A learner who had a bad experience wanted a CFI to sit in the airplane but not talk during the lessons. [Credit: FLYING Archive]
Key Takeaways:
A student pilot with a history of sporadic training sought an instructor who would passively observe without providing any ground or flight instruction, wanting to "teach himself" to fly.
The article emphasizes that effective flight training requires active and interactive instruction, especially for complex concepts, because the cockpit is a poor environment for initial learning.
The author, an instructor, refused the student's request, asserting that an instructor's responsibility for safety and proper learning precludes being silent "ballast," ultimately preventing the student from completing their certificate.
The learner was looking for an independent flight instructor. He said it had been years since he flew, and this summer he was determined to finish his private pilot certificate.
He had his own airplane, a hangar to keep it in, a student pilot certificate issued some 10 years ago, and a lapsed medical certificate.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![A learner who had a bad experience wanted a CFI to sit in the airplane but not talk during the lessons. [Credit: FLYING Archive]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AdobeStock_139858404-scaled.jpeg)
