Are Flight Instructor Reforms Needed?

Both industry and the FAA recently have emphasized the importance of effective flight training to improve the fatal accident record. Flight instructors, who serve on the front lines in this effort, are the crucial human element in the flight training delivery system and the glue holding the other elements together. But questions regarding their experience, training, continuing education and professionalism raise doubts about whether the service they provide is effective, consistent, relevant and customer-friendly. After all, if they were doing their job, would the trend lines in general aviations safety record be as flat as they are?

Key Takeaways:

• The quality of flight instruction has declined as instructors increasingly use the role primarily to gain flight hours for airline careers, leading to less experienced and potentially less motivated educators.
• Current FAA initial and recurrent flight instructor training and testing methods are largely inadequate, focusing on rote knowledge and maneuvers rather than effective teaching techniques like student-centered or scenario-based learning.
• To improve flight safety and training effectiveness, the article advocates for reforming FAA training standards to emphasize practical teaching skills and implementing a professional accreditation program for entry-level flight instructors.

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