HAL
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 733
At the risk of starting some flames, if you are or have been a CFI, read the article in this link:
http://flighttraining.aopa.org/cfi_tools/publications/inst_reports2.cfm?article=5262
It says a lot about what many young people coming out of the 'RJ factory' type of flight school are like when they apply for CFI positions.
A brief excerpt:
... (She) had graduated 12 months earlier from Big Name Flight School with minimum hours, no teaching practice, and no actual flight time in clouds. But, as I gently tried to explain to her, that's not why she didn't land a job with my flight school here in Kentucky. Any blame for that should be laid directly on her instructors and the flight school for which they worked.
The article doesn't accuse the 'big name' flight schools of turning out bad pilots, but rather pilots that because of the airline focused ciriculum don't know that much about flying small planes, and the rules that govern them. And also remember; if you are going to these schools expecting to move right into an RJ, then a few years later into a 737, you might be right. Then again, with the way airlines operate in cycles, you might be furloughed from that 737 into a single-pilot job flying a Navajo in Alaska. Now what do you do? You don't know the first thing about single-pilot flying, or general aviation. You've hardly any time at all below the flight levels. Are you really equipped to do this? Or teach it?
I know a lot of people look at being a CFI as just a timebuilder job on the way to the airlines. But for just a minute, think about the people that are being taught by these CFI's. Is their training the best it can be? Do you as a CFI bring the best available knowlege to their lessons? Do you have their interests first in line instead of padding your logbook? Would you want to share the skies with them after their checkride? Do you have the knowledge and ability to be a competent CFI?
I was a CFI for several years before moving on to the airlines and found that despite the low pay and long hours, being a CFI can be an immensely rewarding job if you put your students first. But above all you must be ready to learn yourself what it takes to be a good pilot. You teach it over and over every day, and that will make you one of the best pilots possible. But if you don't know it to begin with, how can you pass it on to your students?
HAL
http://flighttraining.aopa.org/cfi_tools/publications/inst_reports2.cfm?article=5262
It says a lot about what many young people coming out of the 'RJ factory' type of flight school are like when they apply for CFI positions.
A brief excerpt:
... (She) had graduated 12 months earlier from Big Name Flight School with minimum hours, no teaching practice, and no actual flight time in clouds. But, as I gently tried to explain to her, that's not why she didn't land a job with my flight school here in Kentucky. Any blame for that should be laid directly on her instructors and the flight school for which they worked.
The article doesn't accuse the 'big name' flight schools of turning out bad pilots, but rather pilots that because of the airline focused ciriculum don't know that much about flying small planes, and the rules that govern them. And also remember; if you are going to these schools expecting to move right into an RJ, then a few years later into a 737, you might be right. Then again, with the way airlines operate in cycles, you might be furloughed from that 737 into a single-pilot job flying a Navajo in Alaska. Now what do you do? You don't know the first thing about single-pilot flying, or general aviation. You've hardly any time at all below the flight levels. Are you really equipped to do this? Or teach it?
I know a lot of people look at being a CFI as just a timebuilder job on the way to the airlines. But for just a minute, think about the people that are being taught by these CFI's. Is their training the best it can be? Do you as a CFI bring the best available knowlege to their lessons? Do you have their interests first in line instead of padding your logbook? Would you want to share the skies with them after their checkride? Do you have the knowledge and ability to be a competent CFI?
I was a CFI for several years before moving on to the airlines and found that despite the low pay and long hours, being a CFI can be an immensely rewarding job if you put your students first. But above all you must be ready to learn yourself what it takes to be a good pilot. You teach it over and over every day, and that will make you one of the best pilots possible. But if you don't know it to begin with, how can you pass it on to your students?
HAL
