Transition Training

[nwyooper]

See below a letter I wrote to Vans RV regarding an instructor doing training at my home airport. Choose your instructor wisely and make sure it feels good to fly with him/her.

I have observed a RV doing transition training on numerous occasions at Kelso(KKLS). I have also observed several occasions where other aircraft have had to go around or extend downwind because the instructor and his student stop on the runway and critique the landing or whatever(who knows). I know for a fact that he caused a Cessna Citation that is based at Kelso to go around on one occasion and I watched my hangar partner who also flies a ONEX have to make a low pass over the taxiway and go around because NxxxRV was not making an effort to clear the runway.

He has been asked previously to discontinue stopping on the runway and if he wants to do a full stop, taxi back. Additionally at KKLS the preferred runway is 12 because 30 is much more populated should something happen on takeoff. Yesterday I observed him taking off on 30 past midfield(2000 feet) so he was much lower than normal over the houses at that end of the runway which is a noise as well as safety hazard.

Today he was back at it doing stop and goes on 30 at Kelso. One of the most knowledgeable and respected airman on our field who had talked to him before identified himself on the radio and asked him to stop that practice. Over the radio 3 of us heard this(several more probably did too)and it came from NxxxRV," I have been doing this for 40 years, you or nobody else needs to tell me how to do this. Why don't you just go home?"

So:
1. Section 4-3-20 of the AIM says: a. Exit the runway without delay--you can read the rest
b. Taxi clear of the runway-etc.
Yes I know he can do stop and goes at Hillsboro but only with Tower's permission- no tower at KKLS and he does not have a rear view mirror. Also there are some aircraft at KKLS that don't have radios so they just have to wait while NxxxRV parks on the runway. Speaking of radios NxxxRV does not always announce his intentions. I have witnessed him do several circuits without saying a word. I know he is not required to use a radio but it is certainly bad form and unsafe not to when you have one.

Safety and noise are a big concern for all airports and your instructor is giving us all a bad name at Kelso. His arrogance on the radio today was beyond the pale-telling us to leave our home airport-Really??

Your website calls him the "Dean" of RV instructors because of his vast experience-I would have to take issue with that, he is teaching bad habits . Well I have some experience too. I started flying in 1966, was an Air Intercept Controller on a US Navy Aircraft Carrier(USS WASP CVS 18). I have owned 3 certificated airplanes and currently fly a ONEX that I built. I was going to build an RV9 but then had a little medical issue so I went to light sport. If the 3rd class medical reform comes to pass I would still like to build an RV. If I do build an RV, rest assured I would never get in the same cockpit as that arrogant ass.

Every instructor I ever flew with always stressed-use the whole runway.