|
Permanent Editorial Board
of the
Aviators Model Code of Conduct
Michael S. Baum, JD, MBA, ATP
Ric Peri, VP AEA
Michael Radomsky, CFII
Bill Rhodes, Ph.D.
Rusty Sachs, JD, DhE, MCFI
Josh Smith, CFII
Don Steinman, ATP, CFII
Thomas P. Turner, ATP, MCFI
Dear
Flight Instructor: This
letter introduces the Flight
Instructors Model Code of Conduct (FIMCC). Developed by a team
of aviation professionals and drawing upon decades of research and
experience, the Code recommends operating practices to improve the
quality of your instruction and the safety of your operation. Flight
instructors serve as role models for the entire aviation community.
The FIMCC can be a valuable tool for flight instructors at all
levels—light sport or instrument, large flight schools or
independent operators. Your fellow pilots look to you as an expert;
the manner in which you teach and the
example you set impact the safety culture of aviation.
A
professional code can help you achieve new levels of proficiency.
The FIMCC is just such a tool, a set of guidelines that is adaptable
to your needs. It can build and enhance not only the perception, but
the reality of the instructor-student relationship as that of
respected professional and client. We encourage you to adopt it.
The
FIMCC was developed as a volunteer effort and is provided without
charge as a public service. The Code and supporting materials can be
found online at
secureav.com.
** |
Version 1.0
FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS
MODEL CODE
OF CONDUCT
Tools to Advance Flight
and Ground Instructor
Safety and Professionalism
|
Provided to the Aviation
Instructor Community by:
[Insert Sponsoring Entity] |
©2011
Michael S. Baum. All
Rights Reserved.
The Flight
Instructors Model Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct) offers recommendations to
advance safety and professionalism in both ground and flight instruction. The
Code of Conduct presents a vision of excellence for flight and ground
instructors. Its principles complement and underscore legal requirements.
The
Code of Conduct is a model,
not a standard. Users should customize or otherwise revise the document—including
title, length,
and organization—to
fit their
needs. See “Additional Resources” (below) for materials to help facilitate such
customization.
The Code of
Conduct will be most effective if users have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of
flight as well as a commitment to achieving professionalism as educators. It is
intended to assist in teaching the core principles that help aviators build a
foundation of flight safety, proficiency, and wisdom.
The Code of
Conduct has seven sections, each presenting Principles and Sample Recommended
Practices.
The Sections:
I.
General Responsibilities of Instructors
II.
Students,
Passengers, and People on the Surface
III.
Training
and Proficiency
IV.
Security
V.
Environmental
Issues
VI.
Use of Technology
VII.
Advancement
and Promotion of Aviation Instruction
The Sample
Recommended Practices:
Sample Recommended Practices are suggestions for
applying the principles of the Code of Conduct and tailoring them to individual
instructors and organizations. Sample Recommended Practices may be
reordered, modified or eliminated to satisfy the unique capabilities and
requirements of each instructor, mission, aircraft, organization, and flight
environment. Some Sample
Recommended Practices exceed the provisions of the associated Code of Conduct principles.
They are not presented in any order of importance, except that instrument
flight rule (IFR)-specific Sample Recommended Practices generally appear last.
The
Commentary:
Commentary on selected provisions of the Code of Conduct is published
at <www.secureav.com>.
The Commentary provides discussion, interpretive
guidance, and suggested ways to adopt the Code of Conduct. Published commentary
on any provision does not imply greater importance of that provision.
Additional provisions will be added as the Commentary evolves.
Benefits of
the Code of Conduct:
The Code of
Conduct benefits instructors and the aviation community by:
q
highlighting practices to support professionalism and safety among
instructors,
q
promoting improved pilot training, airmanship, conduct, personal
responsibility, and instructor contributions to the aviation community and
society at large,
q
encouraging the development and adoption of good judgment and ethical
behavior,
q
advancing self-regulation
through the aviation community as an alternative to government regulation,
q
supporting improved
communications between instructors, students, regulators, and others in the
aviation industry, and
q promoting recognition of instruction
as a highly respected and rewarding profession.
To achieve these benefits,
instructors should embrace the precepts of the Code of Conduct and promote them
to their students.
Note: References
to the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are used as
examples. In all jurisdictions, applicable laws and regulations must be
followed.
**
Flight Instructors
Model Code of Conduct
Principles and
Recommended Practices
I. General
Responsibilities of Instructors
Instructors
should:
a.
make safety a high priority,
b.
seek excellence in
airmanship,
c.
develop, exercise, and teach
good judgment, and aeronautical decision-making,
d.
recognize and manage risks
effectively, and teach sound principles of risk management,
e.
demonstrate and teach
situational awareness, prudent operating practices and personal operating
parameters (e.g., minimums),
f.
aspire to professionalism,
g.
act with responsibility and
courtesy, and
h.
adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
Explanation: These
General Responsibilities serve as a preamble to the Code of Conduct’s other
principles. They emphasize safety, excellence, risk management, and
responsibility.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q
Approach flight instruction
with seriousness and diligence, recognizing that your life and the lives of
your students, their passengers, and others depend on you.
q
Recognize that instructor
conduct reflects upon the entire aviation community.
q
Understand and comply with
the privileges and limitations of your certificates, licenses, and additional
ratings, and ensure any endorsements are correct and current. Consider a
training plan that will yield new certificates, licenses, ratings, and
endorsements.
q
In addition to instructor certificate renewal,
complete an instrument proficiency check (IPC) or the equivalent every six
months.
q
Teach situational awareness
based on sound principles of airmanship, scenario-based instruction, and risk
management.
q
Recognize, accept, and plan
for costs of implementing proper safety practices.
q
Within the scope of your education, training, and
authority apply a Safety Management Systems (SMS) approach to safety
considering equipment, facilities, environment, mission, organization, and
human factors.
q
Review flight instructor methods and techniques with a
trusted flight instructor-mentor during flight reviews or more frequently.
q
Develop and teach Crew Resource Management (CRM), and
Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM) techniques.
q
Teach the increased risks associated with flying at
low altitude, in inclement weather, at night, in congested areas, over water, and
over rugged, mountainous or forested terrain.
q
Never subject others to risks you would not prudently
take, plan your lessons accordingly, and communicate your reasoning.
q
Develop, use, periodically review, and refine personal checklists and personal
minimums for all phases of flight and instruction. Review these materials
regularly with an experienced instructor or other trusted mentor.
q
See and be seen. Demonstrate techniques for seeing and
avoiding other aircraft. Do not practice maneuvers in congested airspace.
Enhance your visibility through appropriate use of lights and strobes.
q
Listen and be heard. Monitor appropriate frequencies
to remain aware of other aircraft, and accurately inform other pilots of your
position and intentions.
q
Monitor and report. Address safety and compliance
issues.
q
Teach and maintain a sterile
cockpit for taxi, takeoff, landing, and other critical phases of flight.
q
Minimize turns and maneuvers
below 500 feet AGL except as required during takeoff and landing.
q
Never allow simulated emergencies to become actual
emergencies.
q
File a flight plan or communicate your intended flight itinerary/lesson to ground
personnel prior to departure, even when flying locally.
q
Be aware of personal susceptibility to (and seek to
avoid or manage) distraction, fatigue, stress, and hazardous attitudes.
q
Make personal wellness and
an honest evaluation of your and your student’s
mental and physical fitness a precondition of each flight—for example, by using
the I’M SAFE (Illness, Medication,
Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion) checklist.
q
Recognize that poor personal
hygiene may diminish an instructor’s effectiveness and professionalism.
q
Establish conservative personal parameters for the use
of supplemental oxygen, and an awareness of your personal susceptibility to
hypoxia. Consider use of a pulse oximeter. Use
supplemental oxygen on flights when it may be beneficial.
q
Demonstrate adherence to applicable rules and
operating practices of your airport, flying club or school, FBO, flight center,
or aircraft rental provider.
q
Teach airworthiness and
maintenance responsibilities and limitations for both owners and renters.
Stress owner/operator compliance with Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and the
benefits of complying with recommended inspections and Service Bulletins (SBs).
q
Teach students to operate rental aircraft as if they
owned them, and to communicate all discrepancies effectively and promptly.
q
Refuse to use an aircraft that has unsafe maintenance
write-ups or is otherwise not airworthy.
q
Return aircraft in an equal or better state of
cleanliness than received.
q
Encourage students to develop conservative personal
operating parameters reflecting their experience, proficiency, and currency in
challenging conditions, including poor weather and night operations.
q
Avoid sexual relationships with your students and
sexual harassment in your workplace.
**
II.
Students, Passengers, and People on the Surface
Instructors should:
a. maintain
student and passenger safety first, and then reasonable student and passenger
comfort,
b. manage
risk and avoid unnecessary risk to students, passengers, people and property on
the surface, and people in other aircraft,
c. brief
and debrief students on planned flight
lessons and inform them of any significant or unusual risk associated with the
flight,
d. seek
to prevent unsafe conduct by students and passengers, and
e. avoid
operations that may alarm, disturb, or endanger students, passengers or people
on the surface.
Explanation: Instructors are responsible for the safety, comfort,
and progress of their students. Students and passengers place their lives in
flight instructors’ hands, and flight instructors should exercise sufficient
care on their behalf. Such care includes, but is not limited to, disclosing
unusual risks and exercising prudent risk management. Instructor responsibility
also extends to passengers, people on the ground, and in other aircraft.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q
Set the highest examples of
professionalism as a pilot and instructor.
q
Teach students to improve
safety margins by planning and flying conservatively.
q
Tactfully disclose risks to
students and address their concerns or anxieties regarding operations or
maneuvers.
q
Teach and conduct a
passenger safety briefing for every flight (see Additional Resources below).
q
Remember that student safety
begins in the preflight briefing and on the ramp before entering the aircraft.
Monitor students closely and keep them clear of ground-based hazards (e.g.,
fuel trucks, propellers, engine thrust/blast, tools, slippery
surfaces).
q
Be aware of a student’s
attention span, workload, and level of fatigue,
and tailor instruction accordingly.
q
Determine the experience,
background, and concerns of your students. Incorporate this knowledge into your
lessons.
q
Offer mentoring to students
after completion of training.
q
Teach safety considerations
for refueling aircraft with and without passengers onboard, as appropriate.
q
Obtain flight instructor
insurance coverage, and make sure that your students are also insured. Comply
with all policy provisions.
**
III. Training and
Proficiency
Instructors should:
a.
participate in regular recurrent training to maintain
and improve instructor proficiency beyond legal requirements,
b.
participate in flight safety education programs,
c.
remain vigilant and avoid complacency,
d.
train to recognize and deal effectively with
emergencies,
e.
plan every lesson carefully,
f.
follow a training syllabus and ensure students are
progressing, and
g.
maintain an accurate
log to satisfy training, currency requirements, endorsements given, and
maneuvers practiced, for both instructor and student.
Explanation: Training
and proficiency underlie aviation safety for both instructor and student.
Recurrent training is a primary component of proficiency and should include
both air and ground training. Each contributes significantly to flight safety
and neither can substitute for the other. Training to promote flight safety must
often exceed legal requirements.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q
Develop and follow a
training regimen that incorporates the assessment of student progress and
ensures the assessment is communicated to the student and includes the
student’s input.
q
Pursue a rigorous, lifelong
course of aviation study. Become familiar with theories of effective teaching
and training.
q
Consider the pursuit of
advanced teaching credentials and professional certifications.
q
Embrace and accommodate
varying student learning styles. Seek feedback from students and refine your
teaching accordingly.
q
Teach appropriate use of the
aircraft flight manual.
q
Teach students to understand
and appreciate their roles and responsibilities as pilot in command, including
declaring an emergency when appropriate.
q
Help student develop decision-making
and risk-management skills at all levels of training. Integrate stick-and-rudder
and scenario-based training.
q
Expand your instruction to
include challenging environments such as water, remote, desert,
or mountainous terrain, emphasizing effective risk management.
q
Train for survival, and
carry adequate survival equipment, apparel, and drinking water.
q
Understand and teach the
unique risks and need for vigilance in taxi and runway operations.
q
Develop and teach a
practical understanding of the mechanics and systems of each aircraft you fly.
q
Achieve and maintain
proficiency in the operation of avionics and automation. Instruct your students
to do the same.
q
Understand, teach, and use
appropriate procedures in the event of system malfunctions (e.g., electrical
failure, lost communications, and instrument problems).
q
Obtain adequate training
before instructing in an unfamiliar aircraft, or with unfamiliar systems, even
if you have flown that type in the past.
q
Join type clubs or support
organizations for your training aircraft to learn more about their safe
operation, including capabilities and limitations.
q
Learn, review, and teach
current aviation regulations and understand their implications and rationale.
q
Stay current with diverse
and relevant aviation publications.
q
Develop and teach a systematic
approach to obtaining timely weather briefings and evaluating flight
conditions.
q
Incorporate a periodic
review of recent accidents and incidents, including local trends, into your
training regime, focusing on probable causes.
q
Teach and demonstrate
mastery of applicable written and flight test standards, and train to exceed
applicable test minimums. Maintain currency that exceeds minimum regulatory
requirements and professional standards.
q
Teach and demonstrate
mastery of airspace categories and classes, their limitations, and methods to
prevent inadvertent pilot deviations.
q
Avoid practicing training
maneuvers in busy airspace or over congested areas.
q
Fly often enough to maintain
proficiency and currency in day, night, VFR, and IFR conditions.
q
Maintain a log to track
errors and lessons learned on each flight. Teach your students to do the same.
q
Advise students of estimated cost
and time, obtain their express consent to such fees and time prior to
commencing instruction, and seek effective teaching solutions consistent with
regulations and safety. Advise students if actual costs vary from the estimate,
and obtain approval before proceeding.
**
IV. Security
Instructors
should:
a. seek to maintain the security of
all persons and property associated with their aviation activities,
b. remain vigilant and immediately
report suspicious, reckless, or illegal activities,
c. become familiar with the latest
security regulations, and
d. avoid special-use airspace except when approved or necessary in an
emergency.
Explanation: Enhanced security awareness is essential to the safety
and viability of the aviation community. Threats to security demand responsive
action. This Section addresses the instructor’s role in promoting national
security and preventing criminal acts.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q
Teach students to check
NOTAMS thoroughly during preflight preparation, and obtain updates during long
flights, with emphasis on NOTAMS for airspace restrictions.
q
Periodically review military
intercept procedures. Monitor 121.5 MHz when practicable.
q
Always use a transponder
with altitude encoding if equipped and operable unless otherwise authorized or
directed by ATC.
q
Report suspicious behavior
and other security concerns to the appropriate authorities.
q
Do not deviate from an active flight plan (IFR or VFR) or clearance
without notifying the appropriate air traffic facility.
q
To help avoid special use
airspace, use ATC radar advisories when conducting VFR training flights, or
consider flying IFR (if rated and
equipped), whenever practicable.
q
Secure all unattended
aircraft. Use additional or enhanced locks or other anti-theft mechanisms to
secure all aircraft, as appropriate.
q
Teach students to query
passengers regarding hazardous materials and weapons in their luggage or on
their person.
q
Confirm that ramp access
gates are closed securely behind you to prevent “tailgating” by unauthorized
persons.
q
Teach students to challenge
and report irregularities, including unauthorized or suspicious people.
q
Become familiar with the
means to report and deter suspicious activities, such as AOPA’s Airport Watch (866-GA-SECURE /
866-427-3287).
q
Complete required security
training.
**
V. Environmental Issues
Instructors should:
a. teach and seek to mitigate the
environmental impact of aircraft operations,
b. minimize the discharge of fuel, oil, and other chemicals into the
environment during refueling, preflight preparations, ground servicing, and
flight operations,
c. respect and protect
environmentally sensitive areas, and set such examples for students,
d. comply with and teach applicable
noise-abatement procedures and mitigate aircraft noise near noise-sensitive
areas, and
e. review and adhere to prudent hazardous materials
handling procedures.
Explanation: Environmental issues can
close airports, hamper operations, and increase regulatory burdens. Reducing
pollution caused by aviation will reduce health problems, environment impact,
and unfavorable public perceptions.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q Adopt and teach
environmentally sound and legally compliant procedures for fuel sampling, defueling,
and disposing of fuel samples.
q Learn, adopt, and teach
environmentally sound and compliant methods for all aspects of aircraft care,
especially degreasing, de-icing, and handling run-off.
q Adhere to applicable noise
abatement procedures provided safety is maintained.
q Be aware of the noise signature of your aircraft, and
follow procedures to reduce noise such as reducing engine power and/or
propeller RPM, as soon as practicable after takeoff.
q If practicable, fly well
above or avoid noise-sensitive areas.
q Teach owners/operators the
benefits of installing noise-reducing equipment such as quieter props and
exhaust systems, if practicable.
q Consider the impact of
aircraft on wildlife, and conform to recommended practices (such as National
Park Service minimum altitudes) when flying near wilderness and other
environmentally sensitive areas.
q
Patronize service providers
(such as FBOs, repair services, and aircraft cleaners) that adhere to
environmentally friendly practices.
**
VI. Use of Technology
Instructors
should:
a. become familiar with, properly
use, and teach appropriate technologies,
b. teach students to monitor applicable airport advisory frequencies
and report position accurately when approaching airports without an operating
control tower and other higher-risk areas, if radio-equipped,
c. use transponders or other position-indicating technologies during
training flights, if available or otherwise directed by ATC, and use ATC radar
advisories for VFR enroute operations,
d. carry redundant transceivers and navigational equipment and use them
in appropriate circumstances, and
e. use flight simulators and training devices as available and
appropriate.
Explanation: Innovative, compact, and
inexpensive technologies have greatly expanded the capabilities of aircraft.
This Section encourages the use and promotion of such safety-enhancing
technologies.
Sample Recommended Practices:
q
When practicable, invest in
new technologies that advance flight safety and aviation education. Learn and understand the features and limitations of
such technologies and teach their proper use.
q
Consider keeping back-up and
redundant communication/navigation devices accessible during flight operations,
including extra batteries or a back-up power supply. Consider use of a personal
locator beacon.
q
Inspect and maintain
avionics and flight instruments to keep them operational, current, and approved
for the intended flight.
q
Report inoperative
navigation aids and areas of poor radio coverage to the appropriate authority.
q
Teach proper management of autoflight
systems. Demonstrate that programming avionics may cause distractions, and that
distractions may lead to errors, particularly during taxi and other critical
phases of flight.
q
Teach basic flying and navigating skills to enhance safety
in the event of
failure or absence of advanced instrument displays or automation. Teach
realistic scenarios for recovery from instrument failure in IMC.
q
Teach students to avoid flying
in or near moderate or higher weather radar returns, especially when thunderstorms are present or
forecast. Seek frequent ATC or AFSS weather updates.
q
Train students to operate with an autopilot or a
qualified second pilot if practicable when flying in IMC and/or at night.
q
Train students to operate with attitude-indicator (AI)
system redundancy if practicable, and maintain partial-panel proficiency in
IMC.
q
Consider the use of flight tracking or flight data
monitoring technologies.
q
Use flight simulators, training devices, or web-based
tools as appropriate, even when their use precludes in-flight instruction.
**
VII. Advancement and Promotion of
Aviation Instruction
Instructors
should:
a.
advance and promote aviation
safety and adherence to the Code of Conduct,
b.
volunteer in and contribute
to organizations that promote aviation and airports, and should use their
skills to contribute to society at large—and encourage their students to do so
too,
c.
demonstrate appreciation for
other aviation professionals and service providers,
d.
advance a training culture
that values openness, humility, integrity, positive attitudes, and the pursuit
of personal improvement,
e.
promote ethical behavior
within the aviation community, and
f.
mentor new and future instructors.
Explanation: Vigilance and positive
responsive action are essential to ensure industry vitality and to enhance the
aviation instruction community.
Sample
Recommended Practices:
q
Strive to adopt the Code of
Conduct.
q
Serve as an aviation ambassador to your students and
to the public by providing accurate information and refuting misinformation
concerning aviation activities, and by encouraging potential student pilots.
q
Contribute articles or
papers to aviation journals or other media.
q
Join and participate in a
professional organization of instructors.
q
Attend and contribute to
training programs offered by government or industry, for example, the FAA Pilot
Proficiency Program (“WINGS”).
q
Register at <www.faasafety.gov> to receive
announcements of safety meetings, literature, and to review appropriate safety
courses. Encourage your students to do so too.
q
Volunteer in support of the
aviation industry such as with youth groups and “career days” to share your
flight instruction expertise and enthusiasm and recruit new students.
q
Make charitable use of your
aviation resources (for example,
by transporting persons seeking medical care or donating flight time to youth
and environmental programs).
q
Participate in
aviation-related fundraising events.
q
Consider instructing for
Civil Air Patrol or Coast Guard Auxiliary as a way to increase overall
instructional experience while also giving back to the community.
q
Express appreciation to
controllers and service personnel for their valuable assistance.
q
Invite constructive
criticism from your fellow aviators and instructors, and provide the same when
asked.
q
Adhere to the highest
ethical principles in all aviation dealings, including business practices.
q
Seek to resolve disputes
quickly and informally.
**
Additional
Resources
q
A one-page summary of the Code of Conduct’s provisions
is available at <www.secureav.com/FIMCC-Summary.doc>.
q
Notes for
Instructors assists in teaching the
Code of Conduct. Available at <www.secureav.com/Notes-for-Instructors.pdf>.
q
Notes for
Prospective Implementers helps
facilitate Code of Conduct implementation. Available at <www.secureav.com/Notes-for-Implementers.pdf>.
q
Resources to help [insert
your organization here] advance instructor skills and promote flight safety
are available at <www.[your organization].org/>.
q Annotated
Commentary helps interpret the Code of Conduct and provides source
materials. Available at <www.secureav.com>.
q Resources to help develop and teach passenger briefings
are available at <http://www.secureav.com/Passenger-Briefing-Listings-Page.html>.
q Further information about aviation instruction is
available at:
FAA: <www.faa.gov>; <www.faasafety.gov>
AOPA: <www.aopa.org/>
EAA: <www.eaa.org>
NAFI: <www.nafinet.org>
SAFE: <www.safepilots.org>
q The Aviation
Maintenance Technicians Model Code of Conduct, the Aviators Model Code of Conduct, the Flight Instructors Model Code of Conduct, the
Glider Aviators Model Code of Conduct,
the Light Sport Aviators Model Code of Conduct, the Seaplane Pilots Model Code of Conduct, and the
Student Pilots Model Code of Conduct are available at <www.secureav.com>.
|
Abbreviations AD Airworthiness Directives AFSS Automated
Flight Service Station AGL Above
Ground Level ATC Air
Traffic Control CRM Crew
Resource Management FAA Federal
Aviation Administration FBO Fixed
Base Operator IFR Instrument
Flight Rules ILS Instrument
Landing System IMC Instrument
Meteorological Conditions IPC Instrument
Proficiency Check MSL Mean
Sea Level SB Service
Bulletin SMS Safety
Management Systems SRM Single
Pilot Resource Management VFR Visual
Flight Rules VMC Visual
Meteorological Conditions |
Notice
The [insert
your organization’s Code of Conduct] is a customized version of the Flight Instructors Model Code of Conduct
created by Michael S. Baum. ©2003-2011 Michael S. Baum. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use are available at <http://www.secureav.com>.
Pilots and the aviation community may use
the Code of Conduct as a resource for code of conduct development, although it
is recommended that this be supported by independent research on the
suitability of its principles for specific or local applications and
situations. It is not intended to provide legal advice and must not be relied
upon as such.
Edits,
Errata, Comments
The Flight Instructors Model Code of Conduct
is a living document, intended to be updated periodically to reflect changes in
aviation instruction practices and the aviation environment. Please send your
suggestions, edits, errata, questions, and comments to: <PEB@secureav.com>.
Acknowledgments
The Flight
Instructors Model Code of Conduct had the benefit of extensive editorial
comment and suggestions by a diverse body of the aviation community, and
beyond. See “Acknowledgments” at <http://www.secureav.com/ack.pdf>. The Permanent Editorial Board of the Code of
Conduct is presented at <http://secureav.com/PEB.pdf>.
***