Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
I would absolutely take a stand against an instructor charging you for time where they aren't doing anything. A caveat would be if I was on the ramp with the student, doing MY checks, supervising and making sure they are safe on the ramp, that is absolutely chargeable time. But if I'm sending them out to preflight and am not with them, not chargeable, and it's also my job to make sure they are learning something and my time is quality spent when I am with them.
That's always been my policy, but I learned to watch them these days. Texting or phone calls on the ramp during preflight is wasting MY time and I do actually bill them for that time. Never had an argument over it, they are told on the first lesson the "rules of engagement" in flight training.
Also, sometimes we do a lunch on a split lesson day (2 lessons per day with a lunch and gas stop). If the lunch is quick and they don't waste time on it, I'll pick up the tab for them sometimes.