K
KennyFlys
Guest
As if I wasn't nervous enough about a second student sign-off to take his checkride, I also soloed my first student today. The sign-off was a pick-up from another instructor and I finished his last couple dozen hours. The solo was with me from the beginning.
In both cases, I kept questioning what I could do to make them better prepared. I was convinced I had not done enough but I had to let loose just the same. The checkride went off with only some weak areas on the chart recalling a couple details on MEFs and towers.
The solo student had just shy of twenty hours and had been convinced he should be on his own by a dozen hours. We did an afternoon XC to College Station where he'd get more of a choice of runways if the winds changed much. He suspected something was up but wasn't sure. I had planned to do three touch-n-go's then have him do three full-stops. But then, a couple Air Force Beechjets show up and push that back followed by another AF Beechjet who stayed for five T-n-G's of his own. The Beech was on the left side and we were on the right. It was his first right-hand pattern. So, we do a total of eight T-n-G's as he's figured out the plan by now so I wanted to give him the chance.
As the controller is talking to another aircraft, we turn off and are asked if we're full-stop. I acknowledged we were and stated we "had an administrative task to accomplish then turn someone loose." We went to the ramp where I signed all the appropriate places then shook his hand. I stood under the tower with a handheld and nervously watched as he taxied back to the runway.
This evening, I did eight around the pattern with another student. I don't think those lasted nearly as long as the three my solo student flew this afternoon. The funny thing is, the student this evening is maybe two flights away from her own solo. The next will be between her and another who has been waiting forever to solo thanks to aeromedical delays.
Do ya ever stop being nervous and wonder what more can you do to prepare them? There's definitely some "Mother Hen" in part of being a flight instructor.
There's a lot of pride in knowing I helped get someone to that accomplishment but then it would have never happen if they were not willing to work for it. Ya can't spoon-feed flight skills and have them stick.
In both cases, I kept questioning what I could do to make them better prepared. I was convinced I had not done enough but I had to let loose just the same. The checkride went off with only some weak areas on the chart recalling a couple details on MEFs and towers.
The solo student had just shy of twenty hours and had been convinced he should be on his own by a dozen hours. We did an afternoon XC to College Station where he'd get more of a choice of runways if the winds changed much. He suspected something was up but wasn't sure. I had planned to do three touch-n-go's then have him do three full-stops. But then, a couple Air Force Beechjets show up and push that back followed by another AF Beechjet who stayed for five T-n-G's of his own. The Beech was on the left side and we were on the right. It was his first right-hand pattern. So, we do a total of eight T-n-G's as he's figured out the plan by now so I wanted to give him the chance.
As the controller is talking to another aircraft, we turn off and are asked if we're full-stop. I acknowledged we were and stated we "had an administrative task to accomplish then turn someone loose." We went to the ramp where I signed all the appropriate places then shook his hand. I stood under the tower with a handheld and nervously watched as he taxied back to the runway.
This evening, I did eight around the pattern with another student. I don't think those lasted nearly as long as the three my solo student flew this afternoon. The funny thing is, the student this evening is maybe two flights away from her own solo. The next will be between her and another who has been waiting forever to solo thanks to aeromedical delays.
Do ya ever stop being nervous and wonder what more can you do to prepare them? There's definitely some "Mother Hen" in part of being a flight instructor.
There's a lot of pride in knowing I helped get someone to that accomplishment but then it would have never happen if they were not willing to work for it. Ya can't spoon-feed flight skills and have them stick.
