Not for me?

[Counselor]

Flight training sucks and anything after that point sucks a little less, but a lot of folks still cant believe they get paid to putt around the sky in an airplane.[/

That's funny. Once you guys got to regionals did you ever look back and miss the flight training environment (either as student or CFI?).

 

[Roger Roger]

That's funny. Once you guys got to regionals did you ever look back and miss the flight training environment (either as student or CFI?).

I'm not at the regionals, but though I don't miss teaching student pilots not one single bit. The only things I miss about the CFI days are some of the cross countries we got to do, and the times we got to rent airplanes for our own uses ($100 hamburgers, approaches in actual, etc).

 

[Ajax]

I appreciate all the encouragement. I'm in the D/FW area so I don't have cool stuff to look at like ChasenSFO or all the Alaska guys...

Time for a cross country!

On that cross country go to SEP and get some hard eight barbecue.

 

[desertdog71]

That's funny. Once you guys got to regionals did you ever look back and miss the flight training environment (either as student or CFI?).

I don't miss the teaching in the aircraft part. I did like doing ground lessons though.

 

[Mike Wise]

I've wanted to be an airline pilot for as long as I can remember. Got the PPL back in high school and will be starting on the Instrument soon.

Today I went up to just practice some touch and goes... It was around 100 degrees out with gusting winds and lots of bumps.

After only 5 turns around the pattern I decided I had had enough an headed back. I didn't want to even attempt any other maneuvers and was relieved to land back at the home airport.

This got me wondering... Is this really for me as a career? Was it just a bad day? Was it the conditions?

Anybody ever get to this point early on in your training? This has kind of caught me by surprise.

BAD DAY. It will be worth it when you get cool views, like sunsets on clear cool days while en-route to a new location with friends or family, or even better..when you're getting paid some good money do it!

 

[KatanaHawk]

I'm not at the regionals, but though I don't miss teaching student pilots not one single bit. The only things I miss about the CFI days are some of the cross countries we got to do, and the times we got to rent airplanes for our own uses ($100 hamburgers, approaches in actual, etc).

I don't miss the teaching in the aircraft part. I did like doing ground lessons though.

I think the thing about instructing is that it's a different type of enjoyment, but it's not really flying. That's even the reason the FAA thinks you only need a third class medical: you're getting paid to instruct and sometimes utilize the privileges of a private pilot to keep from dying. You're not getting paid to fly. There is a lot of satisfaction in seeing my students succeed, but it's not the same as actually flying. Every time I "have to" demonstrate a landing or a maneuver or get recurrent training I get very excited.

To the OP, I second what everyone has said that it's probably just a bad day and keep pushing through. I've had my moments of wanting to quit, even took a couple years off. But I was never as happy as I am when I'm flying.

 

[JustinS]

Everyone has their off days. I remember one day before a flight lesson thinking "I've wanted to do this my whole life. Now I'm wondering if this is for me."

I decided I would only stop flying if in training someone told me I wasn't cut out for it. Never happened though, I stuck with it and received encouragement and affirmation every step of the way.

Here I am with almost enough time to make the jump to the 121 world. In the mean time I'm enjoying all the Multi XC trips and tail wheel instruction I'm doing.

I know I can't wait to move on, but at the same time I'll miss it.

And yes pattern work can be fun. I especially love pattern work in the Citabria.

The view is worth the hard work. I truly enjoy getting paid to fly.

 

[Roger Roger]

I think the thing about instructing is that it's a different type of enjoyment, but it's not really flying. That's even the reason the FAA thinks you only need a third class medical: you're getting paid to instruct and sometimes utilize the privileges of a private pilot to keep from dying. You're not getting paid to fly. There is a lot of satisfaction in seeing my students succeed, but it's not the same as actually flying. Every time I "have to" demonstrate a landing or a maneuver or get recurrent training I get very excited.

To the OP, I second what everyone has said that it's probably just a bad day and keep pushing through. I've had my moments of wanting to quit, even took a couple years off. But I was never as happy as I am when I'm flying.

Yeah, it was cool soloing kids and watching them get it but it wasn't cool enough to make up for dealing with all the other flight training BS like waiting weeks to schedule a stage check and having an examiner fail them for the stupidest crap (like not knowing surface analysis charts on a presolo stage check), having kids show up for VFR cross countries sans charts, or for night flights minus flashlights, or working 16 hour days eating PBJ and sonic/Whataburger to make 24k a year and share a house with 3 other CFIs driving a POS car (well the pos car part hasn't changed), or sitting on the ground because of weather you would launch a trip in but wasn't worth trying to do a lesson in, or a million other little things. Great experience, and I'm glad I did it where and how I did, but I don't have any desire to go back. My school was even advertising for assistant chief CFIs recently and I thought...nah, not even if I hated my current job would I go back to that.

 

[Roger Roger]

I don't miss the teaching in the aircraft part. I did like doing ground lessons though.

I liked teaching ground lessons but I got sick of going over stuff kids should have known from their classroom stuff. "Uh, what's a turbocharger again?"

 

[JustinS]

Yeah, it was cool soloing kids and watching them get it but it wasn't cool enough to make up for dealing with all the other flight training BS like waiting weeks to schedule a stage check and having an examiner fail them for the stupidest crap (like not knowing surface analysis charts on a presolo stage check), having kids show up for VFR cross countries sans charts, or for night flights minus flashlights, or working 16 hour days eating PBJ and sonic/Whataburger to make 24k a year and share a house with 3 other CFIs driving a POS car (well that part hasn't changed), or sitting on the ground because of weather you would launch a trip in but wasn't worth trying to do a lesson in, or a million other little things. Great experience, and I'm glad I did it where and how I did, but I don't have any desire to go back. My school was even advertising for assistant chief CFIs recently and I thought...nah, not even if I hated my current job would I go back to that.

Love the description. Fortunately though the pay has significantly improved, and our new DO does a great job getting stage checks scheduled in a timely manner. Those two things have made this place a whole lot better, but I definitely agree with the sentiment of the weather not being good for training but good for launching on a trip. Those days are always torture.

 

[ChasenSFO]

I appreciate all the encouragement. I'm in the D/FW area so I don't have cool stuff to look at like ChasenSFO or all the Alaska guys..

Sure you do. You can look at a major metropolitan and one of the worlds largest airports from the air, in any light, day or night. That's a lot more than most people can say. Don't take flying for granted, enjoy the view. Take friends with you, everytime you take someone on their first flight, it's very exciting.

 

[A150K]

I wasn't the quickest when it came to learning stick and rudder flying and there were lots of moments in my training all the way up though commercial where I wondered if I wasn't making a huge mistake. Persevere and you'll get through this stage and look back on it from a better spot.

I was the same way. The instrument stuff came natural to me ,but it took me awhile to learn how to land properly as a primary student and lazy 8's took forever for me to get down during commercial training.

 

[A150K]

I think you simply picked the wrong time of day. See if you can schedule early, and I mean EARLY. I flew this morning, taking off at 6:25 after the 6:18 sunrise, and got in four landings, six steep turns, two stalls, a tour of downtown, and I even overflew my house after the security company called to say the alarm was going off. It was smooth as glass, OAT was 72 degrees at 2,500' MSL. I landed at 7:25 and was off the airport at 7:45. I could see shafts of sunlight reflecting UPWARD from glassy farm ponds, made visible by the very slight bit of morning haze - I've never seen that before.

That's what I tell my students when it comes to scheduling. I'm one of the only instructors at my airport willing to show up before 8 am, yet few take my advice and continue scheduling 2 pm flights and wonder why it's taking them so long to figure out how to master the basics (around here, 2 pm between April and October=turbulence, heat and gusty winds).