Clear on Top

OH-58D or Kiowa Warrior

As an Army pilot, I’m required to take a proficiency and readiness exam every year.  I’m evaluated on many of the same subjects that civilian pilots encounter during a Biannual Flight Review (BFR), and Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC).  And just like many of my civilian counterparts, I dread it!  That is, I used to dread it until I realized that I was approaching the subject with the wrong attitude.

I often talk to pilots who are purchasing a new aircraft and are unhappy about the training requirements stipulated by their insurance company. Some are required to log a certain number of hours of dual instruction in the make and model before being allowed to solo; others are required to attend an annual flight review or IPC at an approved school.  What all of us are failing to realize is that these training and evaluation requirements just make for better pilots.

Many of us build up our examiners and CFI’s to be terrible ogres before we even meet them.  We’re convinced that they’re going to dig, dig, dig, until they discover that one area we are a little weak in, and then rake us over the coals.  Instead, try approaching the situation with a positive attitude and as an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience in that area.  Now all of this is not to say that I wasn’t knee deep in operator’s manuals, FAR/AIM, Army regulations, sectionals, and approach plates the night before my review, just that I was dreading the next day a little less.

The next time you find yourself preparing for a training event, try approaching it with a positive attitude.  Take advantage of the opportunity and understand that it is a chance to learn something new and become a better aviator.  You’ll get more out of it, and maybe not lose so much sleep the night before!

OH-58D or Kiowa Warrior Formation

OH-58D or Kiowa Warrior River Shot