Edmond's Last Chance

The students have asked me to teach ground school on the side, which I have been doing for the past week. Kwan had to leave early due to a family emergency, so now Edmond is down to one instructor: Denis.

I felt that the rift between Edmond and me was mostly cultural, so I reached out to him. I was rebuked.

His reply showed me the following:

• Edmond thinks "business owner" is an insult.
• Edmond did not start LIFT to make money, but to spend it. A lot of people make money in aviation, and some become wealthy. Edmond apparently doesn't want to be in that group.
• Edmond does not know how to create a culture of safety. The "safety" items he mentions are good for finding bodies. Safety is about making good decisions and allowing every to voice their opinion without recourse. Every opinion given to him by anyone, staff or students, was met with abusive shouting that chilled further conversation.
• Edmond has no clue about Western culture, nor does he care to understand where anyone else is coming from. His is the only way.
• Edmond likes to say he is passionate about flying, but he does not put in the effort behind his words. He is a 500 hour PPL (private) pilot and has never bothered to further his aviation education. He has never bothered to see how other flight schools operate and does not seek advice from reputable aviation organizations and professionals.

I realize now the problem was not simply Russell, but wacky Edmond. His temperament and gift for misunderstanding is beyond reason. Seriously, Edmond needs therapy. 

I later found out that he had BCC'd his email to the staff. I am certain he will claim that I begged him to take me back. The staff knows better.

Edmond has no friends. Only employees. The people who have stayed with him over the years are only there because of the money. He treats everyone the same: shouting over them and bullying them into submission. He is headed for failure, but will only blame those around him.

_______________

Hello Edmond,

I would like to close the gap that has come between us and clear up any misunderstandings. I realize I could have delivered my message better to you and I am partially at fault for not delivering my message in the right way. I want to make sure my ideas are clear.

You know that I am dedicated and passionate about teaching flying, and I know that you are dedicated to running a business. I would never tell you how to run your business or tell you what to do. In western culture it's common to receive advice and information from trusted friends and colleagues. In this way, the business owner can make the most informed decisions. Mao Zedong, Confucius, and Tang Taizong all consulted advisors before making important decisions. If you wanted to take orders from others, you would have gone to work in a factory and not have started a business. I understand this.

It is in this spirit that I talk to you. I understand that you are running the business. I understand that you are making the decisions. I would never tell you what to do. I only care about the safety of the flight training and the success of the students. I don't need to tell you that flight training is a serious business and the objectives must be unambiguous. As your employee, I would be doing you a disservice if I did not tell you when your flight school is in danger.

I am still excited about the school and I still have the respect of the students and the staff. I still talk to them every day and I am aware of what is going on. I left an $80K/year job in America to come here and I do not regret this. If you feel we can overcome our differences, I would be willing to come back and work for you. If you don't think this could happen, then I will understand. I know that Kwan is gone for a while and there are not enough instructors, so I would even be willing to help out temporarily until more instructors arrive.

I want you to know that I respect your position. I also want you to know that I can't compromise on safety standards. I will continue to advise you based on my experiences. What you do with my advice is your decision. I can be a great asset to you if you let me. Speaking up and giving one's opinion is not the same thing as telling you what to do. We both want the same thing – the safety of the students and the success of the school.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Kate Montressor
_______________

Kate,

I do not want to reply to your email.
It is because you have been accusing me continuously that I am running LIFT as a business that I cannot keep my mouth shut.
I count this as an insult to my integrity and dignity.
Flying is my passion. I squeezed in a lot of my time and money to fly.

In LIFT, no one takes safety more serious than me. We put in survival kits, extra GPS, Radio, Flyvie, SPOT and later Spidertrack just for safety.

I know who is and who is not a good pilot and this will be addressed soon.

I am sure my Eastern and Western Culture is better than the mere Western Culture you mentioned. After all, the names you mentioned are all from my Country.

If I took LIFT (or aviation) as mere business, I would not have gone into it.  They say if you want to be a millionaire in aviation, better start from a billionaire.

Have a safe trip home.

Regards,
Edmond.

Staff Meeting

Today I heard about a meeting with some of the staff and Edmond. I suspect that Edmond has finally admitted that Russ is dangerous and should not be flying. I think that is why Russ will be teaching ground school in January when he returns from vacation.

Edmond is also talking to another instructor who he hopes to bring in as Chief Flight Instructor. This new one sounds very experienced and qualified. Edmond might be able to save his flight school.

I also heard comments from several people on what he says about me, that he thinks I am very dedicated, very qualified, but that "She left me no choice. She ordered me to listen to her. She was shouting at me." Edmond always has a choice, I do not order people to do anything, and he was the only one shouting. However, if he finally sees the truth about Russell, then I am happy for the students and feel better about the future of the flight school. I am happy that I have finally been able to make him realize the truth when everyone else has failed. I am happy that I have been able to clear a path for the next instructor.

Edmond was also concerned that I would be telling him how to run the company. That is partly true. I would tell him that he has no business setting flight standards and telling instructors when they can and can not fly. I would tell him that it's not up to him what maneuvers the students learn - it's dictated by the government regulations. I would tell him that encouraging students to fly while cumulonimbus clouds are building is a bad idea. I would tell him to monitor the financial end of the business (ie, run the company) and leave the flight training parts to the instructors. If he has dedicated, knowledgeable instructors, the rest will go well for him.

My brash, American approach proved too much for the combination of the Chinese businessman and his inflated sense of pride, but in the end I was able to get my message through.

Letter to Edmond

Dear Edmond,

If you saw a baby carriage rolling down the street into traffic, going faster and faster, carrying a helpless baby, I would hope you would do all you could to save the baby.

This is how I feel about LIFT. I have nothing to gain by writing this, as I am already gone from the company. But I cannot stand by and watch danger approaching without doing everything I can to avert disaster.

I am not telling you what to do. I am only warning you of the danger ahead. This is based on my extensive experience and many flight schools I have known. Money is not the only factor for success. Safety and putting the needs of the students first brings financial rewards. Failing flight schools do not put the safety and interests of the students first.

The danger is so imminent that I felt compelled to fly to Jakarta on my own dollar to present to you the facts – not rumor nor hearsay nor my feelings. Without hyperbole, this is the worst situation I have ever encountered.

The danger to LIFT is Russell. He is incompetent, lazy, and dangerous in his flying and his method of instruction. Russell will not make LIFT the best flight school in Indonesia. He will give the school a reputation that will be impossible to rise above. Why would you put the least competent person in the position of most authority? If you remove him from the equation, the safety factor will improve tremendously and you will have a chance of success.

It is my duty to do everything I can to warn you of the danger. Please save the baby.

Sincerely,

Kate Montressor

Suspended

Russell entered the meeting angry and ready to lash out. He started out by insulting me and talking down to me.

I objected. I think my exact words were, "Fuck you."

Russell then declared, "You're suspended!"

"You can't suspend me," I answered. "I don't work for you."

Russell sputtered some other nonsense, and I left the room.

He must have called Edmond, because Edmond then wrote to me:

Kate,

I know a lot of things has happened today making relation in Lombok very tense.

However, please do not stop preparing for Class 2 Type Rating and Ground School revision stating from 5th Dec to 21st Dec.

Please confirm by return your understanding.

Regards,
Edmond.
_______________


Hello Edmond,

I have every intention of continuing to prepare for class.

Russell does not have the authority to "suspend" me, nor has he followed any proper protocol. I do not accept his behavior and treatment of me and others. This is just another example of his arrogance and authority overreach. He is out of control and getting worse.

I am telling you this because I think this school can be highly successful and I am eager to see things run well.

Sincerely,
Kate

_______________

A few days later, Edmond arrived in Lombok. True to form, he started yelling at me. As soon as he started, I walked out of the room. I waited a couple of minutes and went back in.

We started talking again, and he again started shouting. Again I walked out.

A couple of minutes later, I walked back in and we began to talk.

My point was that Russell was dangerous and getting worse. He was not improving his flying or his instruction, but was becoming more arrogant every day.

His point was that he was the owner of the business and he would decide how things would be run.

I am still not sure why he thinks I was telling him how to run his business. I am not sure why he asks me for my advice then yells at me when I give it.
In the end, Edmond announced that I had a bad character and that we could not work together. Since I had decided I had enough and was ready to quit, I left it at that.

Sortie Times

Because the airport at Selaparang is closed, we have to fly out of the main airport, BIL. We are not allowed to practice touch and goes at BIL, so we must go to Sembawa, about 80 nm away. Add to this, we are now in the rainy season and the weather is often unsuitable for flying. Each lesson takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the headwinds.

Edmond thinks the flight school is operating well when the students are flying. This is only partly true. Ground training is equally important. Being grounded due to weather is an excellent time to study ground lessons.

In an effort to get the most flying time possible, Edmond suggested the lessons be extended to 3.5 hours minimum. This is difficult for two reasons: the weather does not always cooperate with our plans, and primary students usually stop learning after about an hour. There is just too much information to absorb.

Russell, trying to get on Edmond's good side, issued the following email:

Hi Edmond, All

I asked all instructors to fly not less then 3.5 hours in the morning and, myself, am trying to stick to this norm. However, it is up to the instructors to decide what objective they are trying to accomplish during each lesson and what time-frame is necessary for this purpose. (Regardless, I am hereby asking Denis and Kwan to try to bring your morning sortie time to 3.5 hours. Thanks)

Kind regards.

Russ
______________

Russell,

What is the purpose of the 3.5 hour sorties? Are we just trying to build time? Are we combining 3 lessons into each flight? (If so, this is not good for primary training).

It seems to me we are just burning fuel for no purpose. They have plenty of chances to build time when they start cross country. It is counter-productive to over-teach primary students.

I think you should push back to Edmond and let him know he is wasting his money this way. The students will not be able to finish their training in the allotted time because it will be wasted during the pre-solo and immediate post-solo phases.

Besides the fact, the Instructors should be setting the agenda and NOT Edmond. He is not a flight instructor and should not be telling instructors how long their flights should be. Flights should be as long as needed according to the instructor's judgement.

-- Kate
_______________

Kate, I told this to Edmond in my previous email, please read. It was said that "the instructors should be able to determine the lesson objectives and required time-frame."

Regards,

Russ Sherwood
_______________

Yes, I know that. But then you say "Please bring your morning sortie flight time to 3.5 hours minimum. "

So which is it. 3.5 hours or up to the instructor? Please clarify.

-- Kate
_______________

I don't know why I have to argue all the time. I am very busy flying with the students here.

To make things simple: the instructor is to determine, how much time is necessary to accomplish each objective. However, if a certain objective is not accomplished within the certain flight time, then the sortie time should be extended.

Considering your extensive experience, which I greatly respect, I am sure that this is not the only target-driven flight school you've ever worked for. I am well aware of the training pace of most US flight schools and to say that they receive no target pressure from the management is rather untrue.

Let's work as a team - we are in the same boat here.

Kind regards,
Russ Sherwood
_______________

Russell,

I am looking for clarification, not argument. Why are you not able to answer my questions?

You have no idea of my personal experience and I don't appreciate your demeaning remarks. This is an inappropriate and rude comment and not pertinent to the question.

As a team leader, you should be able to give me a clear answer. You are responsible to building the team. So do your job.

-- Kate
________________

Kate,

If my remark "considering your extensive experience, which I RESPECT" appears to be demeaning to you, we need to end this email exchange.

I will have a meeting with you and Denis and Kwan after we come back to hangar.

Regards,

Russ Sherwood
_______________

Russell,

OK, I will assume you are not aware of proper email behavior, so I will explain it to you.

1. When you include a comment like " I am sure that this is not the only target-driven flight school you've ever worked for. I am well aware of the training pace of most US flight schools and to say that they receive no target pressure from the management is rather untrue." - that is rude and disrespectful -- no matter how you start the sentence out. Just because you use the word RESPECT doesn't mean you are being respectful. In fact, it sounds arrogant and demeaning.

2. When you Reply All and include others in the response, you are dragging the team into an argument which you have started. Do not blame me because you have no social skills.

If you need further lessons on how to write a truly respectful email, please let me know and I will be happy to explain it to you.

-- Kate

The Trip to Jakarta

I arrived on the early flight, which put me in Jakarta around 11:00. An hour long taxi ride saw me at the office around noon. The office was locked tight and no one was around.

I sat on the front step and called Ira, the office administrator.

"We're having lunch," said Ira.

"I have arrived," I said. "You knew I would be here at this time. Why is no one at the office?"

"We're having lunch now," said Ira, as if that explained everything. The world could wait as long as Ira could have her lunch.

"Hurry!" I said. "Edmond is going to meet me here soon."

Ira was not phased. I sat down and waited until someone (not Ira) arrived to let me in.

Edmond arrived and sat down at a desk to have his lunch. I went to the mall until he was finished.

When I returned, Edmond was ready.

"You have one hour," he said gruffly.

I laid out my case as quickly as I could. 

"This is why I wanted you to come to Lombok," I said.

Edmond slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "You can't tell me what to do!" He continued a tirade about owning many businesses.

I pressed on and showed him the training records. Each time Russell flew with a student, he gave them all perfect marks and no comments. There is no way every student could fly every flight perfectly without any room for improvement.

"You don't know about Indonesia!" shouted Edmond. "Things are different here!"

"There is no way every student could fly every flight perfectly without any room for improvement," I said. "I know flying, and it's the same all over."

I showed him a video of Russell stalling on take-off, explaining that he does this on every take-off, telling the students this is normal.

Edmond started shouting again. I did not take the bait. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was so outrageous that I began to laugh. Edmond stopped shouting and gave a slight smile.

He explained to me that the reason he shouts is to build character. He thinks that by acting gruff and shouting, people will respect him and their character will become stronger.

Then he went into a story about his personal life, his divorce, his businesses, and a lot of other stuff I don't remember. I just let him talk.

"Everyone has told me these things about Russell," he finally said. "I have already heard this from many people. But Russell is like a son to me. Everyone has given up on him. But I think he can change and be better. If I can do this for him, I will have accomplished something. It's like when a young boy likes technical things, but is told he can never go to college. Everyone gives up on him. Even Einstein was thought stupid by his teachers. His teachers gave up on him. Everyone has given up on Russell except me."

"Russell is not competent to be Chief Instructor and is not a safe teacher," I said. I read off a list of items I observed from the videos, explaining what was wrong with each item:

1. He stalls on take-off on every video. As he dumps the flaps you can hear the stall warning and see the ground come up as the aircraft sinks.
2. He does not look outside the cockpit for traffic or situational awareness and directs the students to look at the instruments instead of attitude flying. He is inside the cockpit during taxi, take-off, and cruise. Primary students should be taught to fly by outside references first as well as be aware of what the airplane is doing in relation to the ground.
3. During start-up, he frequently takes the checklist from the students and finishes the start-up himself. He does not use the checklist properly, but flips back and forth. The checklist should be done in a specific order each time. The students must be given the time and patience to learn this at their own speed.
4. During taxi in one video, he dominates the throttle, forcing the student to keep his hand on the dash. It's OK to keep your hand on the throttle, but the student's hand should also be there. Primary training is where they learn basic habits. Keeping your hand on the dash is a bad habit.
5. He advances the throttle too quickly, causing wear and tear on the engine. It looks like he's turning on a light switch as he adds full throttle. The throttle should be advanced smoothly and evenly, not all at once.
6. He neglects to teach ground reference maneuvers. These are required by Indonesian law, but Russell seemed to think they were optional. Ground reference maneuvers help teach the student correct rudder control and judgement, among other things. As a result, his students had a difficult time learning to land without these basic skills.
7. Every landing was hard. Some landings were so hard, the aircraft should have been checked for damage. His students did not know what a smooth landing looked like until they flew with other instructors.

I quickly went through my list, as Edmond was getting impatient.

"Who told you this?" he demanded.

"No one," I answered. "These are just my observations from the videos.

Edmond carried on for another ten minutes. In the end, he agreed to look over the videos again and think about what I presented him. He promised to make a decision during the Christmas break.

I went back to Lombok hopeful for the future.

A Warning to Edmond

After seeing a disturbing pattern, I became convinced that Edmond was unaware of what was happening and how dangerous Russell was as a flight instructor and how incompetent he was as a Chief Instructor.

Hello Edmond,

Numerous serious safety issues are occurring regularly here in Lombok of which I don't think you are aware. People are not telling you the truth about many things.

You need to come here on a surprise visit - do not announce your arrival to anyone. You need to come here tomorrow or the next day.

This is critical to the safety of the students and to the continued operation of the flight school. I need to speak to you in person and not by Skype or email.

Please come soon. This is URGENT.

Regards,

Kate

_______________

Kate,

I have a very busy schedule this week and unable to come until end of the week.
We better talk on phone. I will text you before calling.

Regards,
Edmond.
_______________

Edmond,

I know you are busy, but this is URGENT. If you can't come here, I will come to Jakarta.

Let me know which.

-- Kate

_______________

Edmond called me after a few minutes. I told him that I needed to show him in person what is going on and that he should not just take my word for it. He told me to come to Jakarta to meet with him, but I would have to pay for it myself, which I agreed.

I gathered the videos I had accessed and took the training records of all the students with me to Jakarta to show Edmond what was going on.

Stage Checks

Every Part 141 school is required to perform stage checks. Stage checks are a way to ensure the students are getting taught the proper procedures and to ensure standardized training. Stage checks are usually given by the Chief Flight Instructor, but can not be given by the primary instructor.


Russell announced to us that he was going to give his own students stage checks. We, of course, objected and pointed out to him that legally this can't be done.

Sec. 141.37 — Check instructor qualifications.
 (c) A check instructor may not conduct a stage check or an end-of-course test of any student for whom the check instructor has:
(1) Served as the principal instructor; or
(2) Recommended for a stage check or end-of-course test.

Russell argued that these were not really stage checks, but pre-solo review flights. If they are not stage checks, then we are not Part 141. If the students are not ready for solo, then why should they do a pre-solo review flight?


Eventually, Russell acquiesced and agreed to have Denis review his students. But if he could have gotten away with taking a short cut, he would.

Aircraft Inspection

The mechanics did not want to have an inspection entered into the maintenance logbooks, because they thought it would be a red flag to the DGCA. As instructors and pilots, we felt the inspection should be recorded not only as a record of the history of the aircraft, but to conform to the terms of the aircraft warranty agreement. In the end, the only issue Edmond was concerned about was stalls.



Paul,

The HSA gaves us a funny indication today, The entire HSA was flickering above 47%.  Do you have any ideas?  I thought maybe the HSA connection was loose.

Also can you get me the inspection list for a post spin possible over G situation... My student kicked the rudder while holding the  stick full back during a power off stall and we entered an "Over-the-top" Spin entry.

Denis

____________________

Hi Paul,

On the HSA it may possibly be a loose connection, have a look at the maintenance manual trouble shooting section 77. please make sure that the service documents associated with the HSA have also been addressed. These are available from the Liberty technical publications website.

As there may potentially be an over 'g' situation noted below, we will need some more data. We'd recommend that he perform the hard landing inspection for a start. This is located within the aircraft maintenance manual. Also check to make sure that the wing and wing and fuselage attachments are fixed with no freeplay, check for any additional flight
control surface and wing surface oil canning on the ground that was not noticed before. See the maintenance manual chapter for details on the wings.

Check the flight control pushrods, brackets and idler bellcranks for permanent deformation or freeplay, check the tailplane for cross ship trueness and attachment. Inspect all the items required by chapters 4 and 5 that would be applied to the aircraft during an annual inspection, including the composite structural aspects. Have a look at the rudder to see if it has been overswung to hit the horizontal stabilizer. Have a look at all the composite structure areas that attach the control circuits to the pushrods for cracks in the carbon. You will be able to see the tan core
underneath if that is the case. Check the windshield for windshield attachment fastener cracks, and, if the flaps were deployed, check the steel flap drive in the chassis for straightness by applying a straight
edge to it vertically and laterally across the ship. The flapped maneuver load limit is +2.0g, clean this is +3.8g.

Please have him look at these first and report back.
Thanks
Jason

____________________

To All,

Here is a condensed version on a single email so we can all keep track.

Russell the CFI will be back in town tomorrow and I have CC'd him on this email so he will be up to speed with the situation.  He will also be able to perform the test flight as he is the company test pilot.

Paul,

Andri our engineer has completed the engine diagnostic for the aircraft and found the #3 cylider fuel injector clogged.  We know this does not have anything to do with the hsa flickering but it is a start.  When I perform the post maintenance test flight using the liberty test flight check list I will at that time check the HSA while close to the airport.

Andri has also just completed the Preliminary Hard Landing Inspection as required by Jason from Liberty.  All was found to be good to go. The wings were not pulled as it was not in the inspection.  Any other checks or inspections please advise so we can all work together and verify that the aircraft is safe for flight.  I also need approval from
Management that I can perform the test flight as described in the checklist.

Regards
Denis

____________________

Paul

I asked in the email for them to do an annual inspection. This requires the wings to be pulled for inspection. The inspection needs to be extensive to ensure that there is no hidden damage, in our opinion.

Jason

____________________

HB,

Please note from Jason's reply below that the check on LLB must be done as an Annual Check which includes pulling out the Wings and inspect.

I know we need a Barfield Pitot Static Leakage Tester to check after the wings are pulled out.

I am working with Paul to find one immediately from US and have it couriered over.
Meanwhile, can you check if there is any in Indonesia that we can borrow or rent?


To All Instructors,

No more argument of FULL STALL RECOVERY Practice.
It is prohibited until in CPL stage or until our simulator arrives in end January when we can practice it to perfection in our simulator before trying out in our planes.
I do not want this incidence to repeat again.

Regards,
Edmond.

Russ Sherwood

I became increasingly aware of the animosity between Russell Sherwood, our Chief Flight Instructor, and the other instructors, Denis and Kwan.

Russell would constantly bicker and bait Denis and Kwan, drawing them into petty arguments. Behind their backs, Russell would go to Edmond and tell him stuff that turned out not to be true.

I would find out about these things when Edmond would send out random BBMs (Blackberry messages) or would talk to us over Skype.

After asking the staff for basic things such as training standards and navigation logs, I quickly determined that Russell did not know the first thing about being a Chief Instructor. When I would approach him about creating a standard for basic maneuvers, such as circuits or turns, he would deflect the question and change the subject. These things were not important to him.

Concerned, I reviewed the videos of Russell giving instruction. What I saw was alarming. He would routinely raise the flaps on take-off as soon as he was off the ground, causing the aircraft to stall and lose altitude.

Other items I observed:
On start-up, he would introduce the student to the check-list, but then would take it from the student and perform the procedure himself. He would perform the checklist in random order (defeating the purpose of the checklist), talking quickly (the Indonesian students could not understand what he was saying), and tried to impress the students with his superior abilities.
He would routinely take-off from the middle of a 3000 foot runway. That would be enough runway as long as everything is OK, but it’s a bad habit to get into and should not be done during instruction.
Most of the first 10 hours of the student’s training would be with their heads in the cockpit, staring at the instruments. Primary students must be taught to use outside references and to constantly look for traffic, NOT flying solely by reference to instruments. A dangerous habit.
He would apply full throttle as quickly as turning on a light switch, not paying attention to engine reaction time, nor caring about extending engine life. This habit is totally unnecessary.
There were no videos on ground reference maneuvers or rudder work. In fact, these items were omitted from the training “missions” that he created. The net result was that students did not know how to use rudder and they did not develop the judgement needed to maneuver close to the ground.
He routinely made hard landings - enough to warrant maintenance inspection of the gear. The first time students experienced smooth landings was with Denis and Kwan.

I also heard many anecdotes about Russell’s teaching habits, none of which would be acceptable at any FAA-certified flight school. Various students reported they had entered spins while with Russell, none of which were reported, and in fact would void the factory warranty on the aircraft.

My conclusion was that Russell was an accident waiting to happen. It’s not any one thing, but an accumulation of many things, including his complete disinterest in teaching or lack of desire to become a knowledgable and proficient instructor. I became increasingly concerned and decided to warn Edmond. Other people (outside pilots, staff, and the instructors) told me they had already told Edmond about all of this and he did nothing about it. But I couldn’t believe Edmond would knowingly put his school at risk this way.

Stall Procudures

During the following email exchange, Russell had taken the day off and was not at the hangar doing his job. These emails demonstrate Russell lack of knowledge of aircraft certification, the effects of stalls and spins, and his total lack of social skills.

Dear All,

Following the issue that we had yesterday during the stall recover training with Jouna and Denis, I need to say a few words.

1. Demonstration of stalls and recovery techniques is very important to the PPL flight training. However, let's not forget, that Liberty is not an aerobatic aircraft and we have to bear in mind that if we do, indeed, enter a spin as a result of a fully-developed stall, we are venturing into the "unchartered waters" and the recovery may be difficult, if not impossible. ***Note: This is not true. All aircraft are spin tested, whether or not they are certified. The reason for not allowing spins is the stress on the airframe - not the difficulty in recovery. ***  This aircraft is not certified for spins and we must not allow it to enter a spin. It is it your responsibility, as an FI, to ensure that this does not happen, regardless of circumstances
2. During the PPL stage of training, I would suggest that all FI's demonstrate and ensure student's proficiency in recovery from the incipient stages of stall, ie, recover when the aircraft buffets. However, FIs should be free to demonstrate a full stall, coordinated and uncoordinated alike, and recovery from it well before entering an incipient spin. During such demonstration, students need to be observing only. Before the demonstration, students must be briefed on the positive exchange of aircraft controls procedure to ensure that they do not hold of touch controls during the demonstration.

3. During the more advanced stages of flight training, such as CPL, students will be required to become proficient in fully developed stall recovery.

4. As an additional safety precaution, do not practice incipient stalls below 3,500 feet AGL. *** Note: There is no such thing as “incipient stalls”. They are called “imminent stalls”. *** Do not demonstrate fully-developed stalls below 4,500 feet AGL.

Kind regards,

Russell

____________________

The chief pilot (a 70-year old veteran Indonesian pilot) chimes in:

All,
This exercise is to build up awareness to the student so it must be done with caution esp. when you ask them to do it. This can happen when student in solo returning to base with marginal visibility and he/she don't want to loose the runway and keep looking at it, also on base leg and maybe at low circuit to keep rw inside and steeper bank angle. All those factors will lead to danger if we do not inject them with awareness.
All can happen in flight training, so beware and discuss with others
Sulistyo

____________________

Dear All,

Please read and understand the CASR regulations under part 61.  The following is required aeronautical experience prior to a student pilots first solo.  The is in reference to CASR part61.87e.5 pre solo flight training...

(e) For aeroplanes, in addition to the maneuvers and procedures in Paragraph (d) of this Part, the student pilot must have received pre-solo flight training in -
(1) Approaches to the landing area with engine power at idle and with partial power ;
(2) Slips to a landing ;
(3) Go-arounds from final approach and from the landing flare in various flight configurations including turns ;
(4) Forced landing procedures initiated on takeoff, during initial climb, cruise, descent, and in the landing pattern ; and
(5) Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall.

This is required training.  The regulations should be reviewed by personnel prior to making decisions.

Denis

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Denis,

Please read and understand the regulations:

"The student pilot must have received pre-solo training" does not stipulate, that the student must demonstrate proficient in recovering from full stalls. Giving flight training in fully-developed stall recovery may involve demonstration only.

The first indication of a stall is a stall horn, not even a buffet. I am quite sure I heard this from even an FAA FISDO examiner. However, if we ask them to demonstrate proficiency in recovery from an incipient stall (or the second indication of stall, which is buffet) it will be sufficient for their pilot proficiency at this stage. Obviously, to avoid this situation all together, under normal circumstances, not involving stall demonstrations,  they should be taught to recover as soon as they hear a stall horn.

In the DGCA PPL exam, the students are never required to demonstrate proficiency in recovery from a full stall. I am well acquainted with the DGCA some examiners and they never require such demonstration even in a C172. In an XL2, not certified for spins, the chances of such request are even lower.

The point is: you've been advised of the company policy regarding this matter in my previous email. If you feel that you can not comply with it, we'll need to have a very different chat.

Kind regards,

Kind regards,

Russ Sherwood

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Russ,

Please remove me from this discussion. This is unprofessional and unbecoming. Please stop.

Please schedule a meeting with all instructors to discuss flight policies and discontinue using a group email to snipe at other instructors.

Sincerely,

- Kate

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Kate,

This group email was initiated by our Jakarta management to discuss the situation. Since you are an FI here, you need to be included.

I will schedule a meeting upon my return from Jakarta, possible Thursday afternoon. In a meantime, please pay attention to my request in the previous email.

Also, which part of this do you regard as "sniping"? I sent an email with a directive to adhere to certain procedures. Please explain.

Thanks,

Kind regards,

Russ Sherwood

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Russ,

Here is the full excerpt from the DGCA regulations.  It does clearly state as I have stated.  PLease review this so we can have the proper discussion. This would have been a perfect time to do today had everyone not flying been at the hangar.

This is directly from the DGCA CASR regulations:
"(c) Pre-solo flight training.
Prior to being authorized to conduct a solo flight, a student pilot must have received and logged instruction in at least the applicable maneuvers
.....
(5) Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall."

You cannot simply pick and choose the maneuvers you wish the student to perform as it is clearly stated in the DGCA regulations.  As stated in my prior emails if LIFT wishes to remove this training requirement from the syllabus it must be brought up to the DGCA and implemented into the TPM with the DGCA approval.

Denis

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Pk Sulis,

Since this is clearly an argumentative subject, could you please make an inquiry with an appropriate DGCA flight examiner, whether or not PPL students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in recovery from fully-developed stalls in a training aircraft, which is not certified for spins.

I'd like to have this information before our Thursday meeting.

Thanks in advance,

Russell

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That's why LIFT took experienced F/I those exercise is very basic I don't want to mess up with DGCA people. Please use our standard and follow what is mentioned In CASR. I agree with Kate this is not supposed to be a polemic if you are an experienced F/I. Thanks

Sulistyo

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Dear all,

There will be a flight department staff meeting on Thursday afternoon. Exact time TBA, depending on flight schedule.

Kind regards,

Kind regards,

Russ Sherwood

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The following statement was issued by Liberty a couple of years ago: