How To Be a Successful CFI (Version 2)

[Flechas]

Good Job!!

Hey toy soldier, this thread is awesome, dont stop editing the first message with the new ideas. we need more people like you in flight training.

regards.

flechas

 

[Toy Soldier]

Flechas

Will do. And, thanks!

 

[100LL... Again!]

ToySoldier-

Sorry to throw cold water on this, but the sad reality is that all of this might make you a superb CFI, but here's the advice everyone needs to hear.


Here goes:

1) Network like your career depends on it. It just might.

2) Fly your butt off. Every .1hr you can get. Quantity, not quality will get you hired. NO ONE measures quality. As long as you can pass their laughably easy sim ride, you're golden.

3) Don't waste time learning things that enrich your aviation knowledge. Waste of time. You'll never get hired because of it.

4) The only value in being a safecon winner/wanker is the networking opportunity. Go for it if you must. Do not kid yourself that this measures anything significant. Two months into your career, it will mean as much as being Homecoming King/Queen.

5) Don't p*ss anyone off. You can't afford it.

Is this stuff true? I hope not. Trouble is, I just described many of the people I have seen make it a long way up the aviaition ladder.


I'll take a great CFII over a marginal airline pilot ANY day.

 

[hydroflyer]

100LL... Again!

You have obviously missed the point of this whole thread. Until you posted, ther really wasn't any mention to furthuring the CFI's advancement to a jet. This thread is for current and future CFI's who would like to be better and more efficient. Not everyone is in the masive rush you are to reach Comair or wherever it was you were laid off from. Fact is the industry is slow, CFI's will be instructing for a while before they move on. Rushing through and getting "Quantity not quality" as you said will just make it even more apparent you don't care about anything other than getting on to burning Jet-A. Now I agree that you should network and not piss anyone off. I would also say to fly at any opportunity that may come up, but don't screw your students to do so.

Now your #3 item I totally disagree with. Why not expand your aviation knowledge? What can it hurt? Unfortunately you user I.D and post both reflect a negative attitude towards all of this.

One final thought for the CFI's who are trying to be serious, think about this: You never know what kinds of connections a student may have. If you follow most of the advice in this thread, that may come back to your advantage. However, if you follow strictly what 100LL... Again! has said, you may find yourself contradicting yourself and wasting an opportunity. Just network, but don't piss anyone off.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Let me clear the air here, seeing as how I got a private message about my post-


I did not do any of the things in my post. I do not advocate any of the things in my post.

However, I have seen too many pilots use this formula to get ahead. It is frustrating to those of us that work hard to be as good as we can.

My post, while sarcastic, has a bit of truth in it, since I am sure we have all seen it happen.

I will say this, regarding the main topic of this post: It takes more to be a good CFI than it does to be an average airline pilot.

To the career CFI's who have always wondered what it is like to fly for an airline: Don't wonder, it isn't that great.

 

[hydroflyer]

100LL... Again! thanks for clearing up your post. I agree with what your last post said about being frustrated seeing people attempt to advance their careers like that. The most truthful thing is that it does take more skill to be a good CFI than a good airline or cargo pilot. Flying cargo is far easier than being a CFI, however I still wouldn't mind instructing some on the side in the future.