James-man

I do applause.


But no standing ovations.

I did have one terrific woman student, well, um, nevermind.

dan212

And then there is what NOT to do...

Body language is as important as any hand signal.

An experienced racer/coach from another region was giving me a check out ride (names withheld to protect the innocent). Flying 125MPH up the last turns of the esses at WGI, he started twisting around in his harness . I saw this out of the corner of my eye - I was otherwise occupied. What was he doing?? I was about to say something - ......when.......... He pulled out his cell phone and started texting. We joked about it after. He was a little embarrassed, laughed and said he guessed he was feeling VERY comfortable. I'm not easily distracted, so I thought it was pretty funny - but to ME.



An instructor on my 5 DE had a habit of bracing HARD (for impact) against the dash before brake points. I asked him if there was a problem or was he telling me something.. "Nahhh.. Just force of habit"..

smlporsche

I use both hand signals and the chatterbox initially and as the student improves us less hand signals as appropriate. I also try to be calm in my tone but that doesn't always happen

I have red driving gloves and feel it helps get the student's attention when I use them.

My best instructor, when I asked for one on my first trip to Mid Ohio several years ago, was a guy named George___ from Potomac Region. He was a great instructor and when we eventually started nailing the corners he would start clapping and screaming in the chatterbox " You nailed it, way to go..."
It was a very rewarding experience.
I've tried to mimic that excitement level with my students when they start getting it.

AudiOn19s

Some good stuff here particularly James-man's approach.

Anyone have any good ideas for a specific command to show maintenance throttle that doesn't really look like the acceleration command?

I"ve been informed by my student for this weekend that he has a gutted interior car and a full titanium straight pipe exhaust which in his experience has rendered all communicators useless. He's only an intermediate level student and I normally talk ALOT for live feedback in the car hence I'm a little apprehensive about how I"m going to approach this weekend if I only have hand signals and download sessions after as tools to work with

cello

I give a one (1") inch sign (thumb-first finger that far apart, etc) out into their peripheral vision and say something like 'maintain, .. 1" of throttle' or the like. I do cover my usual verbal and sign commands in the intro talk including maintenance throttle.

LuigiVampa

Chatterbox is sorta like -

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/8bfaad8...f-1d78a2657523

TXE36

I had one of those students. As he was aggressively attempting to pass without a signal "DO NOT PASS THAT CAR!!! DO NOT PASS THAT CAR!!! DO NOT PASS THAT CAR!!!" finally he backed off. When I asked him why he didn't respond immediately he said "I couldn't hear you." "Bull****! The guys in the flag station heard me." was my response and we were using a communicator.

Communicator or not, if I'm not happy in the right seat, it will be obvious.

-Mike

TXE36

I've used my left hand simulating pressing on the gas pedal. Almost vertical is just on the gas, a bit more for maintenance throttle, and then down horizontal for go! go! go!. I'll use a left fist pulled backwards for brake. These need to be explained beforehand. I'll admit maintenance throttle is difficult to teach this way - it's hard enough if you are using words.

-Mike

mhm993

I punched a "red-misted" student once. That was more of a fist signal.

FGL28

Jabs1542

TXE36

Ha! I call this instructor stance. If I've got a student doing well but a bit underconfident I will tell him to give a look over to me at an appropriate moment. If I'm sitting comfortably with my legs crossed and could be holding a drink while he is white knuckling it then I'm good and he is doing really well. I mean I'm not tense, grabbing the belts and the oh **** bar, while yelling am I?

I'll also inform them I'm generally a terrible passenger - if I'm yelling gas! gas! gas! at them I'm very comfortable especially if they get some "off the brakes!" along with it.

-Mike

stownsen914

I think it's ridiculous that a student driver will be driving a car with an open exhaust. I've heard of clubs that don't allow it. Maybe too late for your case, but I'd consider raising this to the event organizers.

Scott

Matt Lane

Great... go deaf AND have your instructing (and thus safety) compromised. Yeah, I would bring this to the CI... unless you race and are comfortable being in and yelling in a blaring car.

My $0.02.

Matt

mhm993

I've been in one car where I couldn't communicate because it was too loud. That student was not able to competently participate in the event, as surely as if the car's engine had failed. It went poorly.

If it ever happens again, we'll pit in so I can exit the car. I'm too old to put up with this kind of foolishness.