How to Avoid Junk Instruction

Your relationship with your flight instructor is key. Here's how to teach your instructor how to teach you and get the most out of your lesson.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 11:46 AM ET

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Accelerated flight training finish-up programs can be beneficial or a waste of time and money, so do your homework before you commit. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

Flight instructors should adapt their teaching methods to individual learner needs, utilizing creative approaches (like 3D models for tactile learners) to improve comprehension.
There's a concern about high flight instructor turnover leading to inexperience and "junk instruction," where repetitive, purposeless flights contribute to a high first-time failure rate for private pilot check rides.
The article emphasizes that the quality and purposefulness of flight hours are more critical than mere quantity, arguing that accumulating "junk hours" does not equate to skill or proficiency.
To combat ineffective instruction, flight lessons should be structured with clear objectives, defined roles for instructor and learner, and measurable completion standards, using tools like the OESILCCR mnemonic.

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Flight training can be overwhelming. The education is mental, physical, and to some extent emotional, and as it is non-compulsory sometimes it can feel a little on the masochistic side as you put yourself in this situation. The relationship with the flight instructor is key, as you will teach him or her what works best for you. In short, you teach us how to teach you.

The Process

Everytime a CFI teaches a lesson with a new learner, we have the opportunity to acquire a new perspective. When we introduce a concept or a maneuver, we develop more skill in its presentation, and depending on how the learner responds, we may adopt a different approach to the presentation.