Being rushed or just too slow?
- Thread starter BCTAv8r
- Start date
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
Depends entirely on how many things are broken
But seriously, he shouldn't be waiting on you at all. Presumably you already know how to get weather, NOTAMS, etc, and come to the airport prepared with all those things. Presumably you also know how to preflight the airplane, and already have that done before the lesson starts. The only reason I can see for that not being the case is that the airplane just landed, and in that case - the walkaround can be somewhat abbreviated (make sure the important bits are there, fuel, oil, gear still attached).
Cal Goat
Prestige Worldwide™
I've flown with a few guys that were painfully slow/meticulous with preflights, postflights, checklists, etc. But I would never criticize any pilot for being slow on safety items. If there's a schedule to keep, you could almost make an argument, but that is not an issue for a PPL.
Sounds like another CFI that probably shouldn't be a CFI.
Sounds like another CFI that probably shouldn't be a CFI.
Not enough info.
What kind of timeframe are we talking about here? Are we talking an hour, 3 hours, half a day?
Granted, you aren't cocking the plane for a scramble alert, but on the other side of the coin, there's a time when it becomes ridiculous hour.
Thats why more info is needed....
n57flyguy
Well-Known Member
Good point mike, and upon thinking about it, what part of the preflight? An actual walk around shouldn't be more than a few minutes on a Cessna after you have done it a few times. I typically spend more time going over weather.
I once had a student that would seriously preflight the airplane 2-2.5 hours every lesson. He flew once a week and I think got a kick out of checking EVERYTHING. Fine by me. I just would do ground with another student and if i didn't he'd tell me to charge him some ground time because he recognized he was chewing up my schedule.
That's one part you have to remember, if you are taking up that instructors time, he's not getting paid and thus his motivation for you to be a little more efficient in your preflights. A preflight should take 15 mins MAX.
That's one part you have to remember, if you are taking up that instructors time, he's not getting paid and thus his motivation for you to be a little more efficient in your preflights. A preflight should take 15 mins MAX.
Der_Meister
Well-Known Member
I say take your time, but also remember the more time you take preflighting the less time you have to fly. Don't ever skimp on a preflight as it might one day save your life, but then again don't take out a magnifying glass to examine the plane. I agree with mikecweb 15min is about typical and the time I give to my students before I heard out the the aircraft.
scooter2525
Very well Member
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. (name the movie). AT that stage, it's important for you to develop a flow that will serve you for the rest of your flying career/recreation. Ideally, 30 minutes should cover everything.
jrh
Well-Known Member
It depends.
I've taken nearly two hours to preflight a plane I've never flown before and know nothing about, prior to leaving on a cross-country ferry flight. I've also spent less than five minutes walking around a plane that's just landed and the pilot, who I trust, said, "Everything's running great, you should be good to go."
Then there is everything in between.
In general, there is little to no reason to feel rushed during an instructional session. Maybe the instructor needs to talk to you about expectations, like coming in earlier to preflight, or calling him when you're ready to go...but there's no reason to rush.
I've taken nearly two hours to preflight a plane I've never flown before and know nothing about, prior to leaving on a cross-country ferry flight. I've also spent less than five minutes walking around a plane that's just landed and the pilot, who I trust, said, "Everything's running great, you should be good to go."
Then there is everything in between.
In general, there is little to no reason to feel rushed during an instructional session. Maybe the instructor needs to talk to you about expectations, like coming in earlier to preflight, or calling him when you're ready to go...but there's no reason to rush.
Pilotforhire587
Lycra Man
My students knew to come to the airport with all of the NOTAMS, weather, flight planning, etc. done before hand, if it wasn't and it ran into our lesson they usually got charged accordingly. If we are talking about strictly preflighting the airplane, I have instructed in Diamonds, Pipers, and Cessnas and never had a student take more than 15 minutes out at the plane. Even when I taught students how to preflight it never took more than 20 to 30 minutes, and thats to go through EVERYTHING on the aircraft and explain it. If I can preflight a Light GA aircraft in 5 minutes or less you should be able to in under 10.
ScorpionStinger
Well-Known Member
He is asking how long should the entire "Pre-flight Activities" take.... Post solo, PPL student Pilot.
Took me a while at first (being a Navy Mech). But soon after Soloing your expected to get into a grove. I'm detail oriented, but I soon realized it's a "General Inspection of anything out of the ordinary."
All pre-flight activities took me 30-45mins max (X-country review/ W&B review/Weather brief/ Walk-Around). Walk around should take no more than 10-15minutes.
After a while I had it all done before my CFI got there... When my CFI arrived, I'd do quick walk around (chocks, tie-down, intake cover, random collision damage, air in tires).
P.s. Aircraft's are generally booked in 2hr slots.... Most made it back in time for me. If you can, get there earlier, or get what u can done earlier (e.g. WX brief... then call again for a quick update before the flight). Good luck with the rest of your training!
I know how u feel.
Be the type of student you would want to have when your a CFI.
Took me a while at first (being a Navy Mech). But soon after Soloing your expected to get into a grove. I'm detail oriented, but I soon realized it's a "General Inspection of anything out of the ordinary."
All pre-flight activities took me 30-45mins max (X-country review/ W&B review/Weather brief/ Walk-Around). Walk around should take no more than 10-15minutes.
After a while I had it all done before my CFI got there... When my CFI arrived, I'd do quick walk around (chocks, tie-down, intake cover, random collision damage, air in tires).
P.s. Aircraft's are generally booked in 2hr slots.... Most made it back in time for me. If you can, get there earlier, or get what u can done earlier (e.g. WX brief... then call again for a quick update before the flight). Good luck with the rest of your training!
I know how u feel.Be the type of student you would want to have when your a CFI.
IMO, when you have a cross country flight to make as a student, you need to show up prepared for the flight, no exceptions. I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at with you OP, but it sounds to me like you had nothing done, and started all of it at the airport. I used to make my students show up with everything already done so all they had to do was go and get the keys to the airplane, and do their pre-flight while I was checking over all their work to make sure they would make it to their destination and back safely.
Basically, have your planning done, NOTAM's checked, etc., so when you get there, you are basically ready to go. My schedule was that that when I had time scheduled for a student, that was all that was available. Look at it like this, would you like it if your instructor was late for your lesson because the student before you was late?
Basically, have your planning done, NOTAM's checked, etc., so when you get there, you are basically ready to go. My schedule was that that when I had time scheduled for a student, that was all that was available. Look at it like this, would you like it if your instructor was late for your lesson because the student before you was late?
moxiepilot
Well-Known Member
As a CFI, I wanted my students to take the time they needed (with occasional guidance and suggestion if I saw they were too bogged down in minutia.) But I also made it clear that they could and should pre-flight prior to their scheduled flight block so that they were not being billed for my time doing something they could've done ahead of time.
I usually get to the airport an hour early and take about 30 min to check the weather and w/b. Then I take the rest of the hour to do my walkaround. I probably don't need to take 30 min to do a walkaround, but I like to be thorough and I treat it like the checkride. I like to ask questions, so that usually slows us down a bit. I've made it a point to stop flying as soon as the school opens because I can't be there before my block of time starts, and I'll often have to add oil and clean the windshield, slowing me down even more.
If you find yourself ALWAYS adding oil to the airplanes, they probably don't need it. Every engine has a sweet spot which may or may not be whats in the manual. If the bottom of the aircraft is covered in oil you are probably adding too much. Does it hurt to add, well not really but it's not really helping anything either.
moxiepilot
Well-Known Member
The point on oil is true. Check your POH for the minimum oil requirements. Then talk to mx about what is the least safe level they're willing the ac to fly with. It might help with making that decision to add or not to add.
If that level is below what the POH says, something needs to be done with the engine. There are two numbers that matter, one to the pilot, and one to the A&P. Min safe is going to be less than what the dip stick says. IIRC, on an O-360, you can run one as low as 2 qts before you have to tear down and inspect for engine damage. Personally, I am not taking off with anything less than min on the dip stick. Will the engine probably be fine, yeah, it probably will be. But it's like constantly running you engone low on coolant. It will cause higher oil temps, and eventually lead to a pre-mature failure of something.
