When the Lesson Isn't on the Syllabus

A flight instructor recently had to deal with something no checkride standard covers: a student who was afraid and hadn't realized it, and who was still at the controls. The account is about the instructor's job more than the student's, which is to notice what the person in the left seat isn't saying and to teach through it. Owners who fly with a CFI for recurrency, transition training or an insurance-required checkout will know that part of that hour is spent watching the pilot, not just the airplane. It's a reminder that good instruction depends on reading people as much as on maneuvers and minimums.

With reporting from AVweb.