Flight School: Speaking Up

Pia Bergqvist

Monday, October 15, 2012 at 09:31 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Students must immediately speak up if an instructor's request appears unsafe or illegal, asking for a clear explanation of hazards, risks, mitigation strategies, and regulatory compliance.
If the instructor cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, or is intentionally acting unsafely or violating regulations, the student should terminate the flight and their relationship with that instructor.
Students are empowered to prioritize their safety; if an instructor is deliberately unsafe, the student should fire them and consider reporting the incident to a chief instructor or the Flight Standards District Office.

See a mistake? Contact us.

What should a student do if an instructor asks him to do something that appears unsafe, against the regulations or otherwise ill-advised?_**
**_

Jeff Edwards has been a flight instructor since 1982 and is a former FAA-designated pilot examiner. He has been a six-time designated Master Certificated Flight Instructor. In 2003, Jeff was selected as the National Flight Instructor of the Year. Jeff has more than 8,000 flight hours including nearly 2,000 as a bombardier/navigator in the A-6 Intruder.