Search Results for: Extended Envelope Training

Our current pilot training process provides very little serious flight maneuvering. Most pilots never achieve an adequate level of maneuvering skill or aerodynamic understanding to be truly safe outside their “comfort zone.” The minimal amount of training provided and tested at the private level never solidifies with the rush into IFR training. Many new pilots … Continue reading ““Full Control Maneuvering” for Safety!”

Most senior CFIs have at least one story of forcibly taking over control of an aircraft from a locked-up, panicked learner. A SAFE survey of CFIs revealed that 65% had at some point forcibly taken back aircraft control from an irrational student! One CFI/DPE revealed a crash where he struggled and lost this battle resulting … Continue reading “Struggle for Control; CFI (Or YOU!)”

There seems to be an increasing tendency in flight training to only fly on “blue sky” days; no clouds and little wind. Many schools claim this is “safer” but we are actually creating increasingly weaker pilots with degenerating levels of real skill.  True, these pilots (and junior CFIs) could probably survive fine in the right … Continue reading “Beyond “Blue Sky” Flight Training!”

The FAA recently updated their advisory circular for professional pilots: “Flightpath Management.” Though directed at professional flight crews, this document provides essential ideas for every pilot. This guide recommends examining every flight through the lens of total energy and flight path management in both manual and automated flight modes: “planning, execution, and assurance of the … Continue reading “Managing Energy & Flight Path!”

If you study any safety statistics, the one solid correlation in every data set determining safe outcomes is “recency of (correct) experience.” This relationship continues as you drill down to include make and model and builds with all relevant conditions -night/weather etc. (until you cross the line into complacency). After the recent pandemic, we are … Continue reading ““Recent Experience” Rules Safety!”

A recent poll in the SAFE eNews revealed that a shocking 65% of CFIs, at some point, had to physically take control from a student who “locked up” on the flight controls. That is an astonishing frequency of student “fear paralysis” during training. Obviously, we are doing something dramatically wrong in flight training if this … Continue reading “Trust Not Trauma: “Student Lockup!””

Redbird Simulator wizards Stasi Poulos and Billy Winburn of Mindstar Aviation collaborated with SAFE at our CFI-PRO™ at Fredrick in October. This involved “tuning up” the AOPA Redbird FMX for accurate VFR maneuvering and developing a LOC-I specific scenario designed to build pilot maneuvering skills.  We demonstrated this to CFIs in the audience through a … Continue reading “New Proficiency365 Scenarios from SAFE”

Just a short blog this week, no brain strain or technical discussions. I just want to announce that SAFE has opened up registration for our SAFE CFI-PRO™ workshop in Frederick, MD. This event will be at the  AOPA “Learn to Fly” facility on October 2nd and 3rd and is filling quickly. We are limited to … Continue reading “Opportunity To Grow: SAFE CFI-PRO™!”