Aerodynamic Balance

[nosehair]

there's a big difference between 1000 hours of experience and one hour of experience repeated 1000 times, I tend to start discounting dual given after 1000 hours or so

I used to think that same thing...back in the few thousand hour level...but now I see another level of knowledge and experience begins to appear when you have many, many thousands of hours of repeating.

For one, repeating the same exact thing will get to you...break it up, mix it up, spin it up, teach to the student - not to the lesson. Make the lesson work for you - not you work for the lesson. Burn out occurs when you keep doing the same thing over and over and over and ov...well, you get the point...

After a while you begin to get it that you can continue the experience long after the thrill is gone....

 

[ePilot22]

I love the advice! It's much more than I expected when I posted the question, but now I have another situtation. I earned my CFI/I in Oklahoma and all my other ratings in Denver (where I live, PPL, INST, COMM-ASEL) but I now have a job offer in NJ. 2000 miles from home. 0 dual given. I have never been on the northeast coast so the lifestyle and things are a big change. The nice thing so far is the varity of experience. From high altitude - no actual in Denver to low altitude and a lot of actual in Oklahoma to NJ and what the east coast has to offer. The pay is not great and with around 700hrs in a year (part 61 with recommend Jepp syllabus), but it's more than what I've got in Denver, in fact my home FBO is not happy I went to Oklahoma to do the CFI/I. What do you guys/girls think? Thanks!

Tom

 

[Pilot_Ryan]

You really have to move for a flight instructor job? Well, if you wanted to move anyway, I could understand. But generally CFI jobs should not be THAT hard to come by in your local area, unless you're in a really weird spot (you're not.) I'd be careful about moving just for a temporary job like CFI.

 

[Flechas]

Congrats on passing your ride man!!!

I agree with the above posters, I had a great time instructing and learned a lot.

Some advice:

- Don't milk your students, not even when you only have a couple. Instead try to build a good reputation, that will get you a lot more students, it's a snowball effect.

- Take at least a day off every week, you will need it (I wish a had done this).

- Always keep studying and learning

- When a student has a question that you don't know, tell the truth and LOOK IT UP, don't just ask around, a lot of the information flying around, someone made it up or assumed it was the answer.

- Have lots of fun!!

Best of luck finding a job!

Flechas

 

[ePilot22]

Love the advice! Keep it coming! The real problem with Denver is a high CFI market and low student base. One student flying twice a week and I'll starve to death before they solo! Or I'll overwhelm them with technical knowledge, their eyes will glaze over and I'll never see them again. My flight club isn't happy I left to do my CFI/I at another location and they're not really interested in hiring me because of it. It sucks because I did my PPL,INST, and COMM ASEL with them. I love the Denver area but moving to another location is great experience. Thanks again, you all have given me more than I could have asked for!

Tom

 

[Lead Sled]

I used to think that same thing...back in the few thousand hour level...but now I see another level of knowledge and experience begins to appear when you have many, many thousands of hours of repeating...

That may indeed be true for some instructors, but I've yet to see it and I've been a CFI for 30 years. As a working corporate chief pilot and flight department manager what I have seen, time and time again, is high-time (up to 7,000 hours of dual given) CFIs who can't make it in the "real world". It doesn't matter if they've jumped through the hoops to get a type-rating or two (or three or four), if they don't have the practical experience of dealing with weather, ATC, etc they're going to be behind the "power curve" if you know what I mean. When you climb into the cockpit with a 5,000 hour pilot you expect to have a certain amount of experience and background. High time CFIs can fly and explain the various training manuevers; they can quote you day in and day out what the various FAA books say about weather, ice, etc. but they often don't have the "hands on", "real world" experience that you must have to suppliment all of that book learning. Put those guys in a cockpit when you've got some serious IFR flying to do and they're propbably not going be able to contribute at the level of your expectations.

'Sled