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FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL   103

During the foregoing periods, when the student has been allowed to follow through only, he will naturally ask questions regarding the technique of landing, especially when his attention is called to the sensations he experiences. All the factors should be explained to him long before actual practice is to start, since it will prevent the formation of erroneous ideas and their resultant bad habits.
When a number of students start their training together and take their instruction at approximately the same rate, it will be natural for some rivalries to develop. These increase when landings are started and great care must be exercised that the apt students do not get "cocky" nor the slow students discouraged. The slower student, particularly, will redouble his efforts in an attempt to catch up and, as a consequence, double his errors, which further delays his progress. 
Often an instructor will make the error of starting landings too soon with such a student in an effort to force progress or as a means of building up his morale. When this is done the results are invariably bad. The student is not ready and consequently makes more errors and has more difficulties, while his morale gets lower and lower.  
Congested traffic plays havoc with the student who is not ready to cope with such conditions by distracting attention sorely needed for the work he is attempting. This also results in the instructor frequently being forced to interrupt the student and take full charge as a safety measure, which further confuses and discourages such a student. 
As a result of the demoralizing effect of the above difficulties, it will often be necessary to discontinue the practice of landings, and return to air work in order to bring the student up to the standard of technique he maintained before landings were started. This results in a sense of demotion which further lowers his morale and extends the vicious circle of trouble and delayed progress. 
The slow student, started on his landing practice, will experience many close calls during the trip around the field, particularly in congested traffic. Fortunately, he will not usually realize the gravity of these situations until it is pointed out to him. As a result, he will attempt to play it safe and concentrate on doing this to the extreme, thereby getting himself in all sorts of awkward positions, completely forgetting his relation to the field, his flying and what he is attempting to do.
Not all students will experience all the above difficulties, but most will experience one or more. An explanation of the situation, or keeping the student on the preliminary work until he is definitely ready, will eliminate the majority of difficulties and make others easier to eliminate. 
Although in glides and stalls attempts have been made to build up the student's kinesthetic sensitivity, few will have developed it as this time to a degree where it is of primary assistance in landings, although it will be a factor. 
Vision is therefore the most important sense used. The controls are moved accordingly, as the ground seems to rush up at the airplane or come at it more slowly. Unless the student is concentrating on some other factor, such as drift or other aircraft, or is in a plain state of coma, the reactions on the controls to prevent the airplane