I learned this weekend that I need to have my procedures an maneuvers memorized completely – 100%. Of course, understanding is more important than just memorization. I need to be able to explain the procedure with my eyes closed, from memory. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any schooling where memorization was so important. Not only do I need to know what to do, I need to be able to explain what I need to do, and then do it. I hate fumbling my explanation or forgetting important steps. It is frustrating and I feel really dumb when I don’t know what I need to do.
In each lesson after my preflight instruction, my instructor and i meet in the pilot briefing room in the hangar and have a little pow wow. We discuss what we are working on that day and then we usually do chair flying, where I either sit with my eyes closed, or in front of the cockpit poster. John asks me to walk him through a particular procedure, such as stalls. And then I talk through step by step what I will be doing, where I will be looking, etc.
In my next lesson, we will be doing power off stalls again, hopefully for the last time so we can move on to the next stage. I plan to have my steps completely understood and memorized. I made a little video tonight that I will play over and over the next couple of days so that I can recite this back at my next lesson.
