Event Details and Registration

This presentation explores how metacognition, the simple practice of thinking about how you think and make decisions, can transform the final phase of flight training. Many students plateau not due to capability, but because they lack a clear method for evaluating their performance, recognizing trends, and setting actionable goals. By shifting part of the debriefing process to the student, instructors can help learners move from passive recipients of feedback to active participants in their own progress. The session outlines a repeatable, project-management-inspired workflow that integrates self-assessment, targeted goal setting, and instructor calibration. Attendees will learn how to implement student-written debriefs, how to coach students through the process, and how this approach accelerates readiness for the checkride. Examples, templates, and real-world applications will be provided.

Booth 354, east of hangar B - just behind the Garmin booth, white tent with a huge NAFI logo.

Brenda Hanson is a CFI, AGI, and IGI who brings a practical blend of aviation experience, learning design, and organizational leadership to her work with student pilots. She is the creator of Notes on the Fly: A Student Pilot Flight Training Journal, a resource that helps students “record what they learn, what they notice, and how they develop as a pilot.” This philosophy forms the backbone of her checkride-prep coaching and her approach to helping students navigate the challenging “last 20%” of training. Before becoming an aviation educator, Brenda spent two decades leading finance data strategy and AI adoption at a global information services company, where she specialized in simplifying complex systems and helping teams get unstuck. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and serves as the Vice Chair of the Minnesota Ninety-Nines, where she champions aviation education, mentorship, and community building.

NAFI is the National Association of Flight Instructors and is the largest association dedicated exclusively to flight instruction. NAFI’s vision is ‘Safer pilots through flight instruction excellence.’ NAFI’s mission throughout its 59-year history is to promote flight instruction excellence with education, mentorship, and advocacy. This is accomplished by providing instructors with tools and resources that help them deliver the best professional training and service possible. Anyone may join NAFI to take advantage of the many educational and flight tools, products, and discounts available. www.nafimentor.org. Contact nafi@nafimentor.org 866-806-6156.

PRESENTED DURING THE EAA AIRVENTURE FLY-IN.  NO FEE FOR THE NAFI PRESENTATIONS, BUT AN ENTRANCE FEE IS REQUIRED BY EAA AIRVENTURE TO ENTER THE GROUNDS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EAA AIRVENTURE ADMISSIONS, VISIT  https://www.eaa.org/airventure