The Two Sides of Aviation Learning: Instructor and Student

In the aviation learning context, there are two sides - the flight instructor and the student. The flight school does it's very best to ensure the student gets an instructor who is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, professional and able to clearly give effective instruction, both on the ground and in the air.

The second part of the learning process is the student and as it turns out, this is where the power to learn can be enhanced or lost, depending on the learner’s attitude. The attitude the learner, in our case the student pilot, that determines the effectiveness of the learning and how well that changes their behaviour so that the student pilot graduates into a safe, confident, employable and efficient pilot. At the heart of every successful pilot is a learner who actively participates, takes ownership of their progress, and sees every lesson as an opportunity to grow.

Flight Instructor and Student Pilot

Characteristics of successful Student Pilot's:

1. They immerse themselves in the learning journey.

They fully immerse themselves in the learning process. These students arrive at the flight school willing and wanting to soak up every piece of information they can get about learning to fly. They really want to learn new concepts and read, engage, seek out appropriate videos and discuss with their fellow students.

2. They are motivated and goal-oriented.

Students who have real motivation to learn have done their research and have a very good understanding of where they want to go in aviation. This doesn’t mean that they already know the exact job they are after, but they do know that being an outstanding pilot is the ultimate aim. These students listen and read feedback from their instructors and are enthusiastic about applying this to their learning, always striving for constant improvement with every lesson. They really look forward to their next lesson!

3. They value theory as much as flying.

Students who view the academic side of aviation as just as valuable as the flying. These students arrive with an attitude that aviation is a deep and fascinating area of study, worthy of their time and interest. They download all the free resources on line such as the CASA Visual Flight Rules Guide and make every attempt to research answers themselves. This creates independent learners, a valuable skill as their future aviation will often be done alone.

4. They are resilient and take ownership.

Students who have the ‘don’t give up’ attitude will be resilient during their learning, understanding that nobody is going to travel through the process of pilot training without some minor setbacks. These students see their challenges as a normal part of the process and use these to grow personally. The attitude of not blaming something or someone else and understanding that they alone must overcome challenges, leads to fantastic learning with less delays. The old saying that “Excuses make today easy and tomorrow hard” is definitely true.

5. They put in the effort

Students who ‘put in the effort’ develop a much stronger relationship with their school and instructor. As flight instructors, we are excited to see a student who is truly engaged, enthusiastic and positive. Instructors see these students as kindred spirits and people who we may well work with in the future.

How do you develop these positive attitudes?

Do your research and decide if being a pilot if really for you. It is a fantastically rewarding career and can provide an incredible lifestyle. However, if your reason for becoming a pilot is so you can walk around international airports in a pilot uniform, you may have missed the point. All pilots, no matter what branch of aviation they aspire to, have had many theory and flight tests and the students who fully and enthusiastically engage will have the most productive learning journey.

Arrive early for your lessons, as fully prepared as you can be. This will develop punctuality, the most important skill for every pilot, and will also give you the maximum benefit from each lesson.

Enjoy the learning process! Relax and have fun! Take instructor feedback as intended - a tool to help you reach your dream sooner. Keep an open mind. Mingle with your fellow students, working pilots and airport workers.

If you are a student pilot or about to become a student pilot, be excited to join this wonderful profession! It is a fantastically rewarding career for everyone!