Mentoring vs. Observing

Joseph Gregor, Region 9 Examiner


The USHGA has outlined a rigorous and highly successful training program designed to safely progress new pilots from ground zero to H-II status. The observer section of the USHGA pilot proficiency program outlines the process used to obtain an advanced rating beyond the H-II. This involves taking a written test and completing certain observed tasks. The latter requirement could cause significant hardship for those located in remote areas far away from schools and instructors; not an uncommon location for many hang glider pilots. To address this problem the USHGA created the Observer system. Individuals appointed as Observers were given the responsibility of certifying that pilots who apply for an Intermediate or Advanced rating have indeed completed the required flying tasks.

Those of us in the CHGA/MHGA have long recognized that a significant gap in training stands between the bunny hill and the mountains. In the past we have used the Observer program as a safety and training device to help bridge this gap. When I came on-board several years ago the size of the Observer Corps in our local area was clearly not large enough to service the influx of new H-II's. Eager and available H-II's were going months at a time without flying. Others were simply banditoing sites, or flying at unmonitored sites that were not technically suited to new unsupervised pilots. While these new pilots survived this period relatively unscathed, safety was most definitely compromised, and recruitment/retention negatively impacted. In response to this I made a push to increase the size of the observer corps, reasoning that any reasonably experienced H-III could responsibly perform the task, and that increased observer availability would help ameliorate these problems. That experiment has met with mixed success. The present large size of the observer corps coupled with weaknesses in the system itself made oversight, supervision, and training extremely difficult. In the meantime, the cadre of new H-II's has shrunken dramatically, reducing demands on Observers. The result is a bloated and dysfunctional system.

I have taken a first step toward rationalizing our local area operations by trimming the Observer ranks. Basically, I have or will be asking those of who are no longer actively observing people on a regular basis if they would be willing to stand down until such time as we experience a new influx of pilots seeking higher ratings. I have also taken it upon myself to codify how we actually use Observers, which is considerably differently than outlined in the USHGA Pilot Proficiency System. In addition to witnessing required tasks for ratings, we use Observers to perform duties as site monitoring and active supervision of new pilots flying the mountains prior to earning their H-IIIs. Ideally, and in keeping with the system instituted by the USHGA, the latter task should fall on the local Instructors. But, just as there is a recognized need for Observers to support applications for advanced ratings, there is a very real need for Mentors to support the transition from bunny hill to mountain flying in those areas where mountain instruction is not readily available.

I have taken a stab at outlining a system that reflects what we actually do locally together with ideas for improvements. Cast in the form of a Mentor SOP, I distributed the result to those within the observer corps as best I could with a call for comments. The paragraphs below outline my ideas, tempered by those of other Observers who have responded to the discussion thus far:

The Mentor's duties are to aid the safe transition of Novice rated pilots from the training hill to high flight in the absence of and/or in concert with local area instructors. The Mentor system is not designed to supplant the activities of certified instructors in the craft - certified instruction is always preferred. The Mentor system is designed to provide safety-based oversight to new Novice pilots in those areas where certified instruction is not readily available. Mentors are to actively work to transition new pilots to a point where they may safely begin work on their Intermediate rating under the auspices of an Observer.

A. Requirements:
Mentors should hold a USHGA advanced or higher rating with signoffs appropriate to all of the sites and launch methods commonly used in the local flying area.

B. Duties:
1. Indoctrinate new pilots in the policies, procedures, techniques, and method of operation at local flying sites.
2. During the first [???] high flights:
   Physically oversee new pilots from launch to landing.
   Maintain communication with new pilots via radio or other means during all critical phases of flight.
   If practical, arrange for a presence (Mentor, Observer, or other highly skilled pilot) at both launch and landing.
   Conduct a thorough and meaningful de-brief with the new pilot as soon as possible after the flight.
3. Take an active role in ensuring pilot safety, and help orient new pilots with respect to the issues involved in flying from local sites.
4. Establish a regular dialog with the new pilots for the purpose of maintaining continuity of training. This may include ground instruction on non-flying days at or away from the flying site, etc.

I believe that in the future a new SOP (or an amendment to the existing SOPs) along the lines of the above may well prove necessary. In regions short of mountain instructors there is in-place a well thought out system for enabling experienced pilots to complete the required tasks for their advanced rating (H-III or H-IV). This is the USHGA Observer system. But there is currently NO system similarly designed to address the training needs of brand new H-II's. This is a serious safety issue.

Locally, we have adapted the Observer system to function well beyond its charter in order to bridge the gap between brand new H-II and experienced H-II ready to qualify for the H-III. This is a non-optimal solution. There is no USHGA specified training program for observers (because observers are only empowered to witness and certify the completion of required tasks). There should be some sort of training program for those who would act as mentors. Lacking guidance, we have operated on an ad-hoc basis. This significantly increases the probability of a costly mistake, and is a situation that must be addressed.

I proposed the Mentor system as a potential solution. Instructors would take students up to the H-II. Mentors would supervise these brand new H-II's until they are ready to work toward their H-III. Finally, Observers would take over once the pilot is ready to perform the observed tasks for the Intermediate rating. Using Observers as we currently do - as both mentors and observers - puts a premium on their skills and requires a significant investment of time and effort. Increasing the number of Observers had the effect of reducing their workload at the expense of diluting overall expertise and maturity. We cannot afford to compromise on either.

I have received suggestions for the inclusion of more detailed operational rules such as requiring radios for new pilots, making logbook annotations (an excellent idea), and the appointing of site monitors. All of these are good ideas, but first of all I would like to achieve some agreement on the overarching framework. The number of inexperienced H-II pilot we have is currently small. We can manage them quite well on an ad-hoc basis if a few highly experienced pilots were to step forward and act as true mentors to these people, until they are ready to work on a more casual basis with an observer. In the meantime, I will endeavor to fold all of the ideas I receive into a 'Local Area SOP' to help orient and guide Observers and new H-II's through our local system. But this local system will bear little resemblance to the Observer system outlined by the USHGA. In the long run I feel that we will do more good if we express our operations as extensions to, and not modifications of, current USHGA practices.