The best thing I got from my CFI/CFII

[xaminmo]

Had an instructor take us off the end of the runway at KLAM, using the slope downward to build up enough speed to successfully fly. Had it not been for the slope, we would have run off the end of the runway and crashed.

I learned what not to do that day. I also learned how to pick an abort point.

Hah, spooky. "blast fence, 85 ft fm rwy"

In all honestly, aside from flying with Tony working on commercial maneuvers, and flying with a retired Piedmont Airlines pilot learning wingovers, I haven't learned a damn thing from a flight instructor except what not to do.

Which Tony did you fly with? I know one, and am curious.

Another comment about pilotage and landmarks.

I'm to the stage in my lessons where we're flying between Hidden Valley (5TX0) and Alliance (KAFW) so we can do T-n-G's at Alliance. After we're done with our RH pattern on 16R, we are cleared to a LH turn to head back to 5TX0. This path takes between Northwest Regional (52F) and the western edge of Lake Grapevine. We're motoring along at 2000ft.

Not knowing any different I set a course which was going to overfly a small portion of the lake.

"Steer a bit to the left," coached Tom. "Lake Grapevine 'belongs' to DFW airport. And they are busy enough without worrying about handling us too."

When I got home, I checked the sectional, and sure enough, the entire lake is within one of the rings surrounding DFW.

So Instructor Tom continues to do a good job pointing out the landmarks so I can not only find my way from point A and point B, but I can do so entering any airspaces I shouldn't be.

Well, you know, everything within 30 miles is within one of the rings. The northwest third of the lake is not bravo to the surface though. 2000 is theirs, but if you'd dropped down just a little, you'd have been technically ok.

But I agree with the recommendation. As a pax, I've come in over Grapevine lake many times. Staying clear keeps DFW from getting nervous if you catch a thermal and don't notice. Plus, terminal radar is slant range, so a little buffer is your friend for ensuring you don't bust bravo.

Going midfield over 52F keeps you out of the way of those Northwest Regional's rwy traffic, and keeps you perpendicular to the DPs & STARs in that area.

 

[Ted]

I'm also not implying that all, or even the majority of things I learned as an observer were bad examples. It was just interesting for me to see how situations developed and how some solutions worked better than others. I flew with a number of pilots, some who tried to teach me things and others who didn't, but I think I ended up learning much of what I know through observation and experimentation, that is, until I was forced into a more formal learning environment.

Hope I wasn't implying that I learned bad examples from being an observer. For the most part, it's been good examples, different ways of doing things (many of which I've incorporated since I view them to be better), and especially when I was first starting gave me a benchmark to aspire to.

 

[wabower]

When a guy gets a new-to-him airplane, the first thing he wants to do is get over in the left seat. The first thing I do is throw his ass in the right seat, hand him the checklist to read and watch while I do what needs to be done in a "show and tell" type exercise. People typically learn more when they have some spare brain cells left over.

I learned some good stuff about CFIing from Tony that way. I've found in general that many of the best learning experiences I've had have not been as PIC.

 

[wabower]

Oscar Duncan (RIP) took all of his students on the same dual x/c trip, which included crossing a stretch of fairly inhospitable terrain. In the middle of the rockpile, he would pull the throttle and ask the student to pick a spot.

I was pretty conscientious about maintaining such a vigil anyway, and had already determined it would be a good thing if the engine continued to run for another 25 miles or so until we were back over farmland. When he pulled the plug, I glanced around one more time to be sure I hadn't missed an obvious flat spot, then said "I don't see any place to put it."

After 50+ years I still remember Oscar's answer. "Son, they's always a place to land; some is just better than others."

 

[SkyHog]

Which Tony did you fly with? I know one, and am curious.

Tony Condon. PoA's resident most bestest CFI ever.

 

[EdFred]

Tony Condon. PoA's resident most bestest CFI ever.

New Mexico State dishes it is.

 

[Michele]

Best thing from my CFI; like all the other posts before, I must say, here's one, there are at least 97 other things lack of time/space prevents mentioning. Taught me to relax...when you don't relax, the plane flies you. great lesson!

 

[weilke]

2. Once I got lost on x-c and instead of giving me the beating I'd come to expect from previous instructors, he made me feel darn good about all the things I'd done right and the next day at his insistance I had a mini ground & flight lesson with another instructor & another student (who back-seated) about proper VOR & NDB usage. The (different) instructor gave an excellent lesson and the 3 of us had the best and funnest time ever. My CFI understood that I'd learn nothing if my confidence was bashed out of existance and he was also self confident enough as a CFI to step aside in order to provide a novel re-training exercise in my interest.

A more cynical view would be that he realized that he hadn't taught you well enough to cut you loose on a CC and did his best to keep you happy and on the right track .

Seriously, sounds like a good reaction to your XC adventure.

 

[weilke]

Couple of things I learned:

- Weather changes, if you ever fly yourself into a situation where the ceiling and visibility are dropping, land in a field or on a farm to market road. That way you are not dead.
- The landing is not over because the first wheel has touched the ground.

 

[SkyHog]

New Mexico State dishes it is.

Hey now, in all fairness, I've not flown with you as a CFI yet...