USMCFLYR

[QUOTE]What took you so long Just busting on you. I'll be taking mine at the nearest Lasergrade testing center.

Give us some insight to this difference. I'd like to hear your opinion. I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to actually use my civilian ratings, but I know there has to be a world of differences.

USMCFLYR

LivingInMEM

Given the variance between the quality, experience, and motivation of civilian instructors (some brand new with min hours to some who have been doing it for 50 years, some do it for the love of instructing, some do it for money????, some do it for hours, etc); I think it would be tough to say that a military instructor would or would not be a capable instructor compared to his civilian counterpart.

I will tell you one big difference, a military instructor's customer is the military service itself - your job is to provide qualified pilots post-graduation. You can treat them however you want and the students will return the next day.

Learning to fly is work. With that in mind - civilian instructors have to be firm enough to demand sufficient progress from the student to ensure safety without upsetting or demoralizing the student to the point where they don't return for the next lesson.

With an appropriate knowledge of best practices, FAR's, and the aircraft systems and proficiency in the aircraft operating procedures; there is no reason why a good military instructor could not be a good CFI, CFII, or MEI. Of course, I would not expect that he/she would attempt to instruct a civilian student without proper preparation just as I would not expect that they would do that in the military.

UAL T38 Phlyer

MEM:

Nicely said.


Another variable in the civilian world: students can be a varied group. Old, young, educated, and not so much, top performers, bottom-scrapers, lots of free time (frequent lessons), working adults, lots of spare money, and just getting by (infrequent lessons).

The military student fits into a 23-28 year group most of the time, some are as old as 30. In the USAF, all have a 4-year college degree. They will fly 3-5 times a week on average, and do nothing but study flying for a year.

You don't get that kind of screening, nor ability to intensify training (usually) in the civilian world.

However, the fundamentals of how airplanes are flown remains the same. Granted, a C-152 takes a different feel than a Block 50 F-16, but the basics are the same.

The biggest hardware difference I see: the general low power-to-weight ratios of light GA aircraft, the limited and haphazard IFR instrumentation, and limited understanding of P-Factor in most military pilots (T-34, T-6, C-130 and E-2/C-2 pilots being notable exceptions!).

I think the transition will be easiest for those who have some prior experience in the GA world. Failing that, though, I would hope any aspiring "Instant CFI" would do what all of us did as military IPs:

Gain credibility through experience. I wasn't able to instruct in the T-38 with 5 hours in the airplane; I had to complete PIT; nearly 100 hours in the jet. When done, I still didn't know a lot about teaching in it...I flew as much as I could, without students, to gain experience.

And if I ever teach using the CFI rating, I'll do the same thing, in whatever airplane I'm going to teach in.

WalkOfShame

How would this transfer the reverse way? I'm applying to the AF Reserves, have over 400 dual given now (much more by the time I would find out if I got the UPT slot). Is it possible that my current experience would allow me to transfer more "easily" into an instructor position?

FredtheGnome

No, sorry.

You will need a lot more experience to be competitive for a reserve job instructing. Many guard and reserve students going through UPT already had 3000 hours flying for regionals and such, and that is just to join the unit as a copilot. Reservists doing primary instruction are all very senior.

Doss aviation is a civilian program in Colorado that performs flight introduction and screening for the AF. I think they are hiring, and it would give you an opportunity to build experience and network.

But the short answer to your question, is that the reverse transfer is not a very good one. Sorry.

Tweet46

Hey USMAC,

Just getting settled in here at the KRAB. (Kirkuk Regional Ai Base). Not useful info from me until I get over the jet lag. Not sure i could add much to UAL and Mem anyway, they are spot on.

If anyone has questions about IFS in Pueblo just holler, I just finished a year there after retirement.

Cheers,
Tweet

jetIP

Tweet,
Sent you a pm, then went back to the very few pm's I'd saved and saw we'd had this discussion before. Still very interested in anything you would have to add, along with your opinions now that you looking in the rearview mirror. I assume you got sucked back in in the retiree recall thingy? thanks.

Tweet46

Hey jetIP,

I just sent you a short pm in reply...I can't remeber what I told you before so send me an e-mail address and I can fill in the gaps.

As far as the retiree recall thing...Nah...don't want to go back in...not when I can make the big bucks here in KRAB without the a$$pain of being on active duty and worrying about getting non-voll'ed...working a lot less for a whole lot more money. No, I don't have to tuck in my PT uniform to walk to the chowhall on my off time...Hell we even set up our own internet provider...screw the comm nazis...go to wherever I damn well please on the net...hotmail...youtube, whatever. Aside from being away from family, life is good...very good! Hell I even get the free gym membership.

Cheers,
Tweet

130drvr

Tweet46, just sent you a PM.

Tweet46

130....Check your PM's