CFI's: Don't think of the job as just a timebuilder

[NuGuy]

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

Heyas HAL,

I was wondering when this was going to come up.

I get the ASF Newsletter in the mail, and even though I'm not an active CFI, it ALWAYS has something interesting to read in it. The ASF is NOT filled with shrill people nor do they cry wolf. If they make public their opinion (which is what publishing this article on the front page of their newsletter is doing), you can bet they see a serious problem brewing.

I can only guess that they know the FAA is mulling over what to do about the CFI issue, and that they are trying to send out a subtle heads up on the issue.

Last time this sort of thing came about, it was in 1988, when the FAA's took away initial CFI authority from the DEs, and started doing them in house. At the time, they felt that there was a problem with candidates and people just "getting the ticket" for a brief period of time building. At first, the bust rates were horrendous, and was basically %100, and that was after waiting 3 months for a checkride.

This time, I can see the FAA going to a time requirement, changing the academic requirements or some other way to filter out people who don't really want to do it. In 1988, they thought the hassle and bust rate would deter those who wern't really serious, but this time they will come up with something else.

Nu

 

[HMR]

I remember my wife crying in the grocery store because we didn't have enough money to eat, again. I remember working 6 days a week to make less than $1000 a month. I remember driving all the way out to the hangar, only to have the guy be a no-show. I remember eating one bowl of cereal for breakfast, and one can of Chunky's soup for lunch everyday, because it added up to less than $2.50. I remember not having any insurance.

Good Grief! Where did you work? I was just going over some old tax returns- I made $40,480 in my last twelve months of instructing. I worked 6 days/week. What's with the Chunky soup? My students were always buying me lunch, just like I did for my instructors. I thought it was a tradition?

 

[nosehair]

This time, I can see the FAA going to a time requirement, changing the academic requirements or some other way to filter out people who don't really want to do it. In 1988, they thought the hassle and bust rate would deter those who wern't really serious, but this time they will come up with something else.

Nu

The FAA is incapable of "coming up with" a solution to this problem. They are comprised of old ex-military or airline pilots who do happen to have a CFI, but have little actual experience in the business of teaching. They just don't have the experience, even if they were intending to do someting about it.

And IMHO, they are not staffed to address the problem. Airline 121 & 135 Operations are their No.1 priority. General Aviation training s low, low on the totem pole. Even though we know that poor pilot training is at the source of accidents, FAA knee-jerk response to "fixing" accidents is to issue band-aid responses to percieved causes of the accident.

Even with better control of issuing flight instructor certificates, the real problem is that the job is percieved as a time-builder with no consequences to poor performance. Poor performance being "meeting minimum standards". There is no motivation (job security, benifits, etc.) for the instructor who is really an instructor. As a matter of fact, instructors who try to teach to a higher level of performance may be turned away from because the beginning student thinks that the FAA minimums are a high enough standard and the individual instructor is "taking them for a ride".

However, I am against FAA mandated "higher minimums" in general, because it punishes the gifted student, or the one who puts 150% into his/her training.

The responsibility is, should be, on the schools and instructors - but since the almighty dollor is the controlling factor....I don't see the government having any control of it.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

ATP q's

.....

 

[PC12Cowboy]

instructing sucks sucks sucks,,,,,,,,,,,yes but I have also made some great friends......and learned A LOT about teaching and listening

 

[SigAV8R]

Good Grief! Where did you work? I was just going over some old tax returns- I made $40,480 in my last twelve months of instructing. I worked 6 days/week. What's with the Chunky soup? My students were always buying me lunch, just like I did for my instructors. I thought it was a tradition?

I think the more important question is where did YOU work? Because a lot of instructors would jump at a job where you make decent $$$ and don't have to live on the Ramen noodle diet (which I'm still on from time to time). I also went through ATP in Dallas and we flew ACTUAL weather on a lot of our flights. Maybe it's where your location is, but in Dallas we did everything (even checkrides) in the soup. I think my time at ATP was when my scan was the fastest it's ever been because we actually flew IMC just about every other flight. But then again, I went through their program in the winter months (NOV-JAN) so there was a lot of IFR days.

 

[RedBeard]

Amazing... I've passed the CFI oral and discontinued because of weather. I'm due to fly next Monday, and after hearing all the crap about what CFIs go through, I just can't wait to get started. I look at instructing as sort of an internship. I expect to have a lot of fun, learn at least twice as much as I already know, and have the joy of turning someone into a pilot.

Sure, I could go back to running a computer business and make much more than I will instructing, but how much fun is that? I don't want to be a bitter old tool that worked a sh|t job all his life and never enjoyed his job or anything else.

Moving on...

The ATL FSDO is all in a huff to get a grip on CFI checkrides. They are pissed that people are going out of state to get rides so their solution is to do as many CFI initials as possible with 8 to 14 hour ORALS. I've seen a few of these happen recently and one of those sessions included two FAA trainees which resulted in a tag-team oral. The applicant said he now knows how prisoners feel when cornered in the shower. The power trip is obvious, the God complex is running amok, and their interpretations of the FARs and PTS leave lots to be desired. Business as usual for a government entity I guess.

 

[Goose Egg]

I would say that instructing mildly sucks, sometimes--there is actual work to be done, after all--but let's try to keep things in perspective. In my previous job, I was a 1-hour photo lab technician. I worked long hours for low pay, dealt with inferior equipment, and had to a resolve a myriad of customer concerns (most of which I had no hand in creating.) For me, coming from that job, instructing is the absolute shizzle.

Remember, every job is going to suck at least little bit. That's why it's called work. The notion that pilots are rock stars is one that we are best disabused of sooner rather than later.

-Goose

 

[ifly4u]

I never did mind about the little things....

I love how people with thousands of hours tell other pilots that they need to be the best CFIs they can be. I fully agree that pilot mills focused on jets at 100 hours are a bad thing, but let's not forget that being a CFI sucks, sucks, sucks.

I remember my wife crying in the grocery store because we didn't have enough money to eat, again. I remember working 6 days a week to make less than $1000 a month. I remember driving all the way out to the hangar, only to have the guy be a no-show. I remember eating one bowl of cereal for breakfast, and one can of Chunky's soup for lunch everyday, because it added up to less than $2.50. I remember not having any insurance.

I had some great experiences too, but like remembering an old girlfriend, lots of you fellow airline pilots quickly forget the bad.

Thank you. If being a cfi is so f-ing great then why does eveyone leave at the first opportunity? I'm sure some get more out of it than others but I get tired of airline pilots always wanting to wax nostalgic about their cfi days. It's like looking back on your High School days, sure the memories are all rosey now but I don't think there are very many people that would actually want to go through High School again. You always remeber the good parts and forget the bad, it's human nature.

 

[wrxpilot]

Thank you. If being a cfi is so f-ing great then why does eveyone leave at the first opportunity? I'm sure some get more out of it than others but I get tired of airline pilots always wanting to wax nostalgic about their cfi days. It's like looking back on your High School days, sure the memories are all rosey now but I don't think there are very many people that would actually want to go through High School again. You always remeber the good parts and forget the bad, it's human nature.

Don't forget about us low time guys too though. You have a 1000 hours??? You are a Jedi Master in my eye (~100 hrs). My only goal right now is CFI, and man would it be sweet if I was there... Not to say I have any intention of stopping there (I certainly don't!). One thing at a time, that's the only way I can manage my long term goals in this business. BTW I work in an office and am filled w/ dread every morning I drive in to work. I also made $50k last year. Affording groceries does not buy happiness either...