Where did my DG go?

A pilot friend of mine is gearing up to start his instrument training and admitted to me that he never looks at the directional gyro.

Really? Never looking at the DG? Apparently so!

Thinking about it, I guess I really don't look it too much when I am VFR either! I'm too busy looking out the window enjoying the scenery.

But NO, his eyes are fully glued to the GPS instead! The GPS? Well, yes, that is where all of the information is - and he is right... kind of.

Flying VFR is all about looking out the window, enjoying the scenery and having fun. IFR is all about focusing on the instruments, practicing precision and complying with ATC instructions. I think the best thing to do in this student's situation is to focus on correcting their instrument interpretation and aircraft control. Get through the instrument rating, and then take some time in focusing on VFR aircraft control without any aircraft instruments. This would also be a good segue into the commercial rating.

Touch and Goes Bad?

I teach in a club that has a rule that "touch and goes are not allowed." If a student wants to practice take-offs and landings, the rule is to make the landings in a "stop and go" fashion.

As far as the instructor is concerned, I think this is a good idea - especially in the beginning of teaching a student to land. It will allow the student to develop their technique for cleaning up the airplane for a proper take off and give the instructor time to verify everything.

The clincher was when I heard that touch and goes are actually bad for the airplane and engine. I am not sure why this would be, but am going to try to figure it out. It seems to me that if a student (or even an experienced pilot for that matter) would like to practice take offs and landings, that a touch and go would provide better engine cooling and less wear on the brakes. It would also provide the student with forward speed that would allow a quicker take off. (A stop and go would require more runway). One might even argue that the touch and go forces the student to divide attention inside and outside of the aircraft - A skill you are trying to teach anyway.

Alternatively, it also introduces risk. Doing a clean up on the aircraft while still in motion takes some level of skill. If there is a cross wind, that just ups the ante.