It is obviously critical for every CFI to properly limit their early students’ solo pattern work and cross-country flights to a clear set of safe weather (and currency) standards. But instead of imposing arbitrary ceiling, wind, and visibility limitations, consider a more collaborative approach. Involving your learner in creating their limitations builds an understanding of “personal minimums” that will become a lifelong process, very critical to their future safety.
I start this conversation by explaining that *every* pilot has personal limitations. Even the equipment we fly has fixed limits beyond which we do not fly. Every new pilot needs to be very familiar with Section 2 in their POH; limitations! This conversation builds the bigger picture that limitations (personal minimums) are an ever-present consideration and the most important safety tool we have in flying. The initial student solo limitations are just the start of a lifetime process, and your new pilot must be involved in this process. When created in this collaborative manner, limitations become a “learning opportunity,” rather than a resented short-term “baby gate!”
I introduce the question of personal limitations pretty early, way before the solo is even considered. “How much wind are you comfortable with today, at your level of learning?” This would be a time when your learner is achieving their first “acceptable landings.” Later add a larger view; “What kind of visibility would you need to safely fly to the practice area?” (I am always amazed when checkride applicants volunteer 3sm as their enroute minimums). The goal of this questioning is to transfer the authority from CFI to the learner pilot to build their internal personal safety standard. Imposing an external “baby-gate” type limitation that will later go away is often resented and builds an improper viewpoint. There will *always* be limits and this ultimately becomes the responsibility of the new pilot as they gain skill and experience. The unsafe pilot is the one who thinks they have no limits.
On the other side of the coin is the learner who is overly cautious and timid. This is an even harder situation to remedy. To me building courage is more difficult than limiting the unrealistic, over-confident learner. Achieving a balance of caution and courage is the heart of safety. Usually, this just takes time (and compassionate counseling). Find your learner’s “privileged
domain” where they are absolutely confident and comfortable (a personal sports success is useful here) and review the steps they took to get to that point of confidence. But some people are actually too timid to be safe pilots. These people often dwell too much on accident reports and all the horrible eventualities. Balance your caution and courage; fly safely out there (and often)!
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