No
2. No
3. No benefits. Challenges, easier for them to be distracted by their wife, their kid, their dog, whatever.

 

[RussR]

I focus almost solely on advanced training. Multiengine ratings, insurance-required training, avionics upgrades, etc.

1. I have not (well, I did help an applicant with IACRA via Zoom once). I am not adverse to it, but it hasn't been necessary. But what do you consider a "virtual meeting" anyway? I have had trainees call me on the phone and we talk for 30 minutes about something they don't understand - that seems to be the same thing. As far as logging it, well you can just as easily catch up with the logbook the next time you meet. And, no Part 61 rating that I know of requires a certain amount of ground instruction to be logged. They all require "some" ground training to be logged, but once you have one ground instruction entry, there's no big need to log all of it.

2. Sure, if it would fit the situation. But most of my ground training takes place at the airplane anyway so we can talk about the topic with specific examples (like if it's "systems" for example, it's much better IMO to look at them on an actual airplane).

3. Upside of course is not having to go to the airport. But that's about all I can see. Downside would definitely be the distraction factor. We have Zoom meeting all the time for work. It is REALLY hard to not get distracted by that email that pops up on the other screen, or whatever. On a personal computer, I think it would be even worse with social media notifications popping up, etc. Being actually at the airport focuses both of your attention onto the topic at hand (and of course has the opportunity to show real-life examples of whatever you're discussing).

 

[Salty]

I didn’t do any zoom calls with my instructor, in fact, my only ground school with him was briefings and debriefings for flights, which I think is appropriate and is where most of my true understanding occurred. However, I did text him a lot as I studied on my own to make sure my understanding on specific topics was correct. He did not bill me for this.

 

[Arnold]

1) yes
2) yes
3) Efficiency is the benefit.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I have participated as both audience and presenter/panel at webinars for WINGS credit and other purposes (not all aviation-related). I see no difference between that and doing an online ground course. Endorsements can be done manually or electronically. Depending on the size of the audience that could be a little or a lot of administrative work. If you plan to do it regularly, I'd consider whether it is suitable for WINGS credit - the system takes care of the "endorsements.".

The benefits are the potential for a group not limited by geographic boundaries and the ability to have "live" meetings during a pandemic. The downside, especially with the pandemic is being over-zoomed. A nice novelty at the beginning. I'm tired of looking at the Brady Bunch. I very literally skip every online meeting I come across unless it is essential. But, if you do them really, really professionally (most don't) webinars can get a following.

The biggest webinar challenge for a presenter is lack of immediate audience feedback. That was the biggest difference. I've done both live and Zoomed presentations with audiences of about 100 people. With a live presentation, a quick scan of the audience tells me what is boring, what is interesting, what needs to e repeated, and whether a complex concept needs to be explained in simpler terms. You lose that with a webinar. This not only affects the current presentation but future ones. The immediate feedback you receive live cannot be replicated by a chat window or post-webinar survey.

 

[TCABM]

…The biggest webinar challenge for a presenter is lack of immediate audience feedback…

Good feedback across the board. Having presented live and via webinar in my day job, I’ve had that same challenge and find myself wondering if I’ve lost the audience somewhere along the way. Had’t even thought about that aspect.