ABSTRACT
Over the relatively short life of aviation there have been dramatic developments in the technology associated with air transport. Unfortunately, there has been little comparable progress in the practice of flight instruction. The popular term ‘training technology’ is a euphemism for trial and error. There persists a belief that the good instructor develops insight into the mysteries of instruction spontaneously through experience. With the increasing complexity of aircraft, the contribution of psychological factors to the efficient operation of the man-machine system has now become accepted. There are many dedicated and effective flying instructors who are already applying sound psychological principles, however, there are some who do not. It is possible that by including psychological issues, such as those described above, into pilot instructor training that training effectiveness will be improved not least by making it a more rewarding experience not only for the students but also for the instructors.
