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Old July 10th 03, 07:45 PM
Michael
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Jim Weir wrote
We fly three times a day between May and October. Four people in the airplane
at all times. The pilot, the instructor, and two students at the same level.
We land. We exchange the pilot for one of the students and we do the lesson
again. And another exchange.

Mornings breakfast together shooting the bull about yesterday. Noon lunch
talking about the morning flights. Night barbecues mulling over what has passed
that day...
Some day Gail and I will be able to afford to establish the Flight School For
Perfection. Until then...I respectfully disagree with your criticism of those
who are trying to achieve it.


With all due respect Jim...

If you ever do establish the sort of school you are talking about, it
will be a great thing. I would recommend it without reservation, and
I would even be happy to work there. Also, if you ever do establish
it, it will be a first.

There is nothing inherently wrong with instruction by full immersion,
and that's what you are suggesting. 14 days, 3 flight hours a day,
and another 10-12 hours of flight observation and ground instruction -
for someone who has already mastered the knowledge fundamentals, and
is really using the time for analysis and depth. Not everyone can
stand the pace, but many can - and I think telling those that can that
they need to drag their training out over months so they can be
'better pilots' is really a bunch of crap. What you are describing
can and should be done, but nobody is doing it.

However, the flight schools offering 10 or 14-day private tickets
really have nothing whatsoever to do with what you are proposing.
Their interest is in doing the minimum required for the rating.
They're not trying to achieve the Flight School For Perfection;
they're trying to collect the entire $5000 a student typically spends
to get a private ticket in days rather than months. It's about cash
flow, not training the superior pilot. All you have to do is look at
the experience level of the staff, the curriculum, and most of all the
support system - or rather the lack of it. There are no breakfast
briefings, no evening bull sessions over barbecue, and generally no
opportunity to sit in the back seat and observe other students making
your mistakes.

Michael