SPORTPILOT
THE CFI: AN AVIATION
COMMUNITY LEADER
Think back to all the flying schools you have seen during your aviation experiences, regardless of the organisation they were approved to operate under.
JILL BAILEY Flight Operations Jill Bailey has been Head of Flight Operations for over 10 years. Jill holds a CASA PPL (A), has RAAus Pilot Examiner and Instructor Training Approvals, was a former RAAus CFI and has been an instructor with RAAus for over 15 years. Jill and her husband Norm previously owned a music store for 20 years and built a Jabiru taildragger kit which they flew all over Australia. jill.bailey@raaus.com.au
Were the locations presented professionally? Was the office and hangar clean and neat? Were safety posters and information provided? Were the instructors engaged, involved and enthusiastic? Were the aircraft presented in good condition, clean and well-maintained? The answers to these questions tell us a lot about the type of operation conducted at the location, and much of that rests on the shoulders of the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI), who ‘sets the tone’ at the school. Successful flight training schools are generally the result of the leadership demonstrated by the CFI. Leadership courses and training materials may provide some of the required information for leadership, however being a leader is also about demeanour and conduct, and their willingness to hold themselves and others to a specific standard of behaviour. How the leader conducts themselves when interacting with their team (the instructors, pilots and maintainers at the school), the way flight training is delivered, followed up and completed sends a powerful message without the leader saying anything. Likewise, how accidents, incidents and identified hazards are reported
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and managed, and whether the leader dismisses possible safety issues or strives to learn from these opportunities to improve is another way to demonstrate leadership. While a CFI approval is generally outlined in manuals using minimum aeronautical experience and other requirements, there is definitely more to the actual conduct of the role of CFI. The requirements of the manual provide the minimum criteria that CFI candidates must meet, the tangible things that can be assessed for approval. The intangible things are the basis of a CFI’s leadership qualities. A CFI candidate may even have demonstrated leadership while acting in a subordinate role at the school, as an instructor, maintainer, or even during training as a student. At the airport, a CFI is also generally viewed as a leader in the aviation community. How does the CFI conduct their personal and training flights? Is it in accordance with the operational, flight and radio procedures required or do they cut corners, and accept the minimum from students, pilots and instructors? Do they expect everyone to conduct themselves to the highest possible standards or accept and therefore
