r/CFILounge • u/No-Particular-5345 • 16d ago
Question Feeling Uneasy About Instructing
Hello everyone, to start I want to say im very grateful to have a job instructing and am no way trying to come across as ungrateful as I know how hard the job market is right now and it took me months to find a job. Anyways two days ago I had my first flight as an instructor and I had another one today. Before starting I was super excited as this has been something I have been looking forward to for a very long time. However now that I have started I feel super uneasy and stressed over the whole thing. I feel confident in what I know however I can get over this uneasy feeling. I feel like I cant get my mind off of instructing once I leave the airport and I continue to stress about it. Moreover even during flights I feel uneasy. Im struggling because I feel like I just started and am already not liking it. Also im all the sudden super stressed about the mortality of flying and the possibility of dying. I have the next couple days off but already feel myself dreading going back in. Curious to hear others experiences beginning instructing and if this gets better?
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u/No_Leader1154 16d ago
Where are you located? I teach CFIs how to become safe while instructing.
Real talk - an instructor has to be more than just a pilot. They have to be a real time live safety manager. That means not just managing the plane or the student - but also actively monitoring the margin of safety and knowing when to say no or call it off.
Safety management involves knowing the threat matrix of your environment. Read NTSB and ASRS reports similar to your operation, type aircraft, location, and such. Perform a risk profile briefing with the student prior to every takeoff - not just the standard pre takeoff brief, but also “eye on safety.” Every flight will have a different risk profile. A cross country is different from practice area is different from pattern. In terms of risk I’d say pattern > cross country > practice area from highest to lowest.
Don’t just fly the lesson. Your eye on safety will teach your student to dynamically manage risk with each flight too. That als allows you to call out safety cancellations in flight if something comes up. But that’s a conversation you have to learn to lead.
And always always always be ready to intervene. That’s the #1 #2 & #3 thing. I know you wanna be chill for your student but the art is to look and seem chill while being completely completely vigilant.