Originally Posted by
Cubdriver
In contrast to the old saw that those that can't do teach... I think one can see flight instructing as a noble activity where one has the opportunity to shape the hearts, minds, and hands of tomorrow's commercial airmen. I certainly have respect for it in that way. I come from several generations of teachers, my grandfather was math professor and my father spent his life teaching psychology and later accounting. If you wear the hat of a scholar and make yourself a scholar of aviation, it is only as prestigious as you make it.
I went to a local FAA hosted award for the best flight instructor in the Kansas FDSO region a few weeks back. The FAA certainly sees flight instructors as the quiet heroes they are. That's what I want to be in life; I quiet hero. The man they named instructor of the year was a quiet sort of fellow that takes his pay mostly in the quality of student he produces. There may not be a lot of money in the job, but there is definitely chance to stand for something sublime.
I do think about it from time to time and do instruct on occasion. In my early days I was a full time instructor for a few years and believe that I was pretty good at it as well. However I never really liked it that much.
It was terrible to have to sit in the right seat while my students got to have all the fun. Additionally I never felt good about being an accomplice to helping people to destroy themselves. A few students seemed to have a good plan however most were just swept away with a dream that did not seem to fit their situation in life.
I remember well advising a student against taking out a home equity loan to buy a Cessna 170. I was instructing in Anchorage Alaska at the time and it seemed that student after student came through the door with what seemed to be a death wish. They all wanted to get their private license and start living the bush pilots life. Well this guy bought a 170 within weeks of completing his check ride and it did not take very long before he was back at the flight school asking me to fly out to the crash site with him. As he frantically tried to conjure up a rescue plan for his plane we watched as storm after storm tore his investment up until it was little more than garbage. He blew his families home equity on a selfish whim. I saw that story play out and many others just like it many times. Often they did not live though it.
In a way I guess that I am still instructing. These days however, I do my best to fill in the realities of aviation and to sober up the occasional star gazed middle class family man. I do not try to be a dream buster but my conscience will not permit me to let the train wreck proceed anymore. On the other hand if someone seems to have a good head on their shoulders and deep pockets then I will take them up.
SkyHigh