David Plantier - Chief Flight Instructor

Western Air Flight Academy - KBJC

Flight Instructor: CFI, CFII, MEI
Certificates Held: Airline Transport Pilot Multi Engine Land, Commercial Single Engine Land, Commercial Multi Engine Land, Instrument Rated
Education: B.S. Criminal Justice and Psychology, Saint Anselm College, NH; Numerous military, law enforcement, firefighting career and advanced education courses and credentials
David Plantier is the Chief Flight Instructor for Western Air Flight Academy.  When Dave was 13 years old, he wrote a list of all the things he wanted to do, and he has been nibbling away at that list for the better part of 50 years. There were 133 items on that list; among them, Number 13: “Become an Airline Pilot and land a big jet” and Number 60: “Become a teacher.”
A 12,000 hour pilot now, he is still a passionate participant and advocate of both aviation and vocational education.  He has spent the last 10 years of his great adventure consulting and teaching in aviation high school and collegiate flight programs in the Northeast. And though he has almost completed that childhood list, he is determined to continue to work on Number 35: “Do something important for people.” as a member of the WAFA team.

5 useful questions to ask an instructor:

Why did you become a flight instructor?
Regardless of the answer, the way an instructor talks about why they fly is what is important. Look for someone that is excited by teaching. They should have a genuine interest in giving others the gift of flight.

How long have you been flight instructing?
Some Instructors have thousands of hours under their belts and have been flight instructing for their entire careers. Others have a few hundred and are just beginning. A seasoned instructor will have a lot of experience but may have a set teaching style. A freshly minted instructor has less aircraft time but is able to relate to common learning obstacles, having undergone their own flight training in the not too distant past. There are advantages to both types of instructor.

How do you keep track of your student’s progress?
Using a syllabus is essential so that both student and instructor can track progress and milestones so make sure your instructor uses one. Talk to other students and ask them what kind of reading their doing, what books they’re using and the type of homework they’re getting. There should ALWAYS have some type of “homework” assignment at the end of each lesson.

What is your availability?
Some instructors are part-time and work separate jobs during the week. Others are full-time, but may want to have personal and family time on the weekends. Find an instructor with compatible availability. Flying at least twice a week is the best way to progress quickly through accomplishments with less effort and less overall costs. Choosing an instructor that is able to fly on the same schedule helps to keep flight training on a consistent path.

I’ve heard people talk about “stalling an airplane.” Can you tell me what it means?
This is a classic question. Regardless of knowing what an “aircraft stall” is or not, how an instructor explains this concept will give great insight into how they can explain concepts. Are they patient? Do they use simple terminology that is easy to understand? Do they ask questions to make sure their student understands, or do they over simplify to brush off the question? Find an instructor whose instructing style is a good match.