Different Perspectives is a series designed to give the varying vantage points of instructors and student pilots going through their flight training
The following is a guest post by Vincent of PlasticPilot.net
Flying again with an instructor can be a strange situation for a freshly licensed pilot. One can get quite used to being the pilot in command. After flying independently self-confidence grows up quickly, flying under supervision again might be frustrating. Instructors eyes are always sharp and don’t miss any single mistake. If you’ve ever flown in the right or back seat during your training, you know how easy it is to spot even minor pilot errors when there is no pressure.
There are many reasons to fly with an instructor for licensed pilots. Need for a safety pilot for an instrument flight, training for a new type of aircraft, or simply lack of currency. In some cases the instructor will be the pilot in command, but under other circumstances you can be PIC as well. In any case, managing the relation with the instructor is be part of resources management.
As a native french speaker, I used to speak french with my primary instructor. Because of the age difference, and the general teaching situation, we were both using the formal form of you (“vous”). I rapidly noticed that he was using the informal form of you (“tu”) with other pilots. He finally decided to switch to the informal version right after I got my PPL. This made my later flying some what more relaxed. This simple trick changed our relationship. It created a more balanced way of working together. Initial training was “guru / student” oriented. Later training like familiarization to new aircraft types was less formal. Not less effective, but the teaching technique was different.
I was lucky enough not to have to manage this new way of working, my Instructor was good enough to change it by himself. Let’s read more from Jason about this change on PlasticPilot.net
