Got caught with my pants down - CFI edition

[Pilot-To-Be]

So I admit that I don’t know everything. Never have and never will, but certainly try to know as much as possible and be the best instructor I can be.

I was with my student this afternoon post flight in the classroom and he asked “what causes wind shear and temperature inversions?”

I know what they are, but I was certainly caught with my pants down trying to explain what causes each of them and how they occur. I fumbled my way through it, but felt like I didn’t explain as best as I should have been able to. What are some of your stories of a student asking a question that you didn’t know the answer to?

 

[crash7]

“You know, I’m not sure. Let’s look it up together.”


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[Chrisgoesflying]

I was asked by my instructor during the complex check out “how does your landing gear work?” With full confidence i answered, “I push the lever up, and the gear goes up. I push the lever down, and the gear goes down.” The instructor’s look on the face was priceless so follow up question was “yeah, but why” and my answer was “well, because I push the button in right direction”. That was the homework for later, reading up on how my landing gear works. We all get into those situations occasionally I guess.

 

[Htaylor]

I fumbled my way through it...

This is not what a good CFI does. Post #2 has the correct course of action. You can do this as a homework assignment for both of you or look it up during a ground session. Either way, it becomes a learning experience for learner and CFI.

When I was going through CFI training, it was drilled into my thick skull not to guess and possibly/probably give bad info when asked a question where I had no proper answer.

 

[texasclouds]

“why? Why do you ask me? Are the weather girls always right? How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does.

 

[Albany Tom]

I just want to point out that you didn't ACTUALLY get caught with your pants down, because you're a pilot, not a politician.

 

[crash7]

“why? Why do you ask me? Are the weather girls always right? How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does.

Who invented liquid soap and why?


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[midlifeflyer]

“You know, I’m not sure. Let’s look it up together.”

This or any similar statement which involves the CFI saying "I don't know" with an offer to find out. Last time I did this was last week.

We sometime get a poster asking how they prepare to be a CFI. My general response is, find questions in aviation groups you don't know the answer to, do the research, and then answer it. Great practice and builds two essentials for success in many areas - intellectual curiosity and the ability to research.

 

[MauleSkinner]

I was with my student this afternoon post flight in the classroom and he asked “what causes wind shear and temperature inversions?”

remember that the job of a pilot is to recognize the potential and mitigate risk with regard to these and other weather phenomena, not create weather phenomena. The deep dive together is good (probably for both of you), but it needs to be geared toward recognition and mitigation.

 

[Zeldman]

How exactly is a rainbow made?

Unicorn farts.... I thought everyone knew that...

 

[texasclouds]

Uneven heating of the earth’s surface, plus government weather control machines…

At least he didn’t ask you how a plane flies, bc that’s Pure Friggin Magic

 

[sarangan]

So I admit that I don’t know everything. Never have and never will, but certainly try to know as much as possible and be the best instructor I can be.

I was with my student this afternoon post flight in the classroom and he asked “what causes wind shear and temperature inversions?”

I know what they are, but I was certainly caught with my pants down trying to explain what causes each of them and how they occur. I fumbled my way through it, but felt like I didn’t explain as best as I should have been able to. What are some of your stories of a student asking a question that you didn’t know the answer to?

A couple of phrases in your post stood out - “caught with my pants down” and “fumbled my way through.”

Not knowing the finer points of windshear doesn’t qualify as being “caught with your pants down.” If you didn’t know what windshear was at all, maybe - but not knowing its causes is a different matter.

A good instructor is honest. There’s no shame in admitting you don't know, as long as you’re willing to find the answer, or make an informed guess and clearly say it’s a guess.

“Fumbled my way through” implies you tried to bluff. People usually pick up on that, and once they do, your credibility tanks. Don’t bluff. Just admit you’re unsure.

A couple of days ago, I asked a student when we are allowed to descend below MDA. The student asked me whether the “100 feet above TDZE with approach lights in sight” rule applies to MDAs. I thought it only applied to DAs, but now I was confused. I’ve been a CFII for 25 years - I should know this - yet I didn’t feel like I was caught with my pants down. I just said, “Let’s look it up when we get on the ground.”

 

[GeorgeC]

The other day, my younger son asked me why the sky was blue. I remembered it had to do with Rayleigh scattering, but it had been a while, so we looked up the details together. I also told him that "why" questions are usually the hardest to answer but the most important. Then I had to remind myself why the sky isn't purple...