Couple of questions about training

[timeoff]

The problem really is that they are blocking 3hrs as default if you are flying. It seems too me that regardless of what is accomplished 3hrs goes to him! I am not used to that kind of structure.

If you want to eventually instruct there, stick it out. From an instructing standpoint, it sounds like a good job.

 

[Gryphon]

The school is Windy city flyers, and i was charged the first time 3 hours of his time (75hr) which was mostly getting the paperwork for the school out of the way (admin)stuff. I am contemplating getting back into this on the professional level at 37 years old but i do not want to waste my money for time that may not be utilized to the fullest. The times you posted above are what seem more realistic to me like you mentioned. I am paying as i go and can afford to do that 1-2 times a week, but i do not want to get ripped either. Thanks for replying to my post.

Jetstar1

If they are charging you to do paperwork, i'd run, not walk from there... as was posted before.. thats insane! Sounds like a rip-off.

 

[flyer172r]

I used to work at that school, and while a lot of things have changed since I left, I know that when I worked there we'd put a start and stop time for the student and instructor, and the computer would automatically ask if you wanted to deduct 30 minutes on each end from the airplane schedule so you could do a pre and postflight brief. Example: I schedule a student from 1 to 4, and I would be given an airplane from 1:30 to 3:30. Now the numbers you gave do sound a bit extreme, so definitely ask them about that and bring up your concerns. There were good guys running the school when I was there but I don't know if they still work there. Personally I believe that if the instructor is providing instruction for 3 hours, he should be paid for 3 hours. Just make sure you're not being charged for time when you're not getting anything.

 

[nosehair]

Here in FL our school doesn't charge for ground, so if you block the plane and instructor for three hours and only fly 1.3......you only pay 1.3

I am extremely sorry to hear this insane practice of using an instructor for 2-3 hours and only paying for the actual flight time. Really! I thought that practice had disappeared.

That's one of the reasons flight instructors can't make enough money to support themselves, much less a family, so it goes on and on that there are no career instructors, just young inexperienced people who make the kind of mistakes that started this thread.

Of F**King course you have to pay for the paperwork! How do you think it gets done? For Free! The mistake is in the unprofessional instructor doing too much at first and charging it in such a way as to cause you to get upset about it. And it looks like you may be paying too much for everything, but that's a seperate issue.

The point is that all the time an instructor spends with you must be paid for, including the 'behind the scenes' stuff, such as paperwork and lesson preparation.

A professional instructor (experienced in these matters) will have his stuff together, and spend most of his time efficiantly instructing, and not 'finding his way' around the system, because this is is first or fifteenth time and he hasn't got it worked out yet. It takes a lot ot time to get experienced - just like learning to fly.

And it won't ever get better if we think that just paying for flight time and a small .3 ground. The instructor is there all day and only gets about 2/3's of a day's pay - on a good day.

 

[ChiFlyer]

I charge for the time that I am giving instruction. If I'm with my student for 3 hours and we were bs-ing for 30 minutes and I was giving instruction for the rest of the time then I charge for 2.5 hours, regardless of flight time. If my student thinks that's unfair then it's a reflection on me and not providing good enough instruction. (I haven't had one complaint yet) Paying $75 an hour for filling out papers that you could do on your own at home is ridiculous and so is being charged for the time that your are spending preflighting the aircraft while the instructor is sipping coffee in the FBO.

I agree that many flight instructors under charge greatly for their time and that is a shame, concidering how little we make already, but overcharging (especially charging for time when not giving any instruction) is not good business. If I want to bill for 3 hours of my my services then I make sure I am providing 3 hours of service for my student.