Continued development is essential for any occupation or hobby. It is easy to fall into bad habits even after a few months. Aviation is an odd hobby, often times your the only person in the cockpit and it is easy to slip. We have checklists to follow but sometimes you just get "sick" of doing the same thing.
In my opinion on of the best ways to stay current/proficient is observing another pilot. Whether your a private pilot or a certified flight instructor this is a good habit to have.
Where I work we are subject to observation flights from our Lead Flight Instructors a couple times a year. They aren't there to punish just to observe you doing your job and offer tips. As an instructor this should be welcomed, not frightful.
But one thing many instructors don't realize/do is that they can observe flights as well. The other day I observed my boss doing a lesson with a student. I wanted to see how he conducted that particular lesson to improve my lesson. Even though I had most of the same information in my lesson plan, it was interesting to see how he "put together" his lesson. It flowed very well and gave me a bunch of ideas on how to make my lesson better.
I would recommend to ALL pilots to observe a flight at least once every 6 months. Maybe you've fallen into bad habits without knowing it. Or maybe you will learn a helpful trick on landings, or radio calls, or managing a flight.
Continued Development is important for all professions, especially aviation. There aren't many careers/hobbies where yours and others lives are at risk. Whether it's observing a flight, using aopa.org's interactive online courses, or doing a lesson with an instructor you are only helping yourself become a better pilot.
Rightseatpilot
Well said! We should always be looking to maintain and improve our skills, and there's no better way to do it than by observing/being observed by other pilots.
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