NAFI NOTAMs #10 |
An Underwriter's Wishlist for Every CFI~Guest Blogger Marci Veronie, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Avemco Insurance CompanyWhen John Niehaus invited me to write for the new NAFI NOTAM, my initial thought was, “Well, I am not a CFI, so not sure what I could offer.” However, on my drive home that night, I knew that as a 30+ year veteran aviation underwriter, I had a whole lot that I wanted to impart, so I titled this piece “My Wishlist for Every CFI” and I hope you learn something you can pass on. Aviation underwriters develop a unique perspective on things that go wrong in and around an aircraft. We see most of the accidents that are reported to the FAA and many of the incidents that are not, and I can tell you that we pay numerous claims where there is a CFI in the right seat. Many of these events have one thing in common: The accident chain started in the habits and attitudes that were formed early on, often during primary flight instruction. That’s where you come in. You may have the ability to prevent an accident before it ever happens by planting the seeds of safety and caution from Day One.
Wish #2 is to reinforce that as a pilot, THEY are in charge of the flight. One of the things many new pilots have trouble with is knowing when to say no. ATC is their friend, not their boss, though it may not sound that way when a controller is issuing an instruction. As an experienced CFI, you know you always have the right to say, “Unable”, but students and less experienced pilots are easily intimidated. We see a number of landing claims because the tower asked a pilot to change runways on short final, and the pilot didn’t have the confidence to say “Unable,” even if it meant a go-around or leaving the pattern and coming back for another try. Wish #3 is Practice landings! You know how they say the secret of success in real estate is “location, location, location?” Well, in aviation, it should be, landings, landings, landings. Last week I reviewed 19 accident claims, and 12 of them were landing mishaps. Some of the comments read, “Lost it on landing.” Or “Got hit with winds on landing.” Frequently, what didn’t need to be said was “Too slow.” or “Too fast.” Wish #4, fuel and flight planning vs. fuel and reality. Instill the need to carefully calculate fuel consumption for the planned trip and then honestly monitor and measure fuel consumption vs. flight time. Don’t let your student be the pilot “that lost engine power” because there wasn’t any useable fuel left in the tank(s).
It’s easy for them to get in over their heads. You can change that before it happens. Your students look up to you as the seasoned professional who knows it all. Please take the opportunity to show them from their first lesson what it means to fly like a pro.
(Featured Photos Courtesy of Avemco Insurance Company)
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Marci speaks from experience. Her wishlist is a great reminder of the importance of positive role modeling and the long lasting impact we have as flight instructors.