Originally Posted by
T45Heinous
No I haven't taught a single civilian, but I HAVE taught hundreds of USN/USMC/Allied students and I am familiar with standards of training and expectations. I guess I felt that given my background, a few hours would all that would be needed, not 10 in the air and 10 on the ground. But again like has been stated by both of us...at this point, I don't know what I don't know.
Please don't take what I'm saying as rude, that's NOT my intent.
But teaching in the civ world is different than the military. It's not any more difficult, contrary. However, the students you're used to teaching are for the most part, the SAME.
They all conformed to a specific standard, singular purpose, singular goal, singular mission. They were the almost cliche "known quantity". You know pretty much EXACTLY how to transmit to them and they EXACTLY how to receive and whats expected.
Civ, not so much. You may have a retired doctor come in that's got more brains than sense that just bought a (insert expensive plane here) and wants you to teach him how to fly it. Your next student may be young guy, hard charger, a sponge capable of learning things quickly, your next student might be an Asian who's here SIMPLY to get their ratings so they can go back home and fly a 747/777, have fun with that one.
Like I said, it's NOT harder, it's just different, and could easily be labeled as backwards. Which is ACTUALLY the challenge. MOST pilots are used to increasing challenges and increasing skill levels and tasks and embrace it. The ones facing a civilian CFI are just different.
Meh, not like it matters, epic thread drift. Just do whatever you can to stay current. Come late spring/early summer the filters/restrictions are going to loosen. The mega-competitive stack that exists right now will start to thin, etc.