Outline:

1. Why This Presentation Exists

   • Flight instruction has drifted from fundamentals.

   • The presenter searched WWII, UK, and USAF materials to recover the “why” behind core techniques.

   • FAA handbooks miss many critical insights and techniques.

2. Key Concept: “Teaching is Not Telling”

   1. What CFIs Do Well:

      1. Fly proficiently.

      2. Narrate what they’re doing.

      3. Watch students practice.

   2. What CFIs Don’t Do Well:

      1. Explain from first principles.

      2. Prepare thorough preflight briefings.

      3. Teach proper descent, pattern entry, and coordination techniques.

3. Critical Flight Concepts We Skip or Undervalue

   • When and how to begin descent based on geometry, not guesswork.

   • Aiming in landing – the secret isn’t airspeed, it’s visual reference.

   • Crosswind landings: exact rudder + aileron balance, not just vague “kick the crab out.”

   • Avoiding overshooting base-to-final by aligning “near and far numbers.”

4. Descent Geometry – The ½ Rule

   • Begin descent when the runway is halfway between horizon and airplane.

   • Know what power-off glide path, full flap glide, and slips feel like.

   • If the runway point isn’t moving, that’s your max glide point.

5. Pattern Mastery Techniques

   • Aim the aircraft at your intended 45° entry point from miles away.

   • Keep the target point centered in the windscreen and control airspeed with power/drag.

   • On base, judge glidepath by checking cowling alignment with extended runway centerline.

6. Emergency Procedures – Think Systemically

   • Checklists = tools, not crutches.

   • Ask:

     • What’s happening now?

     • What else will be affected?

     • How much time do I have?

   • Use memory items, but understand why they matter.

7. Brief Weather Like a Pro

   • Don’t read 30 pages for a 30-mile flight.

   • Use ForeFlight’s profile view, phone briefings for NOTAMs, and GFA for AIRMETs.

   • Know PIREP limitations and how to interpret weather briefers’ guidance.

8. Mastering ATC Interaction

   • Controllers want:

     • Concise calls.

     • Confidence.

     • Awareness of what ATC can and cannot do.

   • Match the cadence and tone of the controller for better outcomes.

9. Advanced Crosswind Technique

   • Stop thinking “crab and kick.”

   • Parallel the runway with rudder.

   • Use aileron to maintain centerline.

   • Keep correcting until you taxi off the runway.

10. Coordination & Rudder Use

    • If you wait for the ball to move, you’re too late.

    • Use rudder preemptively for torque, P-factor, and precession.

    • In turns, rudder is applied proportionally with aileron.

    • Bank = rudder input fades; rollout = use rudder for adverse yaw.

11. Final Tips

    • Use ForeFlight tools to improve geometry understanding.

    • Apply systems-based thinking to checklists and training.

    • Re-embrace “aim, attitude, and power” as the basis of every flight maneuver.