If you’re a scuba diver you’d never dive without a buddy. Some say that’s because, if you meet a hungry shark, there’s a 50-50 chance he’ll choose your buddy from the menu. There are other good reasons for flying with the companionship of another pilot; if not all the time, at least occasionally. This is different from recurrent training with an instructor-another good idea. But flying with a non-instructor pilot takes on a different dimension with its own unique benefits.
If the pilot you choose to fly with is more experienced than you, the advantage is clear. You can learn from his or her technique. Conversely, it is said that the best way to learn is to teach, so flying with a less experienced pilot can help you to crystallize your own hard-won techniques-thus implanting them that much more firmly in your own mind as you pass along your wisdom to your companion pilot.
