Cockpit Communication

I recently had the chance to chat with a long-time friend and pilot about some issues he had with an instructor while working through a flight review. The friend was concerned about the instructors critique of his flying, which included comments like, I didnt expect you to do that, and I would have done it differently. The friend wasnt necessarily complaining about the critique itself but the after-the-fact manner in which it was supplied. Ultimately, it undermined his confidence and he chose not to fly with that instructor again, taking his chances with someone different.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Ineffective communication of expectations between pilots and instructors can undermine confidence and hinder learning during flight training and reviews.
Thorough pre-flight briefings on the ground are crucial for instructors to clearly define flight plans, expected maneuvers, and performance standards based on Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
During flight, continuous and clear verbalization of intentions and actions by the pilot is essential for safety, shared situational awareness, and managing distractions.
The principle of clearly setting expectations and communicating applies to all cockpit interactions, whether with instructors, other pilots, or non-pilot passengers.

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I recently had the chance to chat with a long-time friend and pilot about some issues he had with an instructor while working through a flight review. The friend was concerned about the instructor’s critique of his flying, which included comments like, “I didn’t expect you to do that,” and “I would have done it differently.” The friend wasn’t necessarily complaining about the critique itself but the after-the-fact manner in which it was supplied. Ultimately, it undermined his confidence and he chose not to fly with that instructor again, taking his chances with someone different.

I sympathized with his plight and observed that it sounded a lot like neither he nor the instructor knew what the other expected and both failed to communicate their respective expectations during the flight. Which got me to thinking about the old saw that an airplane cockpit is the worst classroom ever, that there’s a reason instructors have lesson plans and that it’s impossible for a pilot receiving training to meet an instructor’s expectations if they’re never stated. The good news is there are easy ways to fix this.