Originally Posted by
November Seven
Pros and Cons on selecting your first Flight Instructor. Older Wiser? Or, Younger Hungry? Are those fair comparisons?
Older ones can be hungry, if there's enough money involved. If you offer a premium and a set weekly guarantee, you could find an older, wiser CFI who would put your schedule first, and then schedule any other work around you.
Originally Posted by
November Seven
Also, how many days per week are optimal without becoming over saturated to the point of never being able to fully connect the dots from one week's lesson to the next? It is my understanding that some of this has a lot to do with the approach of the FI. I've read and heard that if the FI does not deliver a 'dot' this week, then there won't be link to the next 'dot' for the student the following week.
Not sure what a "dot" is in this context. But I would say the optimal is a range, and of course depends on your availability, your distractions (family, job if any, etc), and your study habits/learning ability. Also how much of a hurry are you in, and how motivated?
Training 2-3 times each week is the minimum to prevent incurring time and cost due to regression (two steps forward, one step back).
Most people could handle training twice a day six days/week if they really had to. That leaves one day for rest/study, and there would be daily study/preparation in the evenings, leaving little time for anything else besides eat/sleep/exercise. Each training "session" would consist of student prep/study (1-3 hours), typically 1-2 hours ground with the CFI, and 2-3 hours flight. You would likely have to pay a premium to get an instructor to commit to this regime for an extended period.
You know yourself best. If you want to enjoy the ride somewhat, maybe do 6-8 sessions/week.
Originally Posted by
November Seven
Does the Younger FI understand this enough to deliver it? Should I be concerned about an Older FI, no longer having the fire and passion for Instructing - just doing it as a hobby to pass time? I've heard that former Airline Pilots who still love to fly and who also like to teach, make some of the best Flight Instructors. True, or False?
An older instructor would probably be better than a younger in all regards IF they are willing to commit to your desired schedule. They most likely will tell you up front if they can't work as much as you envision. If I were retired and flexible I would enjoy jamming a motivated student through a custom fast-track program. Or doing the same thing slower, just nice to have a road-map, goals, and a motivated partner to work with.
Originally Posted by
November Seven
We have a current system that nearly forces those who want to become Professional Airline Pilots into first being "Teachers" of Students. Not everyone can teach or instruct. Its a Calling. It requires a Gift. You have to really want to Teach and Instruct, in order to do it well, IMO - regardless of subject matter. Teaching requires amazing (uncommon) communication skills that not everybody has under their belt.
Someone could be a great Pilot, but communicating the who, what, when, why, where and how of flying might not be their strong suit. Or, they might now have the patience and intuition for teaching at a high level. Often times, Women, do better than Men in these categories. Women, can be naturally more intuitive and patient - which will be required when giving critical instruction.
All true. Time-building CFI's tend to be less experienced, possibly less professional, possibly less motivated, and likely to leave for the airlines when they have 1475 hours. The only upside to them is that they are usually willing to fly a lot, any time, and are probably going to be less expensive than a long-time professional CFI.
Now with that said... long-time career CFI's tend to be odd ducks, if they have talent why are they not making millions at the airlines? Usually there's some personality quirk going on (often harmless). CFI's who retired from airlines or other professions are probably less likely to be "characters". You do not necessarily need a CFI with jet experience... an experienced general aviation CFI will teach you everything you need to know to safely build GA experience.
Originally Posted by
November Seven
How far do I go in investigating the background of my Flight Instructor? I recently toured a house for sale. The real estate agent's name was all over the town. They looked very credible. The agent was rude during the tour and unprofessional at one point. It caused us to leave the Open House, shaking our heads.
After further investigation, I discovered that the agent's husband was a convicted felon, that the agent herself had been involved in fraudulent real estate deals from Massachusetts to California, and that both of them had filed bankruptcy so many times that one Judge even commented on how well they knew the bankruptcy court system in the US in one of their case commentaries. Essentially, this real estate agent was dirty - filthy and had been fleeing Subpoenas and Summons in several states. Yet, there they were, showing a house valued in the millions like it was no bid deal.
So, how do we investigate whether or not we have the right FI and that their credentials and background are solid?
This is not really a problem with CFI's. I would just do a detailed interview, and ask for references. Then start training, if the guy doesn't work out, find another one.
You could do an online background check if desired, but a CFI can't really rip you off unless you deposit a large sum up front (Don't do that. Ever).
A CFI who has a medical (needed for private pilot training) would have to report criminal activity to the FAA, and I believe they do check that when you renew your medical.