Death by Deadline

Death by Deadline

We’ve all heard of “get-there-itis”. We can define it; we’ve experienced it. What about when the “there” is a deadline for checkride or other sign off that imposes pressure on the instructor? The student may have external pressures including parents, family, financial resources. Schedule constraints might include leaving for school or a class date. Career wishes, dreams, and desires may surpass the necessary skills. Students may be highly motivated but still have unrealistic goals. CFIs can easily succumb to this pressure from a desire to please the client (i.e. the student).

Instructors are the gatekeepers of the industry. It is our job–indeed our duty–to instill the atmosphere of

safety by teaching and evaluating decision-making skills, judgment, and risk management. We will cite real-life situations of death by get-there-itis deadlines. We will address the warning signs. We will discuss how we solved these instances.

Instructors are not immune. The pressure to log 1,500 hours of total time and all the subcategories required to move up the career ladder.

All pilots must be realistic and safety conscious to be successful and prevail.

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