Piloting the Cleared for Takeoff Class

Capt. Ron Nielsen invited me to his Phoenix Cleared for Takeoff class for fear of flying to help out.  Although Capt. Ron has been working with fearful flyers for a long time, this was a new experience for me and the other assistant pilot Capt. Eric as we helped to “pilot” the fear of flying class.   Today I’m a guest blogger telling you what this was like for me.

Our first task was classroom setup, which may sound unimportant but really isn’t.  Eric and I are both pilots for the same airline.  We actually flew together as Captain and First Officer over fifteen years ago.  After a quick re-introduction, we were soon working together.  Since we had been locked out of the classroom until a custodian arrived, setup time was shorter than we anticipated. Eric and I had to have a plan of action prior to entering the room, and we had to complete the set-up once we gained access to the room.

And why is this so important?  This was actually a perfect demonstration of Crew Resource Management.  Flight crews are trained to be objective, cool, and collected.  We are groomed to be team players.  We are goal-oriented people.  This is, quite possibly, the most important keystone in airline, or aviation safety.

Once Eric and I agreed on the set-up details, we rolled up our shirtsleeves and made it happen.  We even revised the plan as we went along.  This team effort allowed us to have the room ready in time for our fearful flyer students.

Flight crews fly airplanes in the same fashion.  These checks and double-checks and our refined attitudes contribute greatly to airline safety.  It’s not just the pilots and flight attendants who have this attitude:  Virtually all work groups within any airline share these essential characteristics!  It is a fact:  There is no “I” in “TEAM.”

For the duration of the class, I was the camera guy to film Capt. Ron teaching and the fearful flyers’ questions.  This meant that I needed to be in two places at once.  I compromised and placed the camera on the side of the classroom, simply pivoting the camera to view Capt. Ron and the specific student asking a question.

As the class began, Eric listed on a dry erase board some key concerns of the fearful flyers.   After two hours of enthusiastic classroom discussion, Ron wrapped up the formal portion of the presentation, and Eric then took the floor to discuss some specific topics about the Airbus.

Eric has a great deal of experience with both the Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which are both commonly used by the airlines.  He discussed the differences in the various sounds and sensations of flight in these aircraft.  Then he answered questions about turbulence, rain shower activity, and airline flight after dark.

After the class, some students remained to ask specific questions of us pilots.   In effect, we ended up with three independent discussion groups.  The students went  from group to group to get their specific questions answered.

In conclusion, it was a great experience to volunteer at the Cleared for Takeoff class.  It has been said that if you want to learn a subject, then teach it.  The questions of the students and their courageous sharing of their concerns has provided me a new perspective as an airline pilot.  I look forward to volunteering in the future!

Capt. John who has been flying since 1983 and has logged 20,000 hours of flying is today’s guest blogger.

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