Dear Instructors

M

meritflyer

Well-Known Member
Think about what you're doing before you do it.

Be it simulating engine failures on a twin/single, stalls, spins, reckless maneuvers, and irresponsible weather flying just to name a few. I am absolutely appalled at the limits (or lack thereof) that some instructors have.

Know your limitations. If you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with an aspect of teaching, learn it or responsibly turn your student in the direction of an instructor that is competent.

Being an instructor has an awesome responsibility. Don't impose upon your students your own inabilities or lack of. Don't fly by the seat of your pants.
 
meritflyer said:
Think about what you're doing before you do it.

Be it simulating engine failures on a twin/single, stalls, spins, reckless maneuvers, and irresponsible weather flying just to name a few. I am absolutely appalled at the limits (or lack thereof) that some instructors have.

Know your limitations. If you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with an aspect of teaching, learn it or responsibly turn your student in the direction of an instructor that is competent.

Being an instructor has an awesome responsibility. Don't impose upon your students your own inabilities or lack of. Don't fly by the seat of your pants.
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Great points. New students won't know the difference between good and bad habits so it's up to the instructor to make sure that they set a good example.
 
Along those lines, don't teach fear. As in," you shouldn't do more than a 10 degree angle of bank in MCA or you will spin and die". Or instructors whom never teach a student turning stalls (which is part of the PTS). This is mostly done because the instructors were taught to be affraid by their instructors... and so on and so on....

Also we have had students come to us whom were the victims of the "watch this" form of instruction.... We need instructors out here..... not time builders, whom could care less about teaching. Those who want to teach and are not "doing time" as an instructor....
 
juskl said:
We need instructors out here..... not time builders, whom could care less about teaching. Those who want to teach and are not "doing time" as an instructor....
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Well put!
I also want to add... to the 200 hour guys out there that do not want to CFI but feel like they are forced to. There are many other areas to explore before you may feel comfortable if ever to teach. These are the things that I have done without a CFI in hand (in order)... traffic watch, freight dog, skydive operations (careful on those ears), back to freight dogging, pipeline, and I would guess about 150 hours of riding around with guys I became friends with at the airport and other training areas. Anyhow, get a CFI to enjoy teaching people how to fly.
 
juskl said:
Also we have had students come to us whom were the victims of the "watch this" form of instruction.... We need instructors out here..... not time builders, whom could care less about teaching. Those who want to teach and are not "doing time" as an instructor....
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[rant] Nothing against you, but it really annoys me when people look at instructors as being one of only two possible types. Not all of us are time-builders out to screw our students over so we can jump off and leave them, or lifers in the right seat of a Cessna.

There are a lot of us (even on this site, I'd guess) that will leave instructing when the time and the opportunity comes, but do our best to be outstanding professionals along the way.

We may not be as good as the lifers, because typically they instruct because they like teaching and working with people. Most of us who aren't in this for the long term don't have that passion for teaching, but some of us work pretty darn hard at it anyway.
[/rant]
 
Then you are probably a good instructor and cool. I understand what you are saying and it is a very valid point. But you and I both know instructors whom don't like what they are doing. And it is time for them to leave. Sure we all have goals and dreams in aviation. But, tooo many look down on the job as a means to an end and can't wait to get the hell out. Unfortunately, it comes across to their students. That should not happen.
 
Roger said:
[rant] Nothing against you, but it really annoys me when people look at instructors as being one of only two possible types. Not all of us are time-builders out to screw our students over so we can jump off and leave them, or lifers in the right seat of a Cessna.

There are a lot of us (even on this site, I'd guess) that will leave instructing when the time and the opportunity comes, but do our best to be outstanding professionals along the way.

We may not be as good as the lifers, because typically they instruct because they like teaching and working with people. Most of us who aren't in this for the long term don't have that passion for teaching, but some of us work pretty darn hard at it anyway.
[/rant]
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i plan to instruct until something else better comes along BUT even when i get another job i will try to freelance on the side because i really do love it.
 
If you feel that way about an instructor it is YOUR responsibility to make your case known and to not fly with that individual again. If that particular CFI(s) are out of students because of their incompetency, then they should be out of a job and no longer pose a problem. These types of instructors will be weeded out. I agree full heartedly that there are way too many CFI(s) out there possessing the notion of "building time." Therefore, they allow the future CFI's to inherit the same crap and the quality of instruction plummets with every new wave. This should be stopped, I agree. But this business is very liberal, very grey, not as cut and dry, and as long as it is like that, there will be those kind of ppl milling around. It was always told to me by an examiner, "You want to attract a group of A holes? Hang up a friggin' windsock." "You don't have to go looking for them, they'll find you." Boy are those words ever so true!:banghead:
 
nocturnalaviator said:
"You want to attract a group of A holes? Hang up a friggin' windsock." "You don't have to go looking for them, they'll find you." Boy are those words ever so true!:banghead:
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Sheesh, why the self hate, are you not a pilot yourself? I do not understand this kind of attitude. Maybe you guys come from flight schools with a bunch of morons for students, and CFIs, but I would recommend any CFI at my school for a job with full confidence that they are competent pilots, teachers, as well as hard workers who do good by their students. (This is not true for everywhere I've worked however, some guys elsewhere really have made me cringe)

I do also believe it is 100% completely possible to be an excellent instructor, while being there to build flight time. I am there to make good safe pilots, who are able to make sound decisions about whatever mission they choose to fly after they get their license... so what if it's a stepping stone to whats next, that has no effect on how I perform in my job now.
 
LOL woah mucho take it easy! That quote is a mere ignorant joke (obviously not all fall under that category) some ppl get it, some ppl don't its cool if you're of the sensitive type. I'm sure your 100% gold seal material and God's next best gift to NAFI so smile! :D Now go home and get your friggin shinebox!
 
Sometimes humor is conveyed poorly when all you have to go by is text. Never have I called myself god's gift to aviation, I'm just trying to make it in this business, and be safe, nothing more.
 
All these problems go a lot deeper than the individual instructor. Although the individual instructor has the bulk of the responsibility, it's a system-wide failing as well.

Whoever trained the instructor on how to be an instructor should have done a better job. This goes in to the idea of schools needing to train for more than the checkride.

Also, whoever hired the instructor should have screened the applications more closely. Good management shouldn't hire any old CFI who applies. They need to make sure the CFI is the right fit for their operation. My philosophy is that it's better to be understaffed with fantastic instructors and have to turn away business than it is to hire the wrong people for short term profits. Even then, management has to be involved with the instructors to make sure everyone is doing a good job after being hired.

Also, the student should be willing to address any questionable areas with their instructor. It's not hard to read some AOPA Flight Training magazines and do a few Google searches to find out traits of a good instructor. Your instructor doesn't have those traits? Talk to him about it.


The main problem I see is that money talks. Schools have to stay financially competitive, otherwise not many people would want to train there, so they have to get people done fast. In order to get people done fast, they train for the minimum checkride standards.

Then, the sub-par instructors get hired by schools that don't really care to treat instructors well enough to get high quality, long-term instructors. Add to this a lack of involvement from management at many places and there is little oversight of the instructor.

Then, the student comes and takes everything at face value, or if they have a problem with the instructor, they don't bring it up for one reason or another, so it never gets solved.

It's all a matter of slipping through cracks in the system.
 
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