Page 25 - Volume 20 Number 7

current Training
particularly the eyes of a CFI who flies and teaches every day, can make a huge positive impact on your fly- ing and the safety of your operation.
So, why don’t more pilots volun- teer for additional recurrent train- ing, going above and beyond what is required by the regulations? Here are a few reasons that come to mind:
 It doesn’t always feel good: no one likes to feel the pressure of being tested, especially in something they do for fun. Hav- ing one’s shortcomings exposed is not always the most pleasant thing; however, it is necessary, to maintain your safety and that of your passengers.
False belief in one’s own pro- ficiency: Let’s say you fly every two or three weeks, heading out to the local practice area, and usually have pretty good land- ings. You never fly when the wind is over 10 knots, or at night. Giv- en your restrictions, you believe yourself to be a pretty good pilot, and that your level of proficiency is equivalent to, or maybe bet- ter than other pilots of similar experience levels. But how can you really know unless you’ve been recently tested?
Aviation is based in objective reality, and the circumstances of a real emergency don’t care about your perceptions of your own skill; only your actions will determine the outcome.
Yes, in my opinion, the system as it stands is fairly lax, when it comes to pilot oversight. Fortunately, avia- tion seems to attract and self-select mostly folks who are savvy, self-reli- ant and smart enough to know that more recurrent training is necessary
to maintain proficiency than is re- quired to be legally “current”.
So what can you do to improve your own skills and conquer intimi- dating conditions, in a safe and en- joyable way?
You can make a personal commitment to ongoing recurrent training
Recurrent training with a CFI is a great way to hold yourself ac- countable and make real, measur- able improvements in your flying skills. Why not schedule a monthly lesson with a CFI, with the purpose of improving your existing skills (landings or instrument approaches, for example) and working on areas and operations that you don’t feel as comfortable with or have never tried, or targeting weaker areas noted by your instructor? There’s no better way to improve your skills and knowledge than to have an ex- perienced instructor take a look at them and make recommendations for improvement, sharing their hard- earned wisdom from years of flying.
The prospect of willingly signing up to be “evaluated” may not be your favorite idea, but the improvements in your skills and confidence that come from taking an active role in your ongoing training, rather than limiting yourself to the standard 24-month flight review, will be more than worth it! What’s more, as you develop a relationship with a CFI for ongoing training, that instructor will get to know your strengths, your weaknesses and your flying goals, and can make more pertinent and useful suggestions for improvement, as opposed to the small snapshot of your flying abilities shown during a Flight Review. In short order, you’ll
find yourself tackling new aviation challenges with improved confi- dence and safety. •Set up a recurrent training program and invest in your own safety today! T&T
1. G. Ichheiser, American Journal of Soci- ology, 55 Suppl, (1949)
2. S.E. Taylor, J.D. Brown, Psychological Bulletin, 103, 193 (1988)
3. J. Kruger, T. Gilovich, Pers Soc Psychol Bull 30, 328 (2004).
R.C.Av i o n i C s
Exceeding the standards
Trustworthy Competent
35 Years Experience
Up-Grade Specialist
www.rcavionics.com 763-398-3920
JULY 2016
TWIN & TURBINE • 23
Gavin Leake is Chief Flight In- structor at Spring City Aviation, Inc. in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Gavin has been with Spring City Aviation since 2006, and is a long-time Flight Instructor and Commercial Pilot. His cell number is (218) 280-2615
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