I agree, to a point. I had students teach me that airspeed was life (high speed and low speed) in 172's, corporate jets and airliners. I had the same "pucker" response in all aircraft.

I AM a better pilot because I instructed. Until you can teach something, you don't really know it. Whether it's a sim training event, a discipline or termination event a counseling event or whatever, you learn a lot when it isn't about you. Someone that hasn't instructed won't ever get it. Your job is to communicate to the best of your abilities what the student needs to know. Again, I'm talking 172, Citation, 737 or beyond. I believe I'm an excellent communicator, but I have had students I couldn't reach, I turned them over to another IP. I have friends that are excellent communicators that have had to turn students over to me.

It's not that anyone is better than another, it's just some people respond better to one person than the other.

I didn't do much part 91 instructing, most of mine has been 121 and, to a lessor degree part 135 in jets. I actually picked up a Fed, he watched me train myself in a Citation I, we landed, took off and I gave myself a 135 checkride, that's how I became a CAM on the CE-500.

I've flown airliner aircraft where the trainee or even line pilot tried to do a crosswind landing by touching down on the upwind wheel that I'm sure put my engine within millimeters of the asphalt. I've had pilots flare 100 feet too early and been amazed that we didn't tear the tail off. (I so miss the Boeing, the friggin Airbus is a set up for failure with a weak pilot). I'm not into taking the aircraft and the Bus doesn't let me know what the other guy is thinking or doing.

What I have learned is that while I like to fly, I love to teach. There's no better feeling than showing up with a first day new hire and saying, "Let's go have fun" and putting them at ease, which is the state in which they will learn the most.

I will remember forever the experiences I've had training pilots I like to be Captains, pilots that have been FO's for 15 years or so and FINALLY get to be Captain. I really like it when they say, "I'm a bit nervous about this." My standard response is, "That's great, it shows you have a clear understanding of the situation."

When I did my Captain OE, my Check Airman was one of the best pilots I have ever flown with and a true Gentleman, ex-Frontier - High line Twin Otters, Convair, DC-3, 737, ex-CAL, then new Frontier. I told him I thought I might be sick, he said lets go out and see how you feel after 2 legs. It was only nerves, I was fine because he was such a wonderful man (John Landwehr from Boulder, if anyone knows him).

John tried to teach me things about energy management and other finer points of being a professional aviator, bearing in mind that I had 5 jet types and 6,000 hours.

Some of his points I understood, some of the things he said, I had to respond, "I know you're trying to teach me something important but I'm trying to fly straight and level in the pattern and land successfully, I may understand your points at sometime in my career, but right now I'm maxed out." He understood. I wish I could fly with him today.

The bottom line, I was born 20 years too late. I'm intensely jealous of the pilots that got to be airline Captains when it meant something. Yeah, we crashed a little more often but I'd rather that than what we have now.

If I could have had the life that the FAA administrator, Randy Babbitt, had I'd be happy. And yes, I've had the privilege of hearing his stories first hand.