Lauren Spots the Traffic First
Probably the hardest job for a flight instructor is teaching family. My daughter started taking flying lessons with me in January. On one level, it makes sense. Learn from Dad. I own a plane, I am an instructor, my daughter is bright and an aeronautical engineering student too. What could go wrong?
She has the demands of fourth year engineering courses and two part-time jobs, I have my work and a part-time instructing job on weekends. There are extra demands that come with airplane ownership. She started a new job, the airplane had an annual this month, and I started working on Saturdays at Ottawa Flying Club. Suddenly, we had very little time for her lessons.
Mont Laurier, Quebec in January
Today we went flying together for the first time in a month. It was Victoria Day, the May long week-end. There were several people working in their hangars, but not many people were flying at Carp. We were going to work on takeoffs, circuits and landings, but first we needed a short warm-up flight to shake off the cobwebs. We flew over to Rockliffe (CYRO) to see who was around and grab a burger.
My daughter never eats before leaving the house. Her favourite part of the flying lesson is a ground briefing over brunch at Lachute, Mont Laurier or Gatineau. Dad pays for breakfast, of course. On some marginal weather days, we just leave the airplane in the hangar and discuss flying together over breakfast at Kelseys.
Rockliffe was great - John, my first instructor had dropped by for a burger. He is working in Africa, he gets a month off after two months overseas. Tony had the BBQ running, everyone had a cheeseburger with the works, some drinks and lots of conversation. Grab some napkins for the mustard running down your shirt. Oh well, you are wearing your old flying clothes and no-one from the office can see you here.
After Rockliffe, some pattern work ("circuits" in Canada) over at Gatineau Airport. Gatinau has a wide 6,000 foot strip, there was no other traffic and a friendly voice on the radio. Perfect conditions for a beginner to work on her landings. We did four circuits and stopped for a rest and discussion. We reviewed the lesson on slipping and how that applies with a crosswind. Her takeoffs were fine earlier in the day, but now she is overcontrolling and stomping hard on that right rudder. With the wind coming from the right, the aircraft nose seems to point into the wind when the tail comes up, while she was expecting a yaw to the left. Both the aircraft and the student are pushing hard to the right, and we head for the ditch. Good time for a break.
We wrap things up and head back to Carp. We didn't want to tire ourselves out with this lesson. It is stressful for a low-time student, and nobody learns much when they are tired. After landing in Carp, we discuss how the day went. It is much more difficult teaching her than flying with a stranger, because we know each other too well. I worry that I overcompensate for some of her weaknesses. I worry that I am not critical enough. I want us to have fun, neither of us wants to ruin it with silly bickering because we are tired or stressed by the lesson and the length of time we are spending together. I hope that we can continue flying together like this for a long time, whether she perseveres and gets her license or not.
