Solo in 25 hours. Ouch!
 

So I soloed after 25 hours. Bummer. I did a 141 course that followed the Jeppesen syllabus.
As some of you may know, I had that pain in the a$$ flight instructor who loved to talk about blabid,y blah, blah. My CFI told me not to worry about how long it took me to solo and not to compare with others, because I would just “set myself up for failure”. I got booked hours, and I got chumped.

I compare my experience to that of Rosemary in “Rosemary’s Baby”, when Dr. Saprestien (the OB) convinces Rosemary (who is impregnated with Satan’s child) to not read pregnancy books, nor compare her pregnancy with that of her friends or family since every pregnancy is unique. This practice, of course, promoted isolationism and didn’t allow Rosemary to see how she was progressing next to her peers. Thus Satan’s seed was undisturbed and born unto the earth.

At the FBO I’m at, other CFIs have shown sympathy towards me and have rolled their eyes at my CFI and his wasteful ways. The redeeming quality about the FBO I’m at is that the owner and chief have really shown me how to be a good pilot and not just pass the check ride. Unfortunately, the owner/chief is only available during Stage Checks.

70 hours later I’m approaching my FAA Practical Exam. I flew 3 – 4 times per week with my really lame CFI, who, I know, I should have switched after the third flight. I’ve been with one other FBO (had a drunkard CFI) and I’ve been by ATP (totally disappointing) and really like the FBO I’m at, with the exception of my dumb a$$ instructor.

I guess I’m not here to seek advice, because I already know what to do, but I just want to let you newbies out there hear my story so that you know when to say “STOP. YOU ARE FIRED” or figure out what is important to you. I couldn’t bring myself to uproot and stop my training to find the perfect CFI. So instead I sucked it up and rode it out.

We’ll see how the outcome goes in regards to my End of Course. Perhaps I may even get to fill out an evaluation on my CFI.

Good excuse! At 70 hours you would have been on your X/C's building time and searching for that $100 hamburger. Disappointing indeed!

Just curious...What was so "disappointing" about ATP? I know that they have some faults, but don't bash the whole system when you chose to "stick it out" at your favorite FBO.

Hey man I knew a guy who didnt solo until around 60hrs at a 141 school. He managed to do just fine afterwards. If you have a sh!tty instructor, thats self critiquing man, you need to get a new instructor.

Good luck, you would be amazed what self study can get you!

I do like the FBO I'm at with the exception of my CFI because the staff and the other CFIs seem genuinely good at providing a quality service to the students. Unfortunately, I got stuck with Mr. Halitosis-blahbidy-blah-blah. I was the newest student, so when I asked for a new Instructor, they really didn't have one available.

The other FBO I was at had a CFI who loved to cut the fuel selector off, put the plane into spins to teach me a lesson, and come to work smelling like a keg of beer.

The ATP was facility was a dark, dank, and dreary operation. Students looked depressed and the CFIs couldn't answer half of the questions I asked them. Plus the place had the smell of old socks, stale coffee, and B.O. (kind of like an old college dorm). The ATP CFI who gave me a tour spoke very slowly and seemed confused a lot of the time. He did admit to recently getting into a motorcycle accident and just getting out of rehab to make his last hours as a CFI before applying to the airlines. Who knows... maybe he was a TBI paitient. For the sake of passengers, I hope not.

So out of these three options, my current FBO was the lesser of all evils. And like some of you, I don't have the luxury of just packing my bags and going to FL or AZ to do my flight lessons. I actually have a house, job, and family to support, so I'm limited to what is local for me.

Fair enough, just checking.

yeah, your IP is very important... there are some greedy ass ones too... they'll make a hour flight a 3 hour flight... luckily my instructor and I get along REAL good, we learn a lot from each other...

I remember my friend and I went to a FBO to rent a plane and he (my friend) did the checkout ride with this weird ass German female CFI... he has a thousand hours, with commercial, IFR ratings and whatnot and knows the area very well... a 45 min checkout ride became an almost 3 hour checkout ride! it was fricking nuts....

Two VERY important things:

Number 1. I soloed at 26 hours. I got my private at 49 hours. Part 61. Used the Jepppesen Syllabus. I flew out of a towered airport (and they take longer than an uncontrolled field). I was in no hurry to solo. I just wanted to become the best pilot I could. Remember, once you solo, all you need is some night practice, two cross countries with your instructor, 10 hours of solo (most of this will be PIC XC), and then checkride prep. This is probably 25 hours. (about 13 of XC, 5 of night/instrument, 3 of random VOR/ADF/unusual attitudes, 5 hours of checkride prep).

As far as I am concerned, you could finish your private with 50-55 hours (AND THAT IS GOOD!!!) If you want to be an airline pilot someday, you are going to need all that time anyway. Don't stress if you go 10 hours over what you thought it would take you. REMEMBER, the national average is between 60hours and 70 hours.

Number 2. You already know this, but change your instructor. Now. Not a week from now. Not next time you go to the airport. RIGHT NOW. Call him up and tell him you want to change instructors. It is not a big deal. I had 3 different instructors for my private. Not because I wanted to get rid of them. I started flying up through solo in Colorado. Then I moved to California and did a few hours at an FBO, then found an AWESOME flying club across the field and changed yet again. They were all good instructors. They are all teaching for the same test. Each one did a few things differently, but it was not a big deal. I say switching between 3 different instructors maybe cost me 1 or 2 hours. NO BIG DEAL! Do not let your current flight instructor continue to milk you.

Ditto above. Your flight instructor is milking your and that needs to be stopped. You need to tell him that he's fired, and then you need to sit with the chief instructor and relate to him that if he wants your business, he'll find you a new instructor. It's your money. If you want to continue to waste it, go ahead. If you want to put it to good use, well, you're the customer, so spend it on what you want, not what someone else thinks you should have.

If at you and your CFI aren't getting along, or you don't like him/her after the first handfull of lessons.. Fire them. Hire a new one.

Keep in mind guys the average solo times range from 15hrs on the low end to 30 hrs on the high side. I personally have soloed students with as low as 8hrs and as high as 35hrs. I cant speak for your skills but, some people just have trouble and take more time to develop certain skills not always just flying related (IE attitude towards flying).