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Good - and bad - stories about Flight Instructors / PPL training

I guess I was lucky to mostly have FI’s who were either commercial or airline pilots in their main profession. I had one who ran his own school but also had quite some experience as a biz jet driver before that. Recently, all of them are airline pilots as the school I work with currently only employs FI’s who are thus qualified. I’ve had some experiences with pure club FI’s and I do try to stay away from them with exceptions, as some are not as relaxed and used to multiple crew flying (which instructing is to an extent) than others. So I am quite happy to fly with those who in professional life fly the big airliners. You end up being much more methodical and at the same time relaxed than with others who lack that experience.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

The test of a good instructor is knowing when and how to intervene. I think it is a skill that takes some time to acquire. Inevitably even then there will be those who resent any intervention albeit they may well be those who most need it.

If you are uncertain about your instructor of course you can always put him to the test. “Hey, Mr. I am not feel too comfortable with an engine failure after take off, approach and go around, please can you demonstrate one to me”. :-) You will know instantly whether he is your man!

Fuji_Abound wrote:

“Hey, Mr. I am not feel too comfortable with an engine failure after take off, approach and go around, please can you demonstrate one to me”. :-) You will know instantly whether he is your man!

On one trip, over some beers with some pilots who are also instructors, one respected and proficient instructor admitted he always hopes his demo approaches and landings etc. turn out good because obviously, there’s few skygods who always get it right. So you demonstrate your medium quality landing and next time it’s the student’s turn and the student does the exact same thing, you tell him/her the usual “too high, too low, too slow, too fast” stuff…

Hungriger Wolf (EDHF), Germany

As a teacher/critic you do not have to be better than your student.

Which gourmet critic cooks better than the chefs he damns? Which literature critic writes better than the top authors whose book he savages?

As a contrast from Peter’s comment that he prefers flying with the young instructors who haven’t yet acquired the “attitude”, my experience is the opposite.

In recent years I have been instructed and tested a number of times, always by very experienced instructors and examiners, and mostly for more advanced ratings. I have found the training and even the tests to be good.

I suspect that these guys feel they have nothing to prove, and maybe it helps that I know I don’t know it all and always welcome the opportunity to learn. It’s a two way street.

Neil

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

boscomantico wrote:

Interested: what (and where) is a low flying course?

It is part of the training of the Swedish Volunteer Air Corps After passing the course you are permitted to fly down to 150 ft AGL when on a Volunteer Air Corps mission or training.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

As a contrast from Peter’s comment that he prefers flying with the young instructors

I don’t think I said that, and it isn’t the case. The best instructors, I have found, are existing or retired airline pilots with GA experience. They have nothing more to prove and don’t need to come up with “stories”.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

The best instructors – by far – are former military pilots and instructors. That somebody was an “airline pilot” is not a qualification for a CFI that impresses me.

Peter wrote:

I don’t think I said that, and it isn’t the case

You didn’t. It was Patrick!

Sorry

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

I’ve found that as with most things in life, ‘run of the mill’ doesn’t work so well with flight instructors and it’s best to find somebody particularly suited to your needs. Commitment to what you’re doing personally creates a result. When I first flew at 15 my dad found me a guy who was involved with community organizations and very patient with kids. He also happened to be an ex-Army observation pilot with a million hours in Bird Dogs and spent his Saturdays training new pilots for fun. He was a great guy and I have great memories of my flying with him. He got me solo’d off on my 16th birthday and is probably teaching a youth group in heaven to fly today. Much later when I ‘really’ learned to fly in a vintage tailwheel aircraft, I found a then-young guy who had flown Travel Air biplanes and etc for about 1500 hrs giving rides and knew how to fly a low and slow plane in the dense traffic area where we flew, as well as being a really good stick and rudder instructor. He taught me a lot by example and practice but wasn’t interested in dealing with training me to pass the practical test…. so I looked around and with some luck found a 300 hr guy who was an ex-Olympic skier for that task. Holy cow, talk about relentless training discipline, and that combined with never ending positive attitude. He wasn’t so experienced at flying but was really great for the job of getting me licensed.

I learn a lot now from a ex-military instructor friend who got me more up to speed flying faster and going places. He’s flown everything under the sun, L1011 captain and etc, and still flies several times a week in retirement. He’s big on procedures, but stresses that you have to use the right technique for the plane, not try and make one plane into another.

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