Question for all you CFIs

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When was the last time you actually flew the plane? How many of those pic hours in your log are actually you flying?
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Quote: When was the last time you actually flew the plane? How many of those pic hours in your log are actually you flying?

I'm not an active CFI anymore but I would estimate that I actually flew 2%-3% of my CFI time:

1) Rare XC Repositioning Flights
2) Landing/Manuever Demonstrations
3) ILS approaches to get student/PVT pilots back to the patch.
4) 3 Night LDG's every 90 days (company nickel).
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Depends on what kind of training you're doing. With new students, you're doing quite a bit. As they get more experienced, you do less. That's one of the reasons I like having students at a variety of different stages. Rickair's assessment is pretty close. I might say a little higher.
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None...
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Aside from student pilots, the other time CFI's get to fly (and really have some fun), is when teaching CFI applicants. I always enjoyed that- not only because I could go out and actually fly, but also recreate some of the stupid errors that I had seen over my instructing career!

As for me, I haven't flown/logged/instructed in over 5 years, but still make sure to keep that certificate current!
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I would say about 5% of the time for me. I find myself getting out of spins about once a week or so (during power on stalls in a 152 usualy), unusual attitudes (I get to practice lazy 8s), and I save a lot of landings. When a student puts on or takes off the hood, I get ten seconds or so then, also. New students, you get to show them things before they do them. Especially commercial students. I show them Lazy 8s and chandelles a few times.
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About 2-3% of time. I have to go practice approaches myself, skills tend to get bad if I don't keep up with hand flying the plane. My knowledge of everything is right on but, I found I need to keep sharp the actual skill of flying the plane.
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In my experience I would say closer to 10% of my instructing time I was at the controls. We get alot of guys who come to us for their ATP rating and they have never flown a light twin let alone a piston driven aircraft, so I usually demo all of the maneuvers to let them get a sight picture and what they should be doing thorought the maneuver. But to really stay current, I get in our sim alot and fly approaches.
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Quote: Depends on what kind of training you're doing. With new students, you're doing quite a bit. As they get more experienced, you do less. That's one of the reasons I like having students at a variety of different stages. Rickair's assessment is pretty close. I might say a little higher.
When you first started instructing while flying with me you liked to help me out more than you needed to. I bet you are quite a bit better about that now.
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I am a much more proficient pilot now then when before I started CFIn. Mostly because I do a lot of discovery flights, and only teach private students (lots of demos). I also just got my tail-wheel endorsement in a J-5 so that helps a lot.
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