Selecting an Instructor
Whether you are selecting a school or an independent instructor, do some research before you choose. Ask other pilots what kind of reputation the school or instructor has. Sit down and interview them. Some questions to ask are:
- How many students have you recommended for a checkride? How many passed on the first time.
(At least 80% should have passed on the first attempt)
- Do you have plans to leave for the airlines soon?
(Most flight instructors are building flight time so that they can be hired on by the airlines).
- How do you structure training?
(Look for an instructor who has a plan. If he or she says “well we’ll do a little ground and go out flying” … run for the hills and look for someone who can tell you how he teaches).
Be sure and speak with several flight instructors before you get started. Select the one you feel most comfortable with, and go on a discovery flight. On this first flight, the instructor should let you work the controls most of the time, while explaining some of the basics. The instructor should seem calm, confident and friendly. If he does not communicate well in the cockpit, does not explain things, and doesn’t seem like someone you want to spend a lot of time with in the close quarters in the cockpit – move on. There are plenty of fine instructors out there.
Once you select your flight instructor, continue to evaluate how well things are going. If you feel that you are not learning from your instructor, discuss the problem with him. Let him know what problems you see, and let him know you want to try and work through them in the next two flights. If things still don’t get better, don’t be afraid to change instructors. Sometimes, even an outstanding instructor won’t be an outstanding instructor for you because the two of you just fail to connect.
Finally, it can be a great idea to occasionally fly with a different instructor. Everyone has a slightly different way to teach, and their own insights. If you learn from a school, you will periodically fly with one of the most senior instructors to make sure you have learned everything you need to at various stages in the program. These flights are called stage checks.
Remember, your flight instructor is there to teach you how to fly. He should be focused on that, and always on top of your progress. There are many outstanding flight instructors out there. Take the time to find one, but don’t be afraid to change horses if you need to.
Whether you are selecting a school or an independent instructor, do some research before you choose. Ask other pilots what kind of reputation the school or instructor has. Sit down and interview them. Some questions to ask are:
- How many students have you recommended for a checkride? How many passed on the first time.
(At least 80% should have passed on the first attempt)
- Do you have plans to leave for the airlines soon?
(Most flight instructors are building flight time so that they can be hired on by the airlines).
- How do you structure training?
(Look for an instructor who has a plan. If he or she says “well we’ll do a little ground and go out flying” … run for the hills and look for someone who can tell you how he teaches).
Be sure and speak with several flight instructors before you get started. Select the one you feel most comfortable with, and go on a discovery flight. On this first flight, the instructor should let you work the controls most of the time, while explaining some of the basics. The instructor should seem calm, confident and friendly. If he does not communicate well in the cockpit, does not explain things, and doesn’t seem like someone you want to spend a lot of time with in the close quarters in the cockpit – move on. There are plenty of fine instructors out there.
Once you select your flight instructor, continue to evaluate how well things are going. If you feel that you are not learning from your instructor, discuss the problem with him. Let him know what problems you see, and let him know you want to try and work through them in the next two flights. If things still don’t get better, don’t be afraid to change instructors. Sometimes, even an outstanding instructor won’t be an outstanding instructor for you because the two of you just fail to connect.
Finally, it can be a great idea to occasionally fly with a different instructor. Everyone has a slightly different way to teach, and their own insights. If you learn from a school, you will periodically fly with one of the most senior instructors to make sure you have learned everything you need to at various stages in the program. These flights are called stage checks.
Remember, your flight instructor is there to teach you how to fly. He should be focused on that, and always on top of your progress. There are many outstanding flight instructors out there. Take the time to find one, but don’t be afraid to change horses if you need to.
posted by Eric J. at 4:57 PM
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