Role of the Certificated Flight Instructor

To become a CFI, a Pilot must meet the provisions of 14 CFR part 61. The FAA places full responsibility for student flight training on the shoulders of the CFI, who is the cornerstone of aviation safety. It is the job of the flight instructor to train the student pilot in all the knowledge areas and teach the skills necessary for the student pilot to operate safely and competently as a certificated pilot in the NAS. The training will include airmanship skills, pilot judgment and decision-making, and good operating practices.

A pilot training program depends on the quality of the ground and flight instruction the student pilot receives. The flight instructor must possess a thorough understanding of the learning process, knowledge of the fundamentals of teaching, and the ability to communicate effectively with the student pilot. He or she uses a syllabus and teaching style that embodies the “building block” method of instruction. In this method, the student progresses from the known to the unknown via a course of instruction laid out in such a way that each new maneuver embodies the principles involved in the performance of maneuvers previously learned. Thus, with the introduction of each new subject, the student not only learns a new principle or technique, but also broadens his or her application of those principles or techniques previously learned.

Insistence on correct techniques and procedures from the beginning of training by the flight instructor ensures that the student pilot develops proper flying habit patterns. Any deficiencies in the maneuvers or techniques must immediately be emphasized and corrected. A flight instructor serves as a role model for the student pilot who observes the flying habits of his or her flight instructor during flight instruction, as well as when the instructor conducts other pilot operations. Thus, the flight instructor becomes a model of flying proficiency for the student who, consciously or unconsciously, attempts to imitate the instructor. For this reason, a flight instructor should observe recognized safety practices, as well as regulations during all flight operations.

The student pilot who enrolls in a pilot training program commits considerable time, effort, and expense to achieve a pilot certificate. Students often judge the effectiveness of the flight instructor and the success of the pilot training program based on their ability to pass the requisite FAA practical test. A competent flight instructor stresses to the student that practical tests are a sampling of pilot ability compressed into a short period of time. The goal of a flight instructor is to train the "total" pilot.

Role of the Designated Pilot Examiner

The DPE plays an important role in the FAA’s mission of promoting aviation safety by administering FAA practical tests for pilot and Flight Instructor Certificates and associated ratings. Although administering these tests is a responsibility of the ASI, the FAA’s highest priority is making air travel safer by inspecting aircraft that fly in the United States. To satisfy the need for pilot testing and certification services, the FAA delegates certain of these responsibilities to private individuals who are not FAA employees.

Appointed in accordance with 14 CFR section 183.23, a DPE is an individual who meets the qualification requirements of the Pilot Examiner’s Handbook, FAA Order 8710.3, and who:

• Is technically qualified.

• Holds all pertinent category, class, and type ratings for each aircraft related to their designation.

• Meets requirements of 14 CFR part 61, sections 61.56,61.57, and 61.58, as appropriate.

• Is current and qualified to act as PIC of each aircraft for which he or she is authorized.

• Maintains at least a Third-Class Medical Certificate,if required.

• Maintains a current Flight Instructor Certificate, if required.

Designated to perform specific pilot certification tasks on behalf of the FAA, a DPE may charge a reasonable fee. Generally, a DPE’s authority is limited to accepting applications and conducting practical tests leading to the issuance of specific pilot certificates and/or ratings. The majority of FAA practical tests at the private and commercial pilot levels are administered by DPEs.

DPE candidates must have good industry reputations for professionalism, integrity, a demonstrated willingness to serve the public, and adhere to FAA policies and procedures in certification matters. The FAA expects the DPE to administer practical tests with the same degree of professionalism, using the same methods, procedures, and standards as an FAA ASI.

History of Flight

From prehistoric times, humans have watched the flight of birds, longed to imitate them, but lacked the power to do so. Logic dictated that if the small muscles of birds can lift them into the air and sustain them, then the larger muscles of humans should be able to duplicate the feat. No one knew about the intricate mesh of muscles, sinew, heart, breathing system, and devices not unlike wing flaps, variable-camber and spoilers of the modern airplane that enabled a bird to fly. Still, thousands of years and countless lives were lost in attempts to fly like birds.

The identity of the first "bird-men" who fitted themselves with wings and leapt off a cliff in an effort to fly are lost in time, but each failure gave those who wished to fly questions that needed answering. Where had the wing flappers gone wrong? Philosophers, scientists, and inventors offered solutions, but no one could add wings to the human body and soar like a bird. During the 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci filled pages of his notebooks with sketches of proposed flying machines, but most of his ideas were flawed because he clung to the idea of birdlike wings. [Figure 1-1] By 1655, mathematician, physicist, and inventor Robert Hooke concluded the human body does not possess the strength to power artificial wings. He believed human flight would require some form of artificial propulsion.

The quest for human flight led some practitioners in another direction. In 1783, the first manned hot air balloon, crafted by Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, flew for 23 minutes. Ten days later, Professor Jacques Charles flew the first gas balloon. A madness for balloon flight captivated the public’s imagination and for a time flying enthusiasts turned their expertise to the promise of lighter-than-air flight. But for all its majesty in the air, the balloon was little more than a billowing heap of cloth capable of no more than a one-way, downwind journey.

Balloons solved the problem of lift, but that was only one of the problems of human flight. The ability to control speed and direction eluded balloonists. The solution to that problem lay in a child’s toy familiar to the East for 2,000 years, but not introduced to the West until the 13th century. The kite, used by the Chinese manned for aerial observation and to test winds for sailing, and unmanned as a signaling device and as a toy, held many of the answers to lifting a heavier-than-air device into the air.

One of the men who believed the study of kites unlocked the secrets of winged flight was Sir George Cayley. Born in England 10 years before the Mongolfier balloon flight, Cayley spent his 84 years seeking to develop a heavier-than- air vehicle supported by kite-shaped wings. [Figure 1-2] The "Father of Aerial Navigation", Cayley discovered the basic principles on which the modern science of aeronautics is founded, built what is recognized as the first successful flying model, and tested the first full-size man-carrying airplane.

For the half-century after Cayley’s death, countless scientists, flying enthusiasts, and inventors worked toward building.

Figure 1-2. Glider from 1852 by Sir George Cayley, British aviator (1773–1857)

a powered flying machine. Men, such as William Samuel Henson, who designed a huge monoplane that was propelled by a steam engine housed inside the fuselage, and Otto Lilienthal, who proved human flight in aircraft heavier than air was practical, worked toward the dream of powered flight. A dream turned into reality by Wilbur and Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.

The bicycle-building Wright brothers of Dayton, Ohio, had experimented for 4 years with kites, their own homemade wind tunnel, and different engines to power their biplane. One of their great achievements was proving the value of the scientific, rather than build-it-and-see approach to flight. Their biplane, The Flyer, combined inspired design and engineering with superior craftsmanship. [Figure 1-3] By the afternoon of December 17th, the Wright brothers had flown a total of 98 seconds on four flights. The age of flight had arrived.

Figure 1-3. First flight by the Wright brothers

X-47B Aircraft made in U.S. such as Aircraft Design UFO

Not wanting to lose from China's increasingly buoyant produce sophisticated weapons, the United States complement his fleet with a number of advanced drone.

One is a robotic aircraft tail that looks like a UFO - a flying saucer that sprawl on the edges. In the future, this aircraft is predicted to cause misunderstanding, people thought they had seen UFOs. The aircraft is scheduled to be placed into a U.S. aircraft carrier in 2013.

As a step to get there, the plane is named X-47b drone recently has made its maiden flight. To note is the drones are guided from the ground plane. In the battlefield, the use of these aircraft will minimize the risk of loss of life and intelligence support.

The U.S. Navy said, X-47b - are designed with features hidden by Northrop Grumman - more than just the first carrier-based aircraft drones, is also a test of the refueling platform independent without human assistance is targeted to be achieved by 2014. "The flight last week gives us a clear picture about the ability of an aerodynamic air system X-47b. This proves that all our predictions," said Janis Pamiljans, deputy program director for Northrop Grumman, as published by Space.com.

Flight test is also used to test the robotic navigation system, both hardware and software. Robotic brain is designed to help the X-47b flying and landing on aircraft carrier deck. Tests conducted did not include weapons demonstrations and sensir. However, there is no obvious reason why the X-47b is not intended to transport the weapons in the future.

The U.S. military has demonstrated the deadly drone attacks, Reaper and the Predator in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. The Navy has announced plans to use unmanned helicopters are armed.

Previously, the U.S. Military analysts say that the development of new weapons the U.S. is one step to balance the development of Chinese weaponry. Finally, China has developed missile destroyer aircraft carriers which proved successful in trials. "China's military modernization is a long-term threat that the U.S. must be prepared to make the Asia-Pacific region, improving the ability of robotics, air and land weapons," said Patrick Cronin, senior analyst for New American Security agency.

(Image. Google.com)