Best Way to Say Thank You to CFI?

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OrionX3@reddit

Passing first try is all I ever asked for. And for most of my students, stay in touch. Keep me updated with your training and life.

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havand@reddit

One student gave me an iPod back in the day.

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Vast-Negotiation9068@reddit

I gave him $200 cash and didn’t fail so as to maintain his perfect student record.

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butterpig@reddit

A beer, or 100 hours of multi time. Your choice really

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justcallme3nder@reddit

A couple Benjamins would make me feel thanked. That or a nice bottle of Bourbon.

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CaptJellico@reddit

That's exactly what I got for my CFI, a nice bottle of bourbon (well, that an a nice Bulova watch).

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EnvironmentCrafty710@reddit

This. Do well. Keep doing well.

All other "gifts" are temporary.

Seeing your student out there in the world succeeding is permanent.

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SamSamTheDingDongMan@reddit

Had a student from South Korea bring me a nice gift box of tea from Jeju island. Absolutely love some good fruit tea so it was my favorite by far

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I'm working on attaching a microcontroller with a little display and a bunch of neopixel LEDs to our area's sectional; going to make it display the current METAR and have the lights change color based on VFR/IFR conditions. Hardware was pretty inexpensive, but a big time sink (mostly because I suck at soldering). Going to give it to my CFI after my checkride

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FilmScoreMonger@reddit (OP)

That’s rad! I think there’s a company that makes them ready made?

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countextreme@reddit

There are, but I'm using it to brush up my development skills, and the ones I saw were LED only with no display.

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FilmScoreMonger@reddit (OP)

Way cooler for sure (and more meaningful!)

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Ils20l@reddit

Stay out of the evening news.

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minimalrest@reddit

Seeing your student pass and move on to do more certs/ratings and bigger and better things is the best gift! It’s also nice when students keep in touch!

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minfremi@reddit

Text him/her a couple years later when you get your first job, and the next job… etc

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Sharklunch@reddit

I brought mine a truck full of beer.

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57thStilgar@reddit

A cigar and a drink.

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ltcterry@reddit

A nice meal.

Then do IFR - mostly at night and make the flights XC. That will be well appreciated.

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UnusualCalendar2847@reddit

Keep coming back

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JSTootell@reddit

My CFI is in his 70's, just instructing for fun. I think the best thank you was getting my PPL.

I was his last official student, he sold the 172 after that.

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chairboiiiiii@reddit

I treated my CFI to dinner with my family after we got back. It was quite nice

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Apprehensive_Web7108@reddit

maybe a nice card with gratitude for getting you to the point of being ready for checkride and some type of grocery gift card like others have said. That would put even some of my old problem students in my good graces.

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x4457@reddit

Come back for your instrument rating.

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FilmScoreMonger@reddit (OP)

Follow up question: how to politely inform your PPL CFI (who is also a CFII) that you’ll be going with a different instructor for that rating? (Which I’m already working on.)

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Severe_Elderberry769@reddit

Why would you switch if they got you through? They’ll probably continue to get you through.

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FilmScoreMonger@reddit (OP)

The vibe in the cockpit could be better.

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Vast-Noise-3448@reddit

Why say anything at all?

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pballer2oo7@reddit

Is nice to hear it from the student rather than just find out. Is nice to hear it sooner than later also.

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justcallme3nder@reddit

Just tell them you want to take different ratings with different instructors to diversify your aviation instruction and experience. It's a business.

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GaryMooreAustin@reddit

pay them well and promptly...based on time spent with you and not a hobbs meter. Buy lunch once in awhile - maybe if you stop on a cross country. When you're all done - maybe a gift card or a bottle of booze (if you know they drink)....

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F14Scott@reddit

Surprise him with a low transition to a snap-roll on takeoff.

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Gloomy-Act-915@reddit

Money

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stewtea2@reddit

I gave my instructor a water bottle that could fit inside his flight bag with his name engraved on it and those fine tip black pens that write nice in the logbook.

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Throwawayyacc22@reddit

Wait what pens?

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healthycord@reddit

I’m a fan of pentel energel 0.5mm pens.

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Suspicious-Lack-9132@reddit

Love these pens! I also like the 0.3mm ones, but those can be difficult to find.

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Throwawayyacc22@reddit

I’ll look them up, I use pilot g2, or sgel 0.5 or 0.7 I think

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healthycord@reddit

I find the pilot g2 writes really well but stays wet a super long time so it’s easy to smear. The energel dries very quickly in comparison and writes nicely in my opinion.

Pens are super subjective, and if you want to dive into the rabbit hole there is an r/pens because of course there is.

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mctomtom@reddit

If they are in a cadet program, ask them what type of jet they’ll be flying and get them a model of it. I got my instructor an E175 model of Horizon airlines and he loved it.

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fungus909@reddit

Beer money

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TheGacAttack@reddit

I bought my private instructor a bottle of good and unique whiskey, put it at the front desk of the FBO with a large card that read "thanks for getting me high."

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bottomfeeder52@reddit

everyone likes a v tail bonanza with modern avionics and auto pilot

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Working_Football1586@reddit

I never expected anything but I always enjoyed getting texts from them after I left when they passed other ratings.

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yyyairrr@reddit

You’re paying them

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AutomaticClick1387@reddit

Just say thank you lol. Why the hell are you asking Reddit?

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hohojesus@reddit

Passing your checkride and not crashing before another CFI signs your logbook would be thanks enough for me. It’s been 20 years since I signed off a student and I still get nervous that the FAA is going to call about one of my private students.

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reidmrdotcom@reddit

Majority didn’t get me anything which is exactly what I expected. Though I did get some gifts from various students. A nice plaid shirt. Some lunches (generally on some airport stop, when we had time we’d pop in). A pair of sunglasses. Gift card. Cash.

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