Questions about unstable or questionable students.

[negative balance]

This question only comes up because of a old show I was watching. (Bob Hope)

There is a seen in the movie that takes place off prospective Between Bob and his co star.

 

In the background there are two students at the desk playing with planes like there practicing Thatch Weave or something. But the real eye opener was the guy sitting at the desk, setting his little airplane on a stick to flames and had that, " I'm a cyco" look as he joined his 2 follow pilot/friends in the mock dogfight.

 

I then started to think to my self, This would just be my luck If I was a CFI. To get a complete nut job on my first assignment.

 

What if in real life you get one of these people, And they leaves room for doubt in your mind about the state of mental health.

 

What steps do you take If your not sure, But know that this person makes you feel uncomfortable ?

 

Or do you think the medical card process would weed out these people?

 

Allot can happen between student and there CFI's over a short amount of time. Thats life I know.

 

Its just something that got me thinking.

[Rogue]

I pity the CFI that gets me!!! hahahaha

 

just kidding of course.... I think training people is one of those things I have in the cons column. with all the mall and school shooters and stuff that is a real concern. nothing on my medical test about my mental condtion, other than any checkboxes on a questionaire that i filled out. i guess you would go to the chief instructor or your boss and tell him if you ever came across someone you felt was unstable.

Edited December 16, 2007 by Rogue

[Goldy]

But the real eye opener was the guy sitting at the desk, setting his little airplane on a stick to flames and had that, " I'm a cyco" look as he joined his 2 follow pilot/friends in the mock dogfight.

 

I then started to think to my self, This would just be my luck If I was a CFI. To get a complete nut job on my first assignment.

 

 

What the ??

 

Do you want to single handedly wipe out the helicopter employment market? Don't you realize if you take out all of us loony toon pilots there will be no one left to fly helicopters? I look at those 3 guys you describe and I profile them...the first two guys...fixed wingers for sure. The guy lighting stuff on fire ?? Now theres my first choice for a helo pilot !

 

just my .02

 

Goldy

[lv@1stflite]

I wanna fly with you Goldy!!!! YEEEEEE-HAWWWWW!!!!

[brushfire21]

Did somebody say light something on fire? Have drip torch, will travel.....

[Sparker]

The Fire Chief knows me by name..... and my younger brother.

 

 

Honest.

[negative balance]

The Fire Chief knows me by name..... and my younger brother.

 

 

Honest.

 

In truth I'm the pilot of the white chopper that hovers over homes @25ft for a full 2 minutes.

[helonorth]

This situation gets addressed in the FOIs. If you have a concern they say you're supposed to talk

to the chief instructor or someone like that. Do not allow them to solo. I think if you can't get

anything resolved, you have to get the FAA involved. If you find a copy of the FOIs laying

around, it's in there somewhere. But yeah, Goldys' right, helicopter pilots are all basically a bit

off to begin with.

[Tenacious T]

Aviation Instructor Handbook says to first cross check with another instructor, then contact the FSDO and possibly the AME who signed their med certificate.

[southernweyr]

I had a guy who was convinced he could solo and I wasn't going to sign him off. He said he would solo anyways so I called the FSDO in his area and let them know. It's pretty much all you can do. Ultimately they are responsible for themselves as long as you provided proper training and especially if you didn't sign them off.

[helonorth]

Aviation Instructor Handbook says to first cross check with another instructor, then contact the FSDO and possibly the AME who signed their med certificate.

 

I meant the Aviatin Instructors Handbook for reference. It's been a while.

[Superman]

We had a kid come in this summer, wanted to learn to fly, (airplane). After the first couple weeks of this kid hanging around all of us would run when we seen him pull up. He is a good kid, smart, but he just wouldn’t shut up, would go on and on and on, call us at home and talk about crazy things. Finally the oldest instructor (he’s half deaf anyway) took him on, got him up to solo but he wouldn’t go get a physical, just wanted to go fly. We all knew that something must be wrong and none of us felt that he should fly, so the old man sat him down and as nicely as possible told him that he didn’t think he should continue to waist his money on flying. Well, a few days later his mom calls and explains that he has some sort of learning disorder, and they knew that he wouldn’t be able to pass a physical, but he wanted to fly. So long story a little shorter, he is still flying (dual) and we take turns listening to the never ending babble. He actually flies very well, but just not all there mentally.

 

My advice, if you are uncomfortable with someone, there is probably a reason for it. Talk about it with another instructor, chief pilot, boss whatever the case may be. Whatever you end up doing, don’t sign anyone off to fly if your not comfortable with it. You’ll live longer and sleep better. I promise.

 

Oh, and just because someone lights his toy airplane on fire and runs around the room making airplane noises, doesn’t make them crazy………. does it?

 

Fly Safe

Clark

[Witch]

Did someone say airplanes on fire?

 

To tell the truth, one never really knows if one is unstable. One might think so, but when you really get down to it, is what you're thinking really reality?

 

Just do your best and things'll work out.

 

Gotta go build some more pipe bombs.

 

Later

[Hovergirl]

Hey Clark,

 

That is really cool of you guys. First for not just letting this loose cannon out there to kill himself solo, but more importantly that you still take him up with you so he can live his dream. I bet you guys are transforming his life. Way to go.

 

HVG

 

We had a kid come in this summer, wanted to learn to fly, (airplane). After the first couple weeks of this kid hanging around all of us would run when we seen him pull up. He is a good kid, smart, but he just wouldn’t shut up, would go on and on and on, call us at home and talk about crazy things. Finally the oldest instructor (he’s half deaf anyway) took him on, got him up to solo but he wouldn’t go get a physical, just wanted to go fly. We all knew that something must be wrong and none of us felt that he should fly, so the old man sat him down and as nicely as possible told him that he didn’t think he should continue to waist his money on flying. Well, a few days later his mom calls and explains that he has some sort of learning disorder, and they knew that he wouldn’t be able to pass a physical, but he wanted to fly. So long story a little shorter, he is still flying (dual) and we take turns listening to the never ending babble. He actually flies very well, but just not all there mentally.

 

My advice, if you are uncomfortable with someone, there is probably a reason for it. Talk about it with another instructor, chief pilot, boss whatever the case may be. Whatever you end up doing, don’t sign anyone off to fly if your not comfortable with it. You’ll live longer and sleep better. I promise.

 

Oh, and just because someone lights his toy airplane on fire and runs around the room making airplane noises, doesn’t make them crazy………. does it?

 

Fly Safe

Clark

[Sparker]

To tell the truth, one never really knows if one is unstable. One might think so, but when you really get down to it, is what you're thinking really reality?

Huh?

 

Hey Clark,

 

That is really cool of you guys. First for not just letting this loose cannon out there to kill himself solo, but more importantly that you still take him up with you so he can live his dream. I bet you guys are transforming his life. Way to go.

 

HVG

 

Very cool.

[Signia]

If you're around aircraft enough and deal with the frusterations and such, i think it would be abnormal not to at least a few times consider lighting one on fire. This may seem odd but in my shop we've had in depth discussions how we would like to destroy particular trouble aircraft such as RPG's, Tanerite, Rolling one off a cliff, etc etc..g

good times

 

Huh?

 

 

 

Very cool.

[ascott20]

If you got rid of all the insane pilots in the world, then only airplanes would be left flying ~