On Teaching the Flight Sim Pilot Program.
What both these teaching situations have in common is the instructor- student relationship. In public schools today the responsibility of a teacher is to disseminate the information and a student to absorb the information. With this model it is sometimes difficult to discern if the student has learned anything except at best, the ability to repeat back what has been taught. There is no way to tell if the student truly understands the subject. The Flight Sim Pilot Program instructor uses a different model of the teacher student relationship. In this program the teacher becomes essentially a coach and the student becomes his own teacher. The instructors fulfill their responsibility by supplying the student with a task; time to do it, and the tools necessary for its completion. The coach can help keep the student on track and the student takes responsibility for his or her own progress. This way of teaching can seem strange to students who expect their teacher or instructor to constantly supply them with attention. In a typical simulator session the instructor moves amongst the students, watching their work, encouraging, and bringing them to focus on their particular tasks followed by an appropriate test when the time comes. The instructor and the students are now in an interactive mode. The students are responding to the constantly changing flight conditions and the instructor is interacting with students every few minutes and is usually quite busy.
There are many benefits to this
type of" workshop "atmosphere. If
the instructor does his job properly, the students come to feel that they are
the ones in charge of their own education and getting their own work done.
The instructor is always present to help but remains disinterested in how
far the student goes with what they are given.
The student’s sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with themselves at
the completion of a task is only one of the many benefits to shifting the
responsibility for learning to the student.
They become more confident that they can eventually complete a task, even
if it is at first difficult, by applying themselves to it.
The instructor facilitates this by reinforcing the idea of self-mastery
in all instruction and guidance. Whether
or not the student pilot ever really goes on to fly is unimportant. If they develop a pilot mind set they will be well equipped
to manage other challenges that they face later on in life.
Another important idea
incorporated into the program is the concept of progress at the student’s own
pace. Many times classrooms
situations require that every student progress at more or less the same rate.
Those who cannot assimilate the information or demonstrate the skills are
left behind and ignored while those who wish to move more quickly are forced to
wait for the rest and become bored.
Because each student is flying their own simulator they can learn at
their own speed. Some catch on
quickly while others take more time to understand the concepts.
Students who are unfocused will find that their progress is slower than
those who are focused, however all students have found that their ability to
concentrate can be improved considerably with effort
Sometimes students are very motivated but find themselves discouraged
because of the difficulties in acquiring the skills.
These are both situations that can be dealt with by the instructor who
understands how to handle the psychological factors involved in learning..
That is why it is important to teach pilot mindset before and during
flight simulator sessions. With the proper mindset, tasks will be mastered and great
confidence built up in the students. The
pilot mindset is something we try to instill in our student pilots.
With it they fly well, whether they fly in the cockpit or in life.
The type of instructor and the skills needed to teach the program depend on the type and location of the school. In an after school program setting where students may not be in regular attendance, the course must be conducted differently than in a public school setting. Public school teachers who are used to a large classroom of students will have no problem teaching the course once they themselves have mastered the program. Pilots and flight instructors also make ideal program instructors once they are used to having more than 1 pilot student at a time. The Flight Sim Pilot Program comes complete with a syllabus, educational materials, and academic quiz materials to be used by the instructors conducting the course. These provide a basic structure for both instructors and students and help them maximize their flight training experience.
Instructors Fees and Material Costs.
Flight Sim Instructors are qualified to teach using the simulator in conjunction with the Flight Sim Pilot Syllabus. Instructors must themselves have passed through the program so that they fully comprehend the tasks involved in learning to fly and demonstrate proficiency in them. They also must be thoroughly versed in the workings of the computer and its program. Instructors who hold at least a private pilot certificate and have passed through the sim program are the ideal instructors for this program. The fact that one instructor can teach as many as fifteen students at a time is at the heart of making the program affordable, while keeping high flight instructor standards. Each student gets the benefit of an experienced pilot teacher and a tried and true syllabus.
Instructor rates vary according to the program being given and the number of students.
Generally Instructor rates are as follows:
Less than eight students $75 per hour 1 hour minimum.
8-16 students $100 per hour
A Flight Sim Pilot Handbook is available for $18.50 and contains all the briefings, maps and diagrams used in the course. Aviation knowledge quizzes are also contained in the handbook as well as a navigation “Wiz” wheel.