Delta Connection Academy

Social activities

In an attempt to encourage camaraderie, DCA Houston has begun hosting monthly cookouts paired with an activity. Last month we went to Great Fun – a venue that has many activities such as pool tables, bowling, & arcade games just to name a few. It’s similar to Dave & Buster’s or Jillian’s. They plan to continue the cookouts at DCA and outings at various places. We’re going bowling after our next monthly meeting and we’ve talked about paintball, laser tag, and other possibilities. This allows us to meet the new students and hopefully helps them feel welcome. As mentioned in an earlier post, it's a great idea to learn by teaching others, and this is a great way for everyone to meet. This will only work if the instructors and students who have been around a while talk it up and everyone makes it a priority to attend. Also, remember that networking is very important in our field. Assuming we’re planning to complete the entire program at DCA, we’ll be working together in a year or so, and building relationships is important!

Some learn best by teaching others

Have you ever heard anyone say “You learn best by teaching”? I believe it. A few of my instructors made this comment it seems to work for me. I tend to retain and understand concepts more when I have to explain them in detail to someone else. Helping other students understand various concepts may help you in this way. At first it may seem like a waste of time, reviewing concepts you’ve already been tested on, but when you have to explain something in a different way because a student doesn’t understand it, you may gain more from the experience. I’ve found quickly in aviation that I can’t afford to “dump” past information. In college, I only had to know enough to pass the final, after that, I didn’t have to remember it anymore. Not so with flying. Every stage check includes information I learned on my first day of ground school and throughout my training. In my past blogs, I’ve written about different ways to study, but this may be the best. By helping others we help ourselves. It doesn’t matter what lesson or rating you are working on, there are some areas we all need to know throughout our flying career.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again

From day one of ground school, you are taught a vast amount of facts & figures which you are expected to know and understand. These are tested during stage checks which is my weak area. Similar to learning a new language, this has not come easily for me. I study, review note cards and read over my notes yet still struggle with recollection & confidence.

My latest strategy: print out the document I created and take it with me everywhere so if I have any extra time I can have it right there to study. If I’m waiting in the drive-through line, traveling, or get to school early, I don’t waste any time. Many instructors have created study guides to correlate to each stage check, and they are more than happy to give you a copy. All you have to do is ask.

Each month, there is a meeting for all the academy students. The following was shared in our meeting so I thought I’d share it with you. If you do not satisfy the requirements for the stage check on the first try, you get to retest the areas you missed in a second attempt. If you still do not satisfy the requirements, you get a third attempt. On this third try, you may just be tested on those areas you struggled with, or you may have to start at the beginning and test over everything. If you still do not satisfactorily complete the third attempt, you must complete the entire oral. This is the same for the flying portion of the stage check, but you can’t attempt the flight until you pass the oral, and once it’s passed you don’t have to go back. After each unsatisfactory attempt, you must meet with your primary instructor for review of the unsatisfied areas before testing again. This costs time and money, so of course you’ll do your best to pass it the first time, but if you don’t, take a deep breath and realize everyone learns and retains information differently. You will get there. Your instructor is responsible for submitting you to be scheduled for your stage check, and it reflects poorly on them if you don’t pass, so he/she will do their best to help you prepare. Always ask questions/give him/her a call if you’re studying and have a question. If you don’t have any questions, ask them what they suggest you read or review before the next time you meet or before your stage.