Hi folks. I’m new to the forum so please be gentle!
I am looking for any comments or info from anyone that has been on a Principles of Flight course at Cranwell? I think the courses used to be called ground instructor courses?
Need to decide what courses I can find time to attend and intrigued to know if these are worthwhile?
Thanks.
No. Simples. Didn’t teach any instructional technique and the content covered in a week long course could have been read from a book.
Advanced Radio and RADAR- forget it if you don’t have a-level electronics. Course pitched at completely the wrong level and audience.
I did both thinking they would teach fun, exciting ways to teach cadets the subject, boy was I wrong. Death by PPT was their only instructional technique and the outdated 3 part lesson.
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I think it depends what you are looking for.
As said the radio/radar needs some serious electronics/physics knowledge, we had a CI who was keen on building electronic boxes and a bit of a radio buff and he found it heavy going.
My old CO went on a Air Nav course at RAF Finningley (now Robin Hood Airport?) and was really impressed, but did need a decent level of maths in terms of mental and trigonometry. He’d instructed Air Nav for several years prior to going and found that it bolstered his knowledge and understanding, which he passed onto cadets.
If you can afford the time and you’re not expecting too much, I would say go. It is one thing to read it in a book or feel your way, it’s another to have someone standing talking about it and being around people who are in the same situation as you. I’ve been on enough courses at work where I’ve had things confirmed in my own mind or explained so that I have a better understanding, while being in an environment where many attendees are in a similar position and personal use discussions get going, which has been of huge benefit.
It would be interesting to know if the courses are pitched in such a way that fits in with the modern teaching method, ie lots of ideas for activities to encourage learning as well as the “chalk and talk” / death by powerpoint.
The biggest problem we have in the Corps with respect to subject instruction is no primary resource for instructors (such as a book), other than the hit/miss approach on Ultilearn. Hopefully your CO/Trg Officer has been enlightened enough not to discard the old books, printed or electronic. The other problem with Ultilearn is accessing while you wait for pen pushers to get you certificated and a number.