CISS TRAINING PROGRAM IS READY

During the SAA Convention that we hosted, several CISS flight instructors attended the Glider CFI Renewal Seminar. After the seminar the instructors agreed that we should have a more structured training program. Since then, Mike Rielage, Jerry Carrol, Bob Gillan, Larry Pennington, and Nyal Williams have been working to create the program. It was finished this winter and the formatting for publication accomplished by Cheryl and Mike Beckage.

The CISS Board agreed in their March 2002 meeting to adopt the proposed CISS Training Program. They felt the program of sufficient value that training materials will be provided with costs absorbed by the current member initiation fees.

The CISS Training Program will provide an organized sequence of flight and ground training lessons that should assure the required elements of flight training and knowledge are accomplished. It will provide the student and instructor with a "road map" and method of visualizing progress and objectives. It should allow the student to predict the content of the next lesson, and be better prepared for those maneuvers or elements through the lesson preparation references.

The Program contains three parts: An Instructors Training Program, A Student’s Training Program, and a Student’s Lesson Card Set. There will also be a formal revision system established with distribution of changes.

The Student Training Program is an 8 1/2 x 11, ring bound reference, with detailed information on each training lesson and references for student preparation. The Lesson Card Set is a 4 x 6 bound reference that contains abbreviated Lesson information and provides a method of recording training elements completed.

The student should review the Card Set before going to the airfield for any training. It should show which lesson has not yet been accomplished and which elements within previous lessons that may not have been addressed. The student should expect these items to be the focus of the next training period and should prepare accordingly by referring to the detailed information in the Training Program.

Similarly, the instructor should review the Student’s Card Set upon meeting the student at the airfield and identify the incomplete elements from previous lessons and/or the next "new" lesson. Based upon weather and any instructor note regarding progress, the instructor will brief the student on what will be covered on the next training flight.

As with most programs, the implementation of the program will provide the greatest challenge. "New students" will start with the program. "Old students" will have to be blended into the program depending upon where they currently have progressed. The instructor will have to evaluate the "old student" log book to determine where entry to the Training Program should be made.

To best plan the implementation and provide adequate materials are published, I need the following information from ALL club members who are currently pursuing a pilot certificate or planning to begin doing so this year.

Rating Sought: (Private Glider, Commercial Glider, Glider CFI)
Rating Currently Held: (Private "power", Private Glider, Commercial "power", etc.)
Name:
Mailing Address:
Telephone Number: XXX-XXX-XXXX
e-mail address:

Provide the information to Mike Rielage as soon as possible via the following methods:

E-Mail
mrielage@AOL.com

Snail Mail
5867 Croton Circle
Indianapolis, IN 46254

We intend to have materials ready for distribution on the first weekend of the scheduled soaring season, April 6 and 7.

Mike Rielage,
Chief Instructor Pilot