I had a recurrent pilot go through a two-day training and we spent a lot of time on systems. My systems background is grounded on “it really happened to me” approach or I really had to handle that problem when I was flying for a living. My pilot (I never call them ‘students’) told me why did I not learn this in system trainings I took on the aircraft initial training?
Systems training from an A & P who works on the ground is not the same as an A & P who flies twin aircraft or any aircraft. In the air you live by a separate set of rules and procedures. In the air, it is what is going on and do I put it on the ground now, or do I work the problem. Also, the problem can be immediate, or it is not as bad as it seems.
When you fly jets there are usually three or four memorization items you have ingrained in your head for a problem. Then your work the “book”. In a single-pilot environment, you do not necessarily have time for the “book.” You have to know what is going on and how to handle it. Timing is everything. Did I say rush the problem? No, but you have to have the ability to work the problem.
Then environment that we teach in is one of question, analyzation and answer. We get a lot of “I don’t know”, but when we are through with a topic, we always ask “does this make sense?”. We also ask, “do you understand the procedure?”.
In the air problems or situations come down to three things, everything is cool, we have a workable problem in the air, or finally, we need to put it on the ground now.