What will my flight instructor expect of me? The working relationship you and your instructor will have will always be a two-way street. In order to get the best out of your instructor (and by extension, the best value from your training), there are some things that your instructor will expect from you.
Be prepared.
As mentioned earlier in the article, your instructor is usually incredibly busy training several students. Your instructor often doesn’t have the luxury of time to postpone a training session because you are not prepared for the session.
By far the biggest complaint that you’ll hear from any instructor is that their students were not prepared for the session.
Try to ensure that you have all the equipment ready and in working order before you attend class or go for a flight.
Also, make sure you have read through any prerequisite training material before the lesson. In short, please come to the lesson prepared!
Be punctual.
Your flight instructor will expect you to be punctual. This goes in hand with my previous point. Flying schools need to ensure that all their aircraft and staff are utilised in the most effective manner.
This means that flights are booked back-to-back. So are the instructors. There is usually not a lot of time available for delays as this causes a knock-on effect.
Arriving late to a lesson or flight is not only unprofessional, but also causes delays that could have an impact on your fellow students.
We’re counting on you to play your part in ensuring the operation runs smoothly.
Ask questions.
Ever since the Wright Brothers first took to the skies, there has never been a single instructor who has been able to read minds.
So, if you don’t understand something, the onus is on you to say so. An instructor would far rather have a student who admits they don’t understand something than a student who pretends to know everything.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Like anything in life, there is a time and place for this (Asking your instructor a question about altimeter setting procedures on short final approach is probably not the most appropriate place to have the conversation!)
Do your best!
The most crucial thing your flight instructor will expect of you is, for you to do your best. Acknowledge your strengths and make an effort to improve your areas of weakness.
Your instructor is not expecting you to be the next Sully Sullenberger or Chuck Yeager. Perfection will come in due course; just work to the best of your ability.
Have fun!
It is proven that learning something happens best when a person is enjoying the experience. Don’t forget to have fun during your training – you’re learning to fly an aeroplane, for goodness’ sake!
If you are not finding the training enjoyable, discuss this with your instructor to try and find out why you’re not enjoying the training and what could be done to make the process more enjoyable for you.
I don’t seem to get along with my instructor. What can I do about it?
We’re all humans. We don’t always get on well with everyone. Personality clashes in the training environment is not conducive to the learning process. Most of the time, the flight school will make every attempt to pair you with an instructor of a similar personality. Sometimes this doesn’t work out as planned, but have no fear!
If you and your instructor don’t seem to get along, you are well within your rights to request a change of instructors. It is perfectly normal to do so and is done often at flying schools the world over. This is best brought up with the Chief Flying Instructor or Head of Training, as appropriate. If you find the school unwilling to facilitate an instructor change without a valid reason, think very carefully about whether this is the right school for you.
Conclusion.
I hope this answers the question of “what will my flight instructor expect of me?” It is important to remember that the relationship between Instructor and Student is vital not only to the enjoyment of being able to go out there and fly, but also to the final product, you, who will hopefully be a well-rounded, confident but safe aviator.
As is always the case, a healthy relationship is two-sided and both instructor and student will need to bring their part to make things work!
Happy flying!
Read more Q&A’s like “Wondering what to expect of your flight instructor” and “Does choose the right flight instructor matter”
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