So I soloed after 25 hours. Bummer. I did a 141 course that followed the Jeppesen syllabus.
As some of you may know, I had that pain in the a$$ flight instructor who loved to talk about blabid,y blah, blah. My CFI told me not to worry about how long it took me to solo and not to compare with others, because I would just “set myself up for failure”. I got booked hours, and I got chumped.
I compare my experience to that of Rosemary in “Rosemary’s Baby”, when Dr. Saprestien (the OB) convinces Rosemary (who is impregnated with Satan’s child) to not read pregnancy books, nor compare her pregnancy with that of her friends or family since every pregnancy is unique. This practice, of course, promoted isolationism and didn’t allow Rosemary to see how she was progressing next to her peers. Thus Satan’s seed was undisturbed and born unto the earth.
At the FBO I’m at, other CFIs have shown sympathy towards me and have rolled their eyes at my CFI and his wasteful ways. The redeeming quality about the FBO I’m at is that the owner and chief have really shown me how to be a good pilot and not just pass the check ride. Unfortunately, the owner/chief is only available during Stage Checks.
70 hours later I’m approaching my FAA Practical Exam. I flew 3 – 4 times per week with my really lame CFI, who, I know, I should have switched after the third flight. I’ve been with one other FBO (had a drunkard CFI) and I’ve been by ATP (totally disappointing) and really like the FBO I’m at, with the exception of my dumb a$$ instructor.
I guess I’m not here to seek advice, because I already know what to do, but I just want to let you newbies out there hear my story so that you know when to say “STOP. YOU ARE FIRED” or figure out what is important to you. I couldn’t bring myself to uproot and stop my training to find the perfect CFI. So instead I sucked it up and rode it out.
We’ll see how the outcome goes in regards to my End of Course. Perhaps I may even get to fill out an evaluation on my CFI.