Both AMTs and flight instructors sometimes deal with new or unfamiliar technology. For instance, an instructor flying a different aircraft may have to manage a particular system or avionics suite for the first time. Likewise, the AMT who is accustomed to working with one type of aircraft has developed analytical processes that may not transfer to another aircraft as well as expected. In both cases, the instructors may be very highly experienced, but change and its associated stress may have risk consequences.
Technological advances in aircraft, powerplants, and systems can outpace the knowledge of flight instructors and AMTs if they don’t ensure they remain adequately trained. This ongoing training may remind instructors of their own tendencies to become vulnerable and less objective. By understanding their own training, instructors gain the insight to direct learners to think rationally and overcome stress. Instructors should understand that their own actions and care for others during the training they provide can frame the way a learner responds well into the future.
Diminishing stress and strengthening a learner’s confidence and decision-making skills can be achieved by incorporating a risk assessment tool into a training program. Risk assessment tools should always be used to help determine the level of risk involved with any flight so that the pilot or other support person maintains a margin of safety in the activity they are involved. Key to any risk assessment is the individual’s objectivity to ensure safety during their flight.