Flight School: Speaking Up

Pia Bergqvist

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

If an instructor's request or action appears unsafe or improper, students should ask for detailed explanations regarding hazards, risks, mitigation strategies, and relevant FAA regulations or aircraft documentation.
Should a student remain uncomfortable or believe an act is unsafe or illegal, they must speak up immediately, instruct the instructor to stop, and request to return to the ground, avoiding in-flight discussion.
On the ground, if the instructor's actions were deliberate, unexplainable, or violated regulations, the student should terminate the relationship and consider reporting the incident to a chief instructor or the FAA Flight Standards District Office.

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