Flight instructors often find their jobs initially frustrating because even the most promising students tend to make the same mistakes on a daily basis. After teaching for a decade or two, however, the routine pattern of student pilot errors becomes more apparent. Adept instructors learn to reiterate certain lessons before flight time begins, and a well-timed reminder can sometimes condition a student into following good habits. Students who aid their instructors by learning to recognize and account for the most common pilot training mistakes can graduate sooner and become better pilots in the real world.
Being Afraid to Ask for Help
Every student consciously knows the importance of asking for help, but nervous students often forget the lessons they have learned while actually in the cockpit. It is true that adapting to the real flying environment takes time, and that is why pilots are required to complete a set number of flight hours as part of any training program. However, a student's goal is to learn, and education is facilitated by asking questions. Students who ask questions can, therefore, learn the basics faster to move on to more advanced instruction. Furthermore, asking a simple question is a lot better than making a simple mistake. Students who ask what might appear to be the most obvious questions tend to graduate at the top of their class.
Forgetting to turn off the Master Off
While it is best to use a checklist to help remember all the details of preflight, flight, and post flight, leaving the beacon in the on position could also help you remember to shut the master switch off. Doing so will causes the likelihood of the battery running dry . You won't be really happy when you have to jump start the plane.
Trusting GPS Without Thinking
Autonomous drones are a feasible reality in the modern world, but demand for pilots continues to grow because human reasoning skills cannot be replaced by a computer. Pilots, therefore, should never blindly trust their GPS without first running the presented information through their human cognition. Many students perceive their GPS system as being perfectly accurate, so they think they can use it to make precise maneuvers. Unfortunately, many pilots have found themselves in dangerous situations due to GPS mapping errors, and students will usually get to witness a few GPS glitches before they earn their license. Students should learn to use the full range of flight controls to verify the information presented on a GPS system.
Failing to Give a Flight Full Attention
Succumbing to distraction while in the cockpit is one of many prevalent student pilot mistakes. Students can get distracted by the excitement of flying a real plane or by scenery on the ground below. When the initial excitement of flying wears off, many students become very inattentive. Some students even start doodling or playing with the controls. Flight schools are required to screen out students who are susceptible to distraction, and no reputable instructor will let a student graduate if they demonstrate a regular pattern of inattentiveness. Getting distracted is one of the most costly student pilot mistakes, so pilots in training should make a conscious effort to practice the learned skill of focusing while in the air.
Not Being Careful During Inspections
Pilots are ultimately responsible for their own planes, and, therefore, they must verify that their plane is safe to fly before taking off. Mechanics and their supervisors do their best to prepare a plane for a flight, but the reality is that mistakes can still be made. The astute eye of an attentive pilot provides the final level of assurance needed to keep the flight crew and passengers safe. Many pilot training mistakes are easily noticeable by instructors, but careless inspections are harder to detect. Even if instructors do not go out of their way to catch student pilot errors during inspections, students should work to learn everything they can from their instructor about inspections to prevent a potentially fatal mistake later in their career.
FORGETTING TO FLARE
Landings are hard to get used to. One minute you’re aiming directly at the runway and the next you’re supposed to transition to a pitch-up attitude and land smoothly with the nose high. It’s a challenging transition to make and one that takes a lot of practice to master. Your instructor will probably repeatedly tell you to flare over and over again, and you’ll probably get tired of hearing it. But it’s true that many students flare too early or too late and land flat the first few times. Getting the flare just right is probably the most challenging and rewarding part of flying.
Ignoring the Checklist
Never disregard the importance of a checklist,i if you are an experienced pilot or new student pilot. Even if you think you have a checklist memorized, it’s best to back it up with an actual checklist.
Avoiding Common Pilot Training Mistakes
The common thread among student pilot mistakes is failing to pay close attention. One of the core goals of flight school is to teach aspiring pilots how to pay attention during stressful situations. However, close attention is not only needed during a crisis scenario. Students who make a continuous effort to learn how to be attentive in everything they do will both impress their instructors and graduate sooner.