Dear CFIs..

drunkenbeagle said:
Students have bad memories. I wouldn't automatically blame the instructor, there could have been more pressing things the instructor decided needed more immediate attention.

It was nice back in the day, when private students went to a 40 hour ground school, in a classroom, led by a CFI. No one seems to do this anymore, sadly.
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I was exaggerating, but just a little. ;)

Seriously though, it was a pattern, turns out the guy just wanted the hours and didn't give a hoot about his students. The guy could actually fly the plane good, but didn't know jack squat. It may as well have all been "PFM" to him. I got him through it though. I really dislike CFI's who pull this crap. When I ask a stage 3 private student, "What is density altitude?" The last thing I want to see is this look on their face. o_O
 
flyingbum said:
I was exaggerating, but just a little. ;)

Seriously though, it was a pattern, turns out the guy just wanted the hours and didn't give a hoot about his students. The guy could actually fly the plane good, but didn't know jack squat. It may as well have all been "PFM" to him. I got him through it though. I really dislike CFI's who pull this crap. When I ask a stage 3 private student, "What is density altitude?" The last thing I want to see is this look on their face. o_O
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If you asked me what density altitude was, when I was 20 years old, in Massachusetts, it would have been a blank stare.
 
I think primacy is important when teaching private students, you need to try to instill some professionalism and commercial style skills, even if they don't upgrade. I did all my ratings part 61 at a 61/141 school, so followed a syllabus, which would be fast tracked as needed based on the hours I needed and proficiency. I needed to do a lot of ground myself and somethimes things from the private in 2001 (diversions) came up on the commercial checkride (2011) which was difficult to recall as I didn't (properly) re-cover it.

I agree the student should know what the requirements are, but sometimes even experienced driven people forget an area and so the CFI as a backup able to catch it does help. I think more people do the CPL right after the PPL and so it is fresher, but still.
 
I'm a king pilot of the 90s as well.
Had the pleasure of meeting them in person in Detroit at the AOPA shin dig a few years back
And they really are that cheesy off camera too!

I'm thinking "hoping" now that the question banks are no longer public that ground classes might make a comeback! I love doing ground for a whole class rather than one person, they learn so much more and faster, IMO
 
Ran into this all the time at our 141 school too. Students would get to the stage check right before their checkride and find out some cross country or other didn't meet the requirements because the CFI didn't read them. Had a DPE up here actually congratulate me on having all the boxes checked when I sent a private student for his ride-apparently it's pretty common for people to miss stuff? I dunno, it's been a while since I looked but I don't remember the list of requirements being that long or complicated.
 
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