Flight Training Question

nkoenig

nkoenig

New Member
I was wanting to get anybodys opinion on this. I just started working on my PPL and I like my instructor but i work from
8-5 M-F and he wont work before 8 or after 5 so that leaves weekends, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif anyways his weeks book up about 2 weeks in advance and I was wanting to fly at least twice a weekend to get this done so my question is... Would it be smart to use different instructors at this school or stick with one? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
I actually liked working with multiple instructors. Everyone has a different teaching style and everyone learns a little differently. Put that together and you learn a lot of stuff, and that's what counts, right?

You can use this guy as your main instructor, and then use other guys to fill in when he's not available. You'll learn from all of them.
 
I've got a student like that right now, where there are 2 of us flying with him. He flies with one instructor Mon and Wed, but then on Fridays when the other instructor is off, he flies with me. It works out well, and like was said above, it gives 2 different perspectives and 2 teaching styles. Great job getting started on that PPL, see it through the end! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Interesting, the use of 2 instructors for scheduling reasons. ( I actually liked instructing at night and did it almost exclusively for a while, with instrument students who were unavailable most days. But that's a different topic.) I haven't instructed in a while, but seems there might be a need for the 2 instructors to talk to each other a little, at least. Or make more thorough notations than usual. For example, you might do something a certain way or fly a certain way on one flight, and the next time out, your instructor will be watching for you to either repeat or not repeat that conduct or whatever. Knowing your strengths is good, too, as instructor can use those as well. A simple logbook entry or even numerical or letter grading of maneuvers on a syllabus/lesson plan might not be enough to insure continuity from one lesson to the next.
 
I would use instructors at your disposal in order to possibly find a different instructor whose schedule is more conductive to your own schedule. Remember it's your money; since you're paying you don't have to fall into the servitude this instructor's schedule. If the instructor wants you as a student badly enough s/he might become more flexible in the scheduling for you.

Address the issue with your current instructor to see if a solution can be worked out to accomodate you, since you have a good repetoire, but don't let anything get in the way of what your goals are and how quickly you want to get there.

-mox
 
Well, sounds like you're going to have to use two instructors if you want to stay with this guy. There are night requirements in the PPL, and unless you're in Greenland I don't think the sun sets before 5 PM.

That being said, I almost ALWAYS used two or more instructors. I had a main instructor, and some guys I went up with the get a different perspective/teaching style. A lot if times if I was "stuck" on something (normally something to do with landing), one of the other guys could show or tell me something that would make it click.
 
The only thing I'd add to the discussion is that if you are using two instructors regularly (rather than as a once-in-a-while change of pace) the two need to coordinate with each other and their styles need to be somewhat completemtary. There are a variety of differences in the way pilots fly and the way CFIs teach, and it doesn't help training efficiency if, for example, you have to do the landing pattern differently every other lesson. Most of us have trouble learning to land one way.
 
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