Crass rant -- airport wallflowers...

aviategw

aviategw

Well-Known Member
Please forgive the sh**head in me that needs to vent on this, but why do people think that as a CFI, it is your job to listen to the life story of everyone at the airport? I'm at my desk in my office, reading through a Jeppesen IFR text, preparing a lesson for a future student, and within short succession three guys, one after the other, start telling me their life stories. I'm OBVIOUSLY doing something that requires my full attention, but it seems perfectly acceptable to interrupt me to tell me stories about their life. I don't go into other peoples' work place and initiate time consuming, one sided conversations about myself
crazy.gif
. Why is it okay to do this to me?

Disclaimers:
1. I'm not a jerk. I'm actually a pretty nice guy. I get along with everyone.
2. I know that to 'provide adequate instruction', you must listen to your students. However these were not students. Two of the three of these people were people that I had never met before.
3. I know that I have to be approachable as an instructor and to be available for questions and interraction. I work hard at this and always try to have time for any questions or comments.

Are there any other CFIs out there who have had similar experiences? Or, am I just an A$$?


crazy.gif
 
I hear ya...I can't stand inconsiderate, oblivious people. I was at a restaurant tonight and this guy started talking loudly at his table, assuming I guess that the rest of us wanted to hear his boring conversation.
 
Consider these guys the equivalent of the guys who get on their cells on public transportation and talk so loud that they'd drown out the sound of an F15 on full afterburner.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why is it okay to do this to me?

[/ QUOTE ]Because you let them.

"I'm sorry. I'm working on something important right now" is polite, takes only a moment, and tends to be pretty effective.
 
What bugs me is the guy who comes in for free ground. Every week a gentleman comes in, corners some CFI (if he's with a student or not) and starts with, "Hey, I've got something maybe you could answer." If he was a student, it'd be one thing, but he's constantly bashing the high prices at our school as well as the owner - making a point to buy gas and get instruction elsewhere.

During his IFR training I had a 10 minute "discussion" with him about why the VSI isn't the primary inst. for pitch during straight and level flight.
 
Da you go, do you go.

When I was instructing, there were like 3 or 4 people that you just never, ever let catch you alone in the shop. They would kick your balls in for like 20 minutes with menutia like
"Man, the other day, that guy didn't make a radio call!"

Or: "Well, as we all know the lift and pitching-moment characteristics of a straight wing of aspect ratio 4, taper ratio 0.5, having a symmetrical double-wedge airfoil section with a maximum thickness of 4.4-percent, blah, blah, blah..."

And my personal favorite: "Lordy! That wind is A-BLOWIN!"

We had this one old dude, really nice guy, but when we saw him coming through the window, all the veteran CFIs would scatter, leaving the poor rookies to take the brunt of the blather.
 
Thank GAWD I'm not tha only one who has been through this...I'm tired of having my days wasted.


Thanks fellas,
 
Oh, yeah, we all have those!

"Lloyd, what's going on, man?"

Oh, just eating my lunch between lessons.

"Yeah, speaking of lessons.....the other day when we were flying . . ."

crazy.gif
 
When I used to work at a grocery store and would be out getting carts, random people who weren't customers would show up and ask directions on how to get to the interstate when you could see it from where I was standing.
 
Try working at a busy airport between banks. If they think you are even remotely associated with an airline all the pax think you know where and when every flight pushes. I used to hate getting lunch upstairs sometimes as you could usually expect ten people to ask where they can pick up their bags, where gate A26 is, if so and so flight is late. Geez man, my Quiznos sandwich is getting cold and I just had it toasted.

So far as a CFI I have enjoyed the random questions I get from folks... Talking airplanes is alot different than answering luggage/other airport questions though.
 
My favorite response when I get a question like that at an outstation:
"Sorry, I don't work here."
 
[ QUOTE ]
Please forgive the sh**head in me that needs to vent on this, but why do people think that as a CFI, it is your job to listen to the life story of everyone at the airport? I'm at my desk in my office, reading through a Jeppesen IFR text, preparing a lesson for a future student, and within short succession three guys, one after the other, start telling me their life stories. I'm OBVIOUSLY doing something that requires my full attention, but it seems perfectly acceptable to interrupt me to tell me stories about their life. I don't go into other peoples' work place and initiate time consuming, one sided conversations about myself
crazy.gif
. Why is it okay to do this to me?

Disclaimers:
1. I'm not a jerk. I'm actually a pretty nice guy. I get along with everyone.
2. I know that to 'provide adequate instruction', you must listen to your students. However these were not students. Two of the three of these people were people that I had never met before.
3. I know that I have to be approachable as an instructor and to be available for questions and interraction. I work hard at this and always try to have time for any questions or comments.

Are there any other CFIs out there who have had similar experiences? Or, am I just an A$$?


crazy.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Tell them that "You have to go to the bathroom", or "you have to go find your friend." Girls have been know to use those lines in bars to get away from people. Of course, I've never had them say that to me, riiight!
 
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