The one thing I wish someone told me when I was a student

[CharlieD3]

I started on grass... When we went to the big airport, I remarked how squeaky the runway was landing in a crab....

Always wear what you would need to walk home in (weather wise).

 

[WDD]

I was thinking about this earlier today.
The thing that always used to bug me with most of the instruction I've received over the years.....it's hard for them to stop 'teaching'. At some point, later in the training I think it would be great to ask them to keep their mouth shut...just be there to stop any major screw-ups...but otherwise let you figure out your own way..and more importantly build confidence.

Yes Sometimes my CFI did too much. Setting the radio, pulling the flaps up before taxi, etc. If you don't contently do those things, you're not really learning.

 

[Brad W]

yeah, and it always bugged me...especially on check flights... that an instructor will commonly correct you very quickly to "their way" even if the way you are doing it isn't really wrong.

 

[Pugs]

yeah, and it always bugged me...especially on check flights... that an instructor will commonly correct you very quickly to "their way" even if the way you are doing it isn't really wrong.

As I prepared for my checkrides, both private and instrument, I had a couple flights where I reminded the instructor I was paying him the same whether he is talking or not so give me a chance to figure it out myself.

 

[WannFly]

The fifth force .... $$$

 

[Salty]

I was thinking about this earlier today.
The thing that always used to bug me with most of the instruction I've received over the years.....it's hard for them to stop 'teaching'. At some point, later in the training I think it would be great to ask them to keep their mouth shut...just be there to stop any major screw-ups...but otherwise let you figure out your own way..and more importantly build confidence.

I have told instructors just that more than once. But eventually I found that the opposite works even better. I found that when I talk through what I’m doing the instructor knows that I know what I’m supposed to be doing and am working on doing it.

 

[LongRoadBob]

Don't assume your CFI will teach everything you need to know. You are responsible for finding out what you need and keeping track of it.

ah..but I had problems with the opposite. Scrambling to learn all I thought he meant I ought to know. Had tons of questions each briefing. Finally just asked about it and I was trying to learn too wide, too much. Was overwhelming myself. He was like “no, we will get to those, but for now just work on what we work on”.

 

[smv]

I was thinking about this earlier today.
The thing that always used to bug me with most of the instruction I've received over the years.....it's hard for them to stop 'teaching'. At some point, later in the training I think it would be great to ask them to keep their mouth shut...just be there to stop any major screw-ups...but otherwise let you figure out your own way..and more importantly build confidence.

[EDIT - The following advice assumes you are pretty far along in your training and actually DO know what you are doing and only need the chance to prove it uninterrupted.]

Want to know the easiest and fastest way to get your instructor to shut their mouth and let you fly?

Do not let them get a word in edgewise.

I finally cracked this code during instrument training. It always seemed I was behind the airplane and I was getting very frustrated. One day I realized the reason I was behind was because every time I was about to reach for the flaps, gear, OBS, whatever... my instructor would prompt me and instead of finishing my thought and completing the action, I would stop to listen to what they were saying (thinking they were correcting me) and thereby actually getting behind the aircraft.

I fixed this by continually talking through the entire flight. I would enunciate everything I was doing and if there was nothing obvious to be done (during cruise, for example) I would be enunciating my instrument scan, what I was thinking of doing five minutes from now, ETA to destination... Whatever it took to keep them from talking.

This lets the CFI know that you ARE thinking ahead of the airplane and that you really do understand what is happening.

This technique worked well for my follow-on ME and CFI/CFII ratings as well.

As an instructor myself now, it does my heart good the day I finally get this idea drilled into my students. When they are talking their way through the flight and telling me what they are thinking about well in advance of it actually happening I know they are actually understanding and applying their learning.

Of course there ARE times when the CFI needs to talk for whatever reason, but in my experience as long as you keep talking and allow them to interrupt when necessary to correct you or teach you something new, as long as you are talking (and not making mistakes without catching them*) they will mostly remain quiet.

*This is the biggest area where talking out loud helps. "Oh-oh... My altitude has slipped a little... Correcting!" for example...

 

[woodchucker]

I have my students place the key on top the glare shield so you can see approaching from the front of the airplane the key is not in the switch.

Exactly how I was taught. Yesterday forgot to put my phone in the same place so that was a song and dance.