Narrative:

I was on an IFR cross country flight with an instrument student. I'm an instructor who firmly believes to allow students to make mistakes; otherwise they are not learning anything; if they are not allowed to make mistakes; and see their mistakes. I teach my instrument students to always put the airway or radial that they are navigating on; on the #1 obs or the higher obs in the instrument panel; instead of going between the 2 obs; for 2 reasons. First off; they may transition to an airplane that has an HSI 1 day which; unless it has a toggle switch that can go between 2 navigation radios; will take its information from the #1 navigation radio. Secondly I want to train the student to always put the airway or radial that is being naved on in the top obs to prevent confusion. As we were navigating on an airway; we crossed the cop; and instead of changing frequencys in the #1 navigation radio (which by the way is a FLIP-flop radio) the student switch to the VOR in front of us on the airway to the #2 navigation. I spotted this and was going to teach her a lesson. As we were within approximately 3 mi of the VOR in front of us; I pointed to the #1 obs; which was still set to the first VOR on the airway; which of course had a from flag. I point to the obs and the from flag; and commented that we must have passed the VOR; so she should have selected the new radial to navigate away from the second VOR. She promptly switched the radial; and turned to intercept the new radial. I wanted to see if she was paying attention; and would catch her mistake. I waited about a min; and was about to point out her error; when ATC came one frequency and yelled; 'where do you think you're going?' I came on the radio and told ATC that my student made a mistake; and we were correcting. The controller came on and yelled for us to 'turn 30 degrees left and re-intercept the airway;' which we did. About 30 seconds later; the controller came back on the frequency and again yelled 'I told you to proceed direct the VOR; if you do not comply with my specific instructions; I will write up a pilot deviation report.' I could see the VOR or the ground in front of us (as we were almost on top of it) so we turned an airway with no further problems. Before being handed off to the next sector; I hear the controller yelling at 2 other pilots. During this deviation; as far as I could see; we were still within 4 mi of the centerline of the airway. We were also in good VMC conditions; and no problems of running into other airplanes; terrain or special use airspace. As stated previously; students need to make mistakes; otherwise they don't learn anything. Most times when students diverge from course; ATC gives them a gentle reminder such as 'you seem to be slightly south of course; suggest that you turn 10 degrees right to intercept.' yelling at anyone and threatening people does not solve the problem. What if this was a new instrument pilot in the clouds who was having a serious problem? Do you think that having ATC yelling at you helps? This could actually make the situation worse for a pilot already in trouble. We are taught as pilots to make sure that we are in good physical and mental condition before we fly; and to make sure that we are 'in the game' before flying. This I know to also be true for controllers. It was obvious that this controller was not 'in the game' for whatever reason. He should have not been working a scope that day; as his attitude did not help and promote safety; but could have had serious effects on the safe flying of many airplanes. I know that the frequency is not the place or the time to argue with ATC or try to resolve problems; and in fact with this controller's attitude; probably would have made things worse if I had called from a landline to discuss the situation with him or his supervisor. We all have bad days; but we are all on the same team; to get our aircraft from point a to point B in a safe manner; both the pilots and the controllers. This obviously was not his day to be on the team.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS A TRAINING EXERCISE; INSTRUCTOR PLT ABOARD F11 ALLOWS INSTRUMENT STUDENT TO CONTINUE A SELF INDUCED TRACK DEVIATION WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. ATC TAKES EXCEPTION TO THE LESSON.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT WITH AN INST STUDENT. I'M AN INSTRUCTOR WHO FIRMLY BELIEVES TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO MAKE MISTAKES; OTHERWISE THEY ARE NOT LEARNING ANYTHING; IF THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE MISTAKES; AND SEE THEIR MISTAKES. I TEACH MY INST STUDENTS TO ALWAYS PUT THE AIRWAY OR RADIAL THAT THEY ARE NAVING ON; ON THE #1 OBS OR THE HIGHER OBS IN THE INST PANEL; INSTEAD OF GOING BTWN THE 2 OBS; FOR 2 REASONS. FIRST OFF; THEY MAY TRANSITION TO AN AIRPLANE THAT HAS AN HSI 1 DAY WHICH; UNLESS IT HAS A TOGGLE SWITCH THAT CAN GO BTWN 2 NAV RADIOS; WILL TAKE ITS INFO FROM THE #1 NAV RADIO. SECONDLY I WANT TO TRAIN THE STUDENT TO ALWAYS PUT THE AIRWAY OR RADIAL THAT IS BEING NAVED ON IN THE TOP OBS TO PREVENT CONFUSION. AS WE WERE NAVING ON AN AIRWAY; WE CROSSED THE COP; AND INSTEAD OF CHANGING FREQS IN THE #1 NAV RADIO (WHICH BY THE WAY IS A FLIP-FLOP RADIO) THE STUDENT SWITCH TO THE VOR IN FRONT OF US ON THE AIRWAY TO THE #2 NAV. I SPOTTED THIS AND WAS GOING TO TEACH HER A LESSON. AS WE WERE WITHIN APPROX 3 MI OF THE VOR IN FRONT OF US; I POINTED TO THE #1 OBS; WHICH WAS STILL SET TO THE FIRST VOR ON THE AIRWAY; WHICH OF COURSE HAD A FROM FLAG. I POINT TO THE OBS AND THE FROM FLAG; AND COMMENTED THAT WE MUST HAVE PASSED THE VOR; SO SHE SHOULD HAVE SELECTED THE NEW RADIAL TO NAVIGATE AWAY FROM THE SECOND VOR. SHE PROMPTLY SWITCHED THE RADIAL; AND TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE NEW RADIAL. I WANTED TO SEE IF SHE WAS PAYING ATTN; AND WOULD CATCH HER MISTAKE. I WAITED ABOUT A MIN; AND WAS ABOUT TO POINT OUT HER ERROR; WHEN ATC CAME ONE FREQ AND YELLED; 'WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?' I CAME ON THE RADIO AND TOLD ATC THAT MY STUDENT MADE A MISTAKE; AND WE WERE CORRECTING. THE CTLR CAME ON AND YELLED FOR US TO 'TURN 30 DEGS L AND RE-INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY;' WHICH WE DID. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER; THE CTLR CAME BACK ON THE FREQ AND AGAIN YELLED 'I TOLD YOU TO PROCEED DIRECT THE VOR; IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WITH MY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS; I WILL WRITE UP A PLTDEV RPT.' I COULD SEE THE VOR OR THE GND IN FRONT OF US (AS WE WERE ALMOST ON TOP OF IT) SO WE TURNED AN AIRWAY WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR; I HEAR THE CTLR YELLING AT 2 OTHER PLTS. DURING THIS DEV; AS FAR AS I COULD SEE; WE WERE STILL WITHIN 4 MI OF THE CTRLINE OF THE AIRWAY. WE WERE ALSO IN GOOD VMC CONDITIONS; AND NO PROBS OF RUNNING INTO OTHER AIRPLANES; TERRAIN OR SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY; STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE MISTAKES; OTHERWISE THEY DON'T LEARN ANYTHING. MOST TIMES WHEN STUDENTS DIVERGE FROM COURSE; ATC GIVES THEM A GENTLE REMINDER SUCH AS 'YOU SEEM TO BE SLIGHTLY S OF COURSE; SUGGEST THAT YOU TURN 10 DEGS R TO INTERCEPT.' YELLING AT ANYONE AND THREATENING PEOPLE DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROB. WHAT IF THIS WAS A NEW INST PLT IN THE CLOUDS WHO WAS HAVING A SERIOUS PROB? DO YOU THINK THAT HAVING ATC YELLING AT YOU HELPS? THIS COULD ACTUALLY MAKE THE SIT WORSE FOR A PLT ALREADY IN TROUBLE. WE ARE TAUGHT AS PLTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN GOOD PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION BEFORE WE FLY; AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE 'IN THE GAME' BEFORE FLYING. THIS I KNOW TO ALSO BE TRUE FOR CTLRS. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THIS CTLR WAS NOT 'IN THE GAME' FOR WHATEVER REASON. HE SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING A SCOPE THAT DAY; AS HIS ATTITUDE DID NOT HELP AND PROMOTE SAFETY; BUT COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE SAFE FLYING OF MANY AIRPLANES. I KNOW THAT THE FREQ IS NOT THE PLACE OR THE TIME TO ARGUE WITH ATC OR TRY TO RESOLVE PROBS; AND IN FACT WITH THIS CTLR'S ATTITUDE; PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS WORSE IF I HAD CALLED FROM A LANDLINE TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH HIM OR HIS SUPVR. WE ALL HAVE BAD DAYS; BUT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM; TO GET OUR ACFT FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN A SAFE MANNER; BOTH THE PLTS AND THE CTLRS. THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT HIS DAY TO BE ON THE TEAM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.