I saw the light bulb go on... and it gave me happy goosebumps

[AggieMike88]

My current student and I did lesson #9 today, flying a 172 at KAFW. Focus was landings, landings, and more landings working up to his solo.

Landing 1 was a bit rushed because tower asked for a short approach, which student set up for, then changed their mind, which caused enough indecision that student got a bit rushed, made a few errors, but did an okay landing. Even with this going on, he spontaneously verbalized what he didn't like on his performance and what he was going to do to fix it. (note: I was intentionally keeping quiet to allow him to fully "be the pilot" and learn analyze and verbalize. But I agreed with what he said needed fixing and what he wanted to do to fix it)

Upwind, crosswind... all normal. Turning downwind and spot on with the pattern altitude, I heard the power reduction needed to be at the right speed for this point. And he was bang on the speed. In past, he was always 10-15 knots fast and a bit high. I definitely spoke up and with enthusiasm said good job and I liked what I was seeing.

Rest of downwind good, base turn where it should be, speed reduction spot on, and turn to final was 2-white, 2-red on the PAPI. Final was that relaxed slide down the glide slope.

Then without any prompting from me (remember, I'm doing my best to sit on my tongue, remains quiet, and just let him do his thing), his transition was smooth, the sight picture was just the right amount of nose up, light blare of the stall horn at less than 12-inches AGL, and then the smooth chirp of landing happened.

All Michael Jackson and no Steve Martin.

Airplane cleaned up, power applied, we are off again.

And damn if he didn't do the same thing for the rest of the landings, including the narrow runway where the airplane lives.

Very proud of my student's work today. And he too had a perma-grin as we debriefed and did the logbook.


PS. and... O-M-G!!!!.... I actually can teach someone how to land a Cessna!

 

[GRG55]

You found your calling Mike!
One can't beat the feeling of being enthused and excited about one's vocation.
Congrats once again.

 

[CharlieD3]

Yeah! Good job Mike! It's the same way with us rusty pilots... Let us talk ourselves through it....

My first landing getting back in the saddle I did a go around.... Because I knew the sight picture wasn't right....

It took a while and I had to learn what rudder pedals were for again... But we get it sooner or later....

 

[AggieMike88]

It took a while and I had to learn what rudder pedals were for again... But we get it sooner or later....

I picked up a phrase from another instructor... “don’t forget to tap dance”.

And I figured out that instead of saying “right rudder” (again), a slight tap of my foot in the pedal can be felt by my student in his foot, which results in the ball going back to center.

 

[AggieMike88]

You found your calling Mike!
One can't beat the feeling of being enthused and excited about one's vocation.
Congrats once again.

Let me know when you’re once again in the neighborhood. Dinner with you and Kath was fun and needs repeating

 

[GRG55]

Let me know when you’re once again in the neighborhood. Dinner with you and Kath was fun and needs repeating

Absolutely. This COVID thing has messed up travel quite a bit. More work from home, less time in the offices in Houston and Tulsa.

Likely I'll bring the plane down next time into Texas if I can avoid the heavy weather season (last time I recall tornado sirens in Dallas the night after we had dinner). Would be great to go flying and have you "tap dancing" the rudders from the right seat.

 

[midwestpa24]

So much of the training for becoming a CFI is learning how to verbalize what you are doing in order to teach, but honestly the most valuable thing an instructor can do sometimes is shut up. That takes a lot of skill and self control.

 

[texasclouds]

It IS a rewarding job!

 

[CharlieD3]

I picked up a phrase from another instructor... “don’t forget to tap dance”.

And I figured out that instead of saying “right rudder” (again), a slight tap of my foot in the pedal can be felt by my student in his foot, which results in the ball going back to center.

Yeah... Mine told me to oppose his rudder work... And made it hard... It got thru to me.

Also, I discovered, on my own, that I wasn't putting the seat far enough forward... Too used to driving. Not flying. I wasn't getting full deflection...

The best (well, almost) part about flying for me is learning every time. Learn something, anything... about the flight, about the landing, about the plane, about the climb, descent... The knobs the switches... Something... There is always something to learn.

I'm sure Sully learned something the day he landed in the Hudson... And he had thousands of hours hundreds in that plane... There's always something we don't know, or remember....

 

[texasclouds]

I enjoy flying the pattern with my students ( in other planes). The other day I was on base, my solo student on downwind, and my other student on the ILS in an arrow. I taught him IFr and complex. Cool day.

 

[AggieMike88]

So much of the training for becoming a CFI is learning how to verbalize what you are doing in order to teach, but honestly the most valuable thing an instructor can do sometimes is shut up. That takes a lot of skill and self control.

See thread I just posted..... I totally went against that today.....

My student is having fun learning. I'm having fun learning... Now I'm learning when to curb my enthusiasm and as you say, just shut up and learn from his learning.