When Does Training Start

Parents of young children ask me often, "When do I need to start my son/daughter in on flying lessons?" My answer, well founded in the science of human behavior, is "Immediately". As soon as possible.

Even if that child does not meet age qualifications to satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration, it matters not.

What we are really asking here is "How soon do we ward off bad habits?"

The laws of primacy rule that once a bad habit is embraced, it is extremely difficult to unseat. Not only must you write over that poorly learned habit, you must also be aware that it can and will rear it's ugly head in times of stress and inattention.

And this doesn't only apply to aviation. It applies to learning music; driving a car; sports; skiing, and just about any other activity that requires any skill.

Once improperly learned, it costs a fantastic amount of money to "unlearn" it.

Case and point. I once had a very, very smart student who couldn't land the plane worth a darn. And he could do everything else with astonishing precision. One day, over a cup of coffee I asked him what his vision of the glide slope was. And he showed me a nose-high, tail low approach. Now, that's PERFECT for an Airbus that he planned to fly in fifteen years, but was of absolutely no value in general aviation.

He LEARNED this improperly by watching airliners land; applied it; relied upon it; believed in it; and it cost him an extra $1,000.00 in flight time to unseat that poorly learned idea.

Get them started as soon as possible! The law of primacy says if you don't, it will come back to bite you in the pocket....hard.