The Flight Instructor's Survival Guide

After passing the FAA’s Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) knowledge test required of all instructors, the true challenge begins—applying that knowledge in the real world of teaching flight. Follow along as Arlynn McMahon lifts the FOI principles from the classroom and brings them into the cockpit. Her forty-four stories demonstrate the FOI principles in flight and offer practical strategies for dealing with both common and unexpected situations—all with wisdom, grace, and humor.

McMahon’s companion to the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9) uses memorable parables and provides sage advice to illustrate FOI principles at work with real clients in real-life situations. Psychology, human factors, professionalism, effective communication, customer service, and ethics are evident in her teaching style with the people she’s interacted with over decades in the business of flight training. McMahon’s experiences illustrate what works—and why—for instructors and their students.

Through artful storytelling, McMahon shows how a successful instructor is sometimes a psychologist, other times a detective, and always a gatekeeper enforcing rules and cultivating the behaviors required to be a responsible aviation citizen. Delightful, full of wisdom—and written with humor, kindness, and dignity for her students—this is an invaluable guide for all flight and ground instructors who will benefit from using McMahon’s insights with their own clients.