The Importance of Finding the Right Flight Instructor
There is a difference between checking the experience boxes on a syllabus and creating a pilot. Some flight instructors do the latter better than others.
There is a difference between checking the experience boxes on a syllabus and creating a pilot. [Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
The article serves as a tribute to Spence Campbell, a highly respected and influential flight instructor from Seattle, who recently passed away at 88 after decades of aviation and educational experience.
Campbell, with his wife Marie, operated Aviation Training Center, providing specialized instrument training and airline interview preparation that profoundly impacted hundreds of aspiring and professional pilots.
He was celebrated for his calm, patient, and effective teaching philosophy, which recognized mistakes as part of the learning process and focused on guiding students to develop good habits.
Campbell left a lasting legacy, with the author and many other pilots continuing to utilize and share the practical techniques and wisdom he imparted.
One of the best parts about being a teacher is knowing that you have made a difference in someone else’s life.
You probably remember your favorite teachers—they inspired, they challenged, they molded you into the person you are today. When one of your teachers passes away you can’t help but feel nostalgic.
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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.
