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  1. #1
    mmcgrew
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    Pinch Hitters Course

    What are some good resources for putting on a pinch hitters course?

  2. #2
    WeaverJ3Cub's Avatar
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    AOPA has a good pinch hitters online course. Covers the basics plus some more advanced stuff.

  3. #3

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    AOPA used to have a great course perhaps 15 years ago, where they did a half day in classroom and then went flying, On the 2nd day the student was actually landing the airplanes. They even did one in a Learjet.
    Now sadly, there is no more flying, it is all just talking. Still interesting, but it is one thing to tell someone who is not a pilot that they can land a plane and a whole lot more to have them do it.
    They really had some great instructors in that program. Maybe you could find one of these guys, or at least get some litrature from AOPA.

  4. #4
    CarlOrton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    *snip* Now sadly, there is no more flying, it is all just talking. Still interesting, but it is one thing to tell someone who is not a pilot that they can land a plane and a whole lot more to have them do it.
    They really had some great instructors in that program. Maybe you could find one of these guys, or at least get some litrature from AOPA.
    I purchased the DVD Pinch Hitters course for my wife. It had some decent information in it, but was really nothing special for her since she flies with me on a regular basis.

    When I mentioned it to AOPA at Oshkosh, they said basically, "Why'd you even buy it? You could have taught her the same thing!"

    Well, I'm no teacher (and I admire those who are), but that made sense. The PH course would be good for someone who's never flown before, but there is nothing that prevents us non-CFI's from teaching our sig others to at least keep the plane airborne and to communicate. Remember, we're not sending them off for a checkride; only to basically know how to operate the plane's systems and to hopefully teach the relationship of power / pitch / yaw / roll, etc.

    My wife knows that 121.5 is the default freq for emergencies, how to set it, what to say, and how to keep the plane level. (well, a bit more than that, but you get the idea...).

    Carl Orton
    Sonex #1170 / Zenith 750 Cruzer
    http://mykitlog.com/corton

  5. #5

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    Carl, in the previous AOPA program, your wife could have signed up for it and spent the first half day in the classroom learning a few basics like how the controls work and how to contact someone on the radio. Then, using your own airplane, she would go flying and take the controls herself. And the 2nd day she would do several landings, actually fly the landings herself, not just talk about it or be along for the ride.
    You can imagine the confidence level of the non pilot pinch hitter person who sees that they really can land safely.
    The really had the best instructors. They were old enough to project a cool competency to a younger person and young enough to still have a bit of John wayne about them.
    I have been involved in 2 pinch hitter courses, and really thought they were a great safety feature. And if the FBO where they were held, had a flight school there, and was promotion minded; about 20 % of participants went on the take private pilot lessons.
    If anyone doubts this, I have seen it personally.

    And a small point, for emergency communication I would first have her try the freqency that you are on, 122. 8 or whatever, before trying to switch the radio to 121.5.
    Last edited by Bill Greenwood; 11-18-2012 at 04:27 PM.

  6. #6
    mmcgrew
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    I am looking for something like the old AOPA course for our chapter to host for a number of non pilot others (mostly women). Want class room as well as flying time. Some one told me the 99's have a program they sponsor, but have not found any links.

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