There very well may come a day when we can’t fly anymore. There will almost certainly come a day when we shouldn’t. We might still have the ability to climb into the cockpit, fire up the engine, and launch into a clear blue sky. Having the ability, however, does not mean it’s a good idea.
Politics for Pilots
Romance aloft can be tricky
If you are one of these CFIs who believes it is perfectly reasonable to troll for a Friday night companion while in flight, I would like to offer you this well thought out and carefully crafted piece of advice without reservation or conditions: Cut it out.
The unconventional way works too
I began flying just as a hobby initially. I had no intention of turning it into a career. But it turned out that some of the twists and turns along my personal road put aviation into a much more prominent position than I’d have imagined possible.
The other DECIDE model
Students cancel lessons, show up unprepared, and generally fail to make significant progress toward their goal of learning to fly for one specific reason. They don’t really understand the process of learning a complex subject that includes multiple components of knowledge combined with mechanical skill.
The powerful importance of scheduling well
A CFI is a service provider. We charge the customer a specified dollar amount for instruction. If the service is good, customers come back. If the service is lacking, customers tend to go elsewhere. And as service providers we win or lose based on the quality and timeliness of the service we provide.
Fear not the feds
It is a head-scratcher for me to understand why so many of us are afraid to seek real help from the folks who have the greatest control over our future as active participants in the industry: The FAA. With air show season underway, FAA personnel are at the biggest shows ready to lend a hand, solve problems, and keep you flying.
How did I get here?
When I was 15 years old I had a plan for where my life would take me. It was a very specific plan, one that I followed for many years with great diligence. Then, I took a turn in an unexpected direction. That new road led me here. To where I am now. To a whole new place where I feel comfortable and content.
Risk mitigation 101
How did a fatal mid-air collision happen? The answer to that question is not casual query. In a very real sense, our lives depend on finding the likely answer and including that knowledge in our future flying.
Six tips to becoming a good CFI
Anyone who is a CFI or wishes to become a CFI should take these few tips as the bare minimum commitment on their journey to becoming a truly effective, efficient, professional CFI.