Chapter 8: Aviation Instructor Responsibilities and Professionalism
The instructor's responsibilities to learners, the added duties of flight instructors, safety advocacy, professionalism, and continuing education.
Chapter summary
Learners look to aviation instructors as role models, so instructors need to know how to teach and also project a knowledgeable, professional image. The job of an instructor is to transfer knowledge: help learners meet and exceed established standards, measure performance against those standards, and give positive reinforcement along the way. Learning should be enjoyable and interesting without sacrificing standards. The idea that people must be led to learning by making it easy is a fallacy; learners take satisfaction in meeting standards and achieving difficult goals, and knowing each lesson objective gives instruction meaning.
Providing adequate instruction means analyzing each learner's personality, thinking, and ability, and being ready to change methods. A learner who progresses slowly from discouragement benefits from more easily attained goals and complex tasks broken into elements. A fast learner may become overconfident, so the instructor keeps raising the standard, without inventing deficiencies. Instructors train to the standards in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) or Practical Test Standards (PTS), remembering that the ACS/PTS is a testing document, not a teaching document. Positive instruction results in positive learning, so emergency procedures are best introduced after the learner is acquainted with normal operations.
Instructors minimize learner frustration by motivating learners, keeping them informed, approaching them as individuals, giving credit when due, criticizing constructively, being consistent, and admitting errors. Flight instructors carry added responsibilities: helping learners overcome physiological obstacles, ensuring the required skill set before solo, providing instruction on each ACS/PTS item and common special emphasis items, and maintaining a current library of information. The solo decision should be a joint one, made when the learner performs consistently without instructor assistance. The Aviator's Model Code of Conduct offers principles that complement and supplement what is merely legal.
Instructors are on the front line of safety. Even strict compliance with regulations may not guarantee safety, so instructors should be proactive. Learners imitate their instructor's habits, and one of the best ways to enhance safety is to emphasize safety by example. Professionalism also shows in sincerity, acceptance of the learner, personal appearance and habits, a calm and disciplined demeanor, and proper language. Evaluation of demonstrated ability is based on established standards adjusted to the learner's stage of development, considers mastery of the elements rather than only overall performance, and keeps the learner informed of progress.
Aviation changes rapidly, so professional instructors avoid complacency and commit to lifelong learning. Sources include FAA and other government programs such as safety seminars, the Pilot Proficiency Awards Program, the Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate, Flight Instructor Refresher Courses, and Inspection Authorization seminars. Educational institutions, commercial organizations, and industry organizations also offer training. Instructors should maintain access to current publications, both printed and electronic, for two reasons: a steady supply of fresh material keeps instruction interesting and up to date, and it keeps the instructor well informed about what is being written in aviation.
Main topics
- The five main responsibilities of aviation instructors
- Helping learners and providing adequate instruction
- Training to ACS/PTS standards of performance
- Emphasizing the positive and minimizing learner frustration
- Flight instructor responsibilities, including solo readiness
- Aviator's Model Code of Conduct
- Safety practices, accident prevention, and the FAASTeam
- Professionalism: sincerity, acceptance, appearance, demeanor, and language
- Evaluation of learner ability
- Professional development, continuing education, and sources of material
Key terms
- Airman Certification Standards (ACS) / Practical Test Standards (PTS)
- The documents containing the established standards for all subject matter areas, procedures, and maneuvers an applicant is trained to. The ACS/PTS is a testing document, not a teaching document.
- Emphasizing the positive
- Teaching in a manner that gives learners a positive image of aviation and avoids overwhelming them with information or fear. Positive instruction results in positive learning.
- Minimizing learner frustration
- An instructor responsibility carried out by motivating learners, keeping them informed, approaching them as individuals, giving credit when due, criticizing constructively, being consistent, and admitting errors.
- Constructive criticism
- Identifying mistakes and failures along with an explanation and how to correct them. Errors that are not identified will probably be perpetuated through faulty practice.
- Physiological obstacles
- Unfamiliar noises, vibrations, G-force sensations, or stomach discomfort that new flight learners may experience. Instructors should not ignore or ridicule them, and they can usually be overcome by understanding their causes.
- Solo readiness
- A joint decision between learner and instructor, generally made when the instructor observes the learner from preflight to engine shutdown performing consistently without need of instructor assistance.
- Special emphasis items
- Items listed in the PTS, with the ACS integrating risk management and safety throughout. Common items include positive aircraft control, positive exchange of flight controls, stall and spin awareness, collision avoidance, and runway incursion avoidance.
- Aviator's Model Code of Conduct
- Broad guidance and recommendations for general aviation pilots to improve airmanship and flight safety. Its principles complement and supplement what is merely legal, and it is not intended to be implemented as a standard.
- FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam)
- An FAA team dedicated to improving the aviation safety record by conveying safety principles and practices through training, outreach, and education. Partnering with it is one way instructors advocate safety.
- Sincerity
- Being straightforward and honest at all times. Hiding inadequacy behind unrelated instruction, or any facade of pretentiousness, causes the learner to lose confidence in the instructor.
- Acceptance of the learner
- Accepting learners as they are, including their faults and problems, and treating them with respect whether they learn quickly or need more time. Acceptance and support encourage learning.
- Demeanor
- The attitude and behavior of the instructor. A professional image requires a calm, thoughtful, and disciplined demeanor without erratic movements, distracting speech habits, or capricious changes in mood.
- Demonstrated ability
- Evaluation based on established standards of performance, suitably modified to the learner's experience and stage of development, that considers mastery of the elements of a maneuver or procedure rather than merely overall performance.
- Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate
- A certificate a flight instructor can work toward; accomplishing its requirements is evidence that the instructor has performed at a very high level as a flight instructor.
- Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
- A course conducted by FAA-approved providers that flight instructors can complete to meet the training requirements for renewal of a flight instructor certificate.
Revision quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see whether it is right and why.
This page is a study aid written from Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B), Chapter 8. The handbook is the authoritative source; read the full chapter in the official FAA PDF.
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