Tweetdrvr

Tankerdriver,

Please come to the UPT world before you get out and teach in PhaseII. You can be home every night, and line yourself up for a reserve job flying white jets.

I say this as one of the few CFIs in the squadron, we need people who have their CFIs (not the CFIs who are maybe gonna be rubber stamped after the potential FAR change in Nov08) as UPT instructors. We do so much in this day and age at civilian fields because no bases are open at night/weekends for cross country and because we do so much at non towered airfields to prep for that eventual chip light in the T-6, that people with CFIs can explain this stuff so much better than guys with no prior civilian GA time.

I am betting you cringe like I do when people say "clearance on request."

USMCFLYR

Let's not completely trash this idea. I'd hate to lose out on this experience that the military has given an IP. I agree that they would not be going right out and teaching PPl s and the like - but if that military training I receieved was as good as everyone says it is and I have a couple of years of instructing under my belt - don't you think that it is worth something?

I agree that we get to comfortable teaching at our own fields and our local procedures, but if you are able - military instructors can opearte out of civilian fields and such and "kearn the ropes" just as well as someone wth previous GA time. Problem for me is even finding the opportunity to fly outside of the normal training times. X/Cs are *almost* non-existent

So what do you like to hear in its' place?

USMCFLYR

Tweetdrvr

I think we as a group of military IPs are very good at what we do. I don't know about the USN/USMC side, but in the AF there was/is very little at PIT taught that is on the Fundamentals of Instruction test. I remember possibly a one hour class at RND and that was about it. PIT teaches AF guys to be initial demo manuever to stan and that is about it. I am not saying my CFI training taught me any better, but the stuff from the FOI test really helps me find ways to reach the struggling students instead of just continuing to demo the way the AF wants the manuever done and describing what I am doing until they get it right.

We in the AF focus initially on the contact pattern and area manuevers to solo the plane. From that point on, most of the training is all about instruments. We pound IFR ops and procedures down their throats until they get it. Then on the cross country, we show them two VFR legs as almost a demo. Most of our guys don't have a lot of time VFR and as a result they fly it like they fly IFR, even outside Class B/C airspace, they request altitude changes while getting flight following and I have even heard some guys request course changes and wx deviations. Some guys only come up initial as opposed to doing whatever makes sense from their direction of arrival such as a 45 to downwind or direct to a base if tower allows it. It is almost like we fly PVO Voiska VFR.

The rule is going to pass, and I hope to get a reinstate from it since I screwed up and missed my renewal month a few years ago rather than go see an examiner to regain my CFI credentials. I hope it is more than just the two written tests and taking your IP letter to the FSDO. It is all about Part 61, and the knowledge level was huge on my ground eval back in 96. I spent 6 hours on a very thorough eval that covered all sign offs, BFRs, teaching the then new airspace, going over my lesson plans and more.

Lastly, I call for clearance right from the AIM. I-F-R to XYZ, ready to copy. The phrase "Clearance on request" means the Clearance Delivery person has made a computer query to try to pull your plan out of the system to deliver it to the pilot. So they will respond with either the "Cleared as filed....." or "Your Clearance is on request."

Sorry for thread drift