Advice for Instructors

The situation with COVID-19 led to an extension of the training and checking of pilots.  EASA enabled the opportunity for exemptions and these were put in place by the National Aviation Authorities to provide a temporary solution during the crisis. 

There are a many things that instructors and pilots should consider as they start flying and operating again. Some of you may not have flown for 4 months or more and some might not have practiced emergency procedures for as long as a year. 

Simulator sessions are the best and safest way to bring you up to speed but they are not always available.

The key points for instructors 

• When you do start flying again, make sure to adhere to the recommendations developed for Rotorcraft Operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Focus on emergency manoeuvres that you might not have practiced recently such as autorotation training, hydraulic failure training, and handling tail rotor issues.
• Consider the possibility that a pilot might not have practiced emergency procedures for up to 1 year – take time to understand the specific situation of the individual student. 
• Be aware of your own limitations and those of your students. 

Focusing on emergencies

As instructors, one of the greatest challenges you could face is a lack of practice with emergency procedures.  Before you start flying with students it is worth taking a little time to refresh yourself with the main emergency procedures that you use on a regular basis.  Specifically this should include: 

• Autorotations.
• Hydraulic failures. 
• Handling tail rotor issues.

Stay sharp – stay proficient

It has taken a long time to build your flying and instructor skills but they can fade quicker than you think. You may be legal to fly but it has been a while since your last flight think about how current and proficient you might be. Take some time to regain both your instructing and piloting skills. 

Take as much time as you need to familiarize yourself with your operational duties. For example you could fly 10 flying hours in normal manoeuvres as an instructor or pilot in command before you start instructing emergency training.

In the case of the examiners exercise extreme caution if you have to examine/check an applicant in emergency procedures and manoeuvres on the first flight.

• Think about taking one or two flights with another Instructor. 
• Be open enough to ask colleagues for another view on your return to flying. 
• A single or half day briefing among your instructors with a focus on routine training issues would be helpful to get back to flying safely.
• For Examiners it is strongly recommended to do one or two instructional flights with a current Flight Instructor and practice recoveries from unusual situations or possible troubles that could be created by an examinee.
• ATOs could create a short process for their Flight Instructors to return to their Training Activities. Flight Examiners are under the responsibility of the NAAs and the NAAs should provide guidance or recommendations to them.

Some more general points

• Get familiar again in the cockpit, refresh yourself with aircraft checklists, operating manuals and common procedures.
• Check commonly used airspace for changes and take a little more time in general planning. 
• Familiarise yourself again with the local airport or aerodrome environment, especially in case they used the lockdown to perform repairs or changed something.
• Beware of the increased risk from birds and wildlife, they maybe in places you don’t expect. 

Understand your student’s situation and plan accordingly 

Every student will have had a different experience during the COVID-19 crisis.  It is important that you take a little bit of time before flying to understand their situation and how that might impact the flight or training that you intend to undertake. 

• Don’t just consider the obvious points of how long since they last flew and their total/ recent experience use the time before the flight to understand how the student feels as well.
• Try not to be rushed into doing too much with the student in the shortest possible time to save them money, try and find the right balance for the student and their needs.
• Make a clear plan with the student what you are going to do based on your discussion before the flight. 

Also, take the time to review the principles of Threat and Error Management and apply these in this special context of return- to-normal operations.