New CFI, students w exp?
 

New CFI, one of my first students has been thru two CFI s and wants to be done by January. So fairly quick.

What advice do you guys have that’s worked well in these situations? What do you do and what do you NOT do?

Don’t do? Don’t treat him/her any different as far as standards than anyone else.

Do? If aircraft, instructor, and student availability, weather, and the student’s own progress permit an expedited program to allow him to truly be ready for his certificate, why not? But tell him that’s all you can promise. If that’s not enough, he can see if he can get the FOURTH CFI to put his/her own certificate on the line to cut corners for him.

Is this a soloed student pilot working on cross-country, or a pre-solo guy with 25 hours who has been thru two instructors?

Joe

Post solo student. With 72 hours. Has most of cross countries done. Not much slow flight and stalls since he said that’s a weak spot. Will have written done this week.

Why has he been through two CFI's? Need to find that out.

If the previous CFI's just couldn't support his schedule, fine.

If they both sucked (according to the student), well maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Find out who they are and talk to them if possible.

Based on what the previous issue was, come up with a targeted plan to finish the guy off. Set milestones and review those regularly so the student knows if he's on track. Might need to be careful with this one, or as was mentioned, send him packing.

Should be pretty easy to get him done by January. First flight with you should be all pre-solo maneuver review and performance TOLs to identify where exactly he/she is at with them and what needs to be worked on. If all goes well there then give them your solo endorsement. Have them plan a VFR XC for you and if they know what they are doing, have them fly their solo XCs and finish up that requirement. If not so much then fly a dual XC with them. From there make sure the requirement boxes are checked and begin preparation for the oral and practical checkride.

Do not sign off on a cross country unless you’ve verified they know what they’re doing.
Discuss this with the student.
Sit down and find out what the student thinks needs to be done.
Then tell them what you think needs to be done.
Show them requirements and regulations that make your point.
There will have to be some verification as to what they know and don’t know and can and can’t do.
Anytime this individual is flying solo it’s essentially on YOUR certificate.
You can’t defend yourself to the FAA by blaming the student and saying that you assumed they were proficient.
Is this at the same school or did he come from a different school?
Same school review training records.
Different school it may be worth to lay them a visit.
You may or may not have inherited a monster.

72 hours? And he doesn’t yet have a PPL? Or even have his written done? How long has he been training?

And how much of that 72 hours was done solo, considering his self admission that slow flight and stalls for him are “a weak spot”?

Given that knowledge of and reasonable proficiency in slow flight and stall recovery are generally a PREREQUISITE for soloing a student to begin with that doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling about this guy.

Average nationwide for Private is 70-80 hrs so he’s not far off.
It includes the very old, ten very young and the ones that start/stop/start/stop.
This requires some investigation on the side of the new CFI.
Take the endorsement advisory circular and go through the logbook with a tooth comb. It’s not unusual for a CFI to make mistakes on endorsements or finding endorsements that have expired.
Again, if this student comes from another school it may be worth paying them a visit.
I would never let a student fly solo on another CFI’s endorsements.
If a student gets transferred to me it’s now my student, my responsibility and it will be on my endorsements.
My limitations too by the way.