Non-Verbal Communication
In the training of fledging aeronautical aces the student-instructor relationship is influenced by both verbal and non-verbal communications that may be contradictory.
The increased pressure of training may cause a significant distortation of ordinary movements, by a students instructor, to the student pilot.
In a funny instance in my training, I was making great landings with perfect flare-outs at precisely the right time. My instructor wondered how I was doing that with only a few hours into my training. After several more "perfect" landings he noticed a little non-verbal communication he was uncounciously making with each landing I made. He was instinctively flexing his fingers back as if he was holding on to the yoke. In effect, he was using non-verbal communication to tell me when to flare. I, in my nervousness, was watching every movement he made to see any sign that I was performing what my instructor wanted me to do.
Next time around he sat on his hands while I attempted another landing. It was a real "laugher" that was completely blotched because his non-verbal cue when to flare was missing. He was sitting on his hands. Literally!
Students have conceded that under conditions of stress they may become oblivious to intructors, traffic tower instructions, instrument warnings and even aircraft attitude.
A principle stressed to overcome the last several stress induced actions/inactions is to replace a strong emotion with a stronger one. Prods, grunts, gestures, taps, a yell are all examples of a stronger emotion to push the pilot in the right response direction. Don't over-do the response so the pilot becomes too fearful to even fly!
You, I am sure, when you think back to your role as an instuctor or as a student can help out by commenting on your experiences and examples of non-verbal communication.
In the training of fledging aeronautical aces the student-instructor relationship is influenced by both verbal and non-verbal communications that may be contradictory.
The increased pressure of training may cause a significant distortation of ordinary movements, by a students instructor, to the student pilot.
In a funny instance in my training, I was making great landings with perfect flare-outs at precisely the right time. My instructor wondered how I was doing that with only a few hours into my training. After several more "perfect" landings he noticed a little non-verbal communication he was uncounciously making with each landing I made. He was instinctively flexing his fingers back as if he was holding on to the yoke. In effect, he was using non-verbal communication to tell me when to flare. I, in my nervousness, was watching every movement he made to see any sign that I was performing what my instructor wanted me to do.
Next time around he sat on his hands while I attempted another landing. It was a real "laugher" that was completely blotched because his non-verbal cue when to flare was missing. He was sitting on his hands. Literally!
Students have conceded that under conditions of stress they may become oblivious to intructors, traffic tower instructions, instrument warnings and even aircraft attitude.
A principle stressed to overcome the last several stress induced actions/inactions is to replace a strong emotion with a stronger one. Prods, grunts, gestures, taps, a yell are all examples of a stronger emotion to push the pilot in the right response direction. Don't over-do the response so the pilot becomes too fearful to even fly!
You, I am sure, when you think back to your role as an instuctor or as a student can help out by commenting on your experiences and examples of non-verbal communication.
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