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Question on choosing a flight instructor

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jlowell

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Posts
15
I'm choosing a new instructor and looking at their qualifications. One guy has an ATP rating, others or at various levels....CFI, MEI.....they run the gamut.....but only one with an ATP. I haven't met any of them so can't say about personality and so forth.

Would you go with the guy with the most training.

If he has a crappy personality I can always make a change. :eek:)

Jim
 
Pick the CFI who you get along with the best. You won't need them to have a MEI if your just working in you SEL rating. A more valid question could be how much dual given they have. If you can try and take the CFI your considering to lunch. Good luck
 
CFIs

jlowell said:
Would you go with the guy with the most training.

No, I would go with the one that is the most professional. Doesn't waste your time or money. Enjoys flying. Has knowledge and knows it, just doesn't spout information out that they don't even understand.

I also agree with the above post, but make sure you are learning! It very important to have fun, but get your monies worth as well.
 
Last edited:
jlowell,

Just like doctors, lawyers, plumbers..............There are good ones and bad ones. The more ratings they have, the more they will charge. I would get someone for sure with CFII/MEI. ATP is so they can fly for airlines. The issue I always had was that many will only demand minimums be met in terms of precision, knowledge etc. So if you get a sloppy instructor who doesn't demand much from you, you will carry those sloppy habits with you. As I went on to more professional jobs, they really sharpened up my precision. I wish I they would have demanded that of me earlier. Also, get a guy who is good at teaching and likes teaching. Some of the guys think their mission in life is to be the next Don Rickles. You don't need that. If you are doing this for personal or business versus airline job, you still will be glad if you do it to perfection. I had a guy in training once tell me, "let's do a steep turn, 45 degrees on the bank, +/- 80 feet on alt is below average, +/-40 on alt is average, and +/- 20 feet on alt is above average. No one ever told me that when I was getting my earlier ratings but they should have.

Good luck, Check Six
 
yep....It's tough to know unless you just go up with them a couple of times.

I'm joining a flying club and trying to find an instructor who is not just trying to build up hrs to get somewhere else where he really wants to be.
 
Go with the one that is committed to instructing. Somebody that has been instructing for a while and shows a longer term record at it. Not necessarily an old-timer, but don't overlook one, either. What you DON'T want is the instructor that will drop you like a wet turd, in order to jump in some claptrap Aztec, cargo hauler job and climb the next rung on the ladder at your expense. If that happens, then you get to start the search process all over again, probably taking you longer and costing you more money to achieve YOUR goals.
 
UAL78 said:
Or tries to turn you into a flying radio announcer, either!

Play ATC with him for a few minutes. If he checks in "with you"...then you know.

All joking aside, it's who you're comfy with.

-mini
 
Shop around alittle. Shift instructors for your first couple of lessons and then pick the one your most comfortable with. Ratings, TT and other stuff like that really don't show teaching style 100%.

Remember though, no matter how good your instructor is, skills or personality wise your only going to get as much out as you put in.

Good Luck, its all a giant crap shoot anyway.
 

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