Would it be weird to stay in touch with my instructor?

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Electronic-Pie-829@reddit

I stayed in touch with my instructor and he let me take a couple flights in the right seat with him in really cool planes that I would have never flown. A few years later I was taking a private jet for work and my instructor was sitting in the right seat of this flight. Kind of fun

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Capitulation_Trader@reddit

I’m not reading the comments. it would be more weird not to keep in touch. the community is tiny. fwiw

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Vivianvoss@reddit

It only becomes wierd if he asks you to touch his sidestick. And thats only the case for another year or a few depending on which country your in to which then ot becomes your legal right to willingly and with great happiness play and engage with his sidestick to the end of your hearts desire. So the people who said "its only wired if one of you makes it so " are very correct

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RyanZ225_PC@reddit (OP)

Theres a downvote on your comment but i pretty much fell victim to talking with an instructor who wanted to grab my sidestick. A guy with a questionable reputation who tried to find a job across the whole country (including my own flight school) and failed/got fired multiple times. That folks, is why you don't do shit like that and exist in a niche tightly knit industry

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AlexJamesFitz@reddit

"Hey, good luck at the airlines! I'd love to stay in touch in case I have questions down the road, is that cool by you?"

Easy as that. It's like any other relationship, though: Sometimes you'll actually stay in touch and sometimes you might not, but there's no harm in asking.

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RyanZ225_PC@reddit (OP)

We're both gen z pilots so he's far easier to engage with and learn from. Perhaps hes sick of the brainrot that comes out of my mouth sometimes 😅

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ISSnode-2@reddit

chat can we get 15 degrees flaps, boutta auramaxx on this landing bruh

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RyanZ225_PC@reddit (OP)

Oil temp? 67 holy fucking shit six seven!!!!!!

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a1kre1@reddit

Vy in a c152 you ask? 6 7

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Defiant-Employer-391@reddit

we on 61 now fam 💔🥀

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Mazer1415@reddit

Don’t forget the nearly mandatory reference from them when it matters.

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ThinImprovement2701@reddit

Do you have a crush on him mate?

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RyanZ225_PC@reddit (OP)

No, but had a past experience talking to an instructor who turned out to be a groomer/pedophile

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320sim@reddit

It’s only weird if you make it

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teamcoltra@reddit

Just send him the "Have you ever seen a grown man naked" Airplane meme. That should ease any problems.

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V1RotateAP@reddit

Ah, nuts.

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MattL-PA@reddit

Exactly.

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someFAsarecrazy@reddit

I still keep in touch with my first CFI.

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Si11y-g00se@reddit

A former student of mine is one of my best friends now. It’s not weird at all especially if you vibe during training. Many people stay friends with their old CFIs, I even went to my PPL CFI’s wedding a few years ago.

Also, you should also tell him you think he’s the coolest guy ever. Instructing is a hard job and I think instructors should know when they leave a positive impact.

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3Green1974@reddit

Absolutely stay in touch. A former flight instructor helped me get my first job (I stayed there 16 years). More recently, I ran in to a former instructor who I didn’t stay in touch with but who I got along great with. He retired but flies several antique airplanes around the country giving rides. And now I have .3 hours logged in a Ford Tri-motor.

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Ashamed-Charge5309@reddit

How did that feel compared to what you usually fly?

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3Green1974@reddit

Not too bad. It was just cables and pulleys for the flight controls. You could feel what the plane was doing better than with hydraulic controls. Honestly it was a lot of fun.

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always_gone@reddit

Nope, I’m in touch with several of my instructors and even more of my old students. I would actually call them friends, not just colleagues.

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ItsJustTheSmells@reddit

My instructor became one of my better friends

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Clunk500CM@reddit

It would not be weird at all.

But keep in mind, relationships are a two-way street; if you are the one who always initiates, that could be a message that the other person is not interested.

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Cyrene_tries_lmao@reddit

I still bother/pester my old private instructor either in person or over text even though she hasn’t been my instructor for months now lol. She was too nice to me, so now she gets to be bothered by me forever😂

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stuck_inmissouri@reddit

I’m at my current employer because the first person I flew with as an instructor worked here. He’s moved on and we still keep in touch.

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jetsetter023@reddit

No

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Oregon-Pilot@reddit

We are social creatures. This is literally what we do as a species. Given that fact, I don't think its weird at all - I'd say its normal and healthy.

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kevinw1526@reddit

I’m in my 20s, still talk to my instructor who’s in his 40s every few weeks. Grabbed lunch with him a month or two ago. No reason to never talk to them again when they’ve helped make you the pilot you are today.

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Apprehensive_Cost937@reddit

Nope, it's called networking.

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maethor1337@reddit

Adding on, re: networking. General aviation and amateur radio have a huge overlap. Every Wednesday night at 8pm I turn on my radio for the ARES net, in which I briefly talk to my project manager's dad, and my flight instructor's dad, among others.

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No-Series-3997@reddit

I really should get back into amateur radio stuff. Some friends got me into it in college, mostly for ARES type activities, and I've drifted away since, but it was always a good time.

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BlacklightsNBass@reddit

Sending memes back and forth is networking now?

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Diver_Driver@reddit

I mean it kind of is. Eventually when the time comes to ask for a letter of recommendation they will probably gladly write you one.

The best four day trips are with people who know how to lighten up and have fun (assuming they are a decent and safe pilot).

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No-Series-3997@reddit

Absolutely genuinely true.

I've written letters of recommendation and spoken on behalf of people to help them get jobs while my interaction with them over the last decade or so has consisted of us slinging the most unspeakably autistic memes back and forth. Some of my best industry friends are former students or instructors.

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poser765@reddit

Networking defined.

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Spaceman-C--@reddit

Not at all, I'm good friends with my first flight instructor.

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clarkmueller@reddit

Depending on what rating you're working on, you spend tens of hours sitting in close contact with your CFI -- certainly for private and instrument. Hopefully if you made it that far without firing them, they're someone you can stand to be friends with.

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Inflatable_Lazarus@reddit

It would be smart to stay in touch with your instructor. Networking is a huge plus for landing a job later.

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Optimal-Spread9712@reddit

Keep in touch with all your CFI’s and people you’ll meet within aviation, it’s all networking.

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makgross@reddit

It’s not weird if it’s strictly on a professional level.

It is if it goes beyond that, even a little, because you are a minor.

It’s best to include another adult in all communications.

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OrionX3@reddit

Not weird at all, I still talk to several of my instructors and several of my students. Always great to keep up with the their careers and have connections.

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phxcobraz@reddit

Not at all weird, in fact it's encouraged. It's good to have them around as a reference but also just someone in the same career path or hobby as you, and can understand your perspective on things.

I grab beers with my private instructor a few times a year, and my IR instructor is a great flying buddy. We do hangar parties at his place on occasion.

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SnarfsParf@reddit

lol I’m good friends with my first instructor and help him out with mx flights for his personal plane when I can

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netpropc@reddit

Do you plan on continuing to fly? Then you’re going to still need a good CFI for refreshers. Getting a PPL doesn’t mean you don’t keep learning.

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Seatown1983@reddit

He will probably appreciate staying in touch with you too, networking is very important in this industry, you never know how it’s going to go.

Also, I really like staying in touch with my students and seeing how their careers and life’s progressed. If he’s a great instructor he cares about your progress and will be rewarded too by your success.

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MattDamonsTaco@reddit

My primary instructor and I share the same birthdate (not year) so every year I send him a happy birthday note from wherever I've flown to recently. I'm just a guy punching holes in the sky recreationally and he's flying for SWA now and gets to live vicariously through me landing tiny C172s on grass strips in the BC of MT and ID.

We catch up over text every few months. It's unlikely I'll ever see him again as he moved to SWAs base in BNA and I don't fly SWA as a passenger, ever (if I can help it). The last time I saw him was when I was flying first on a work trip and he was flying non-rev and got stuck in the last row. We caught up in SLC for about an hour while we each waited for our next flights.

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Creative-Grocery2581@reddit

It should be perfectly fine

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SilentPlatypus_@reddit

I'm social media friends with several of my former instructors and students. Some of them are now my coworkers, because aviation is a small world. The instructor/ student relationship is a bit different from a standard teacher/student relationship because you're both at the beginning of the same career. He's a few years ahead of you, but pretty soon that won't matter that much and you'll be peers in the industry. Studying in context with him is just networking.

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Ok-Selection4206@reddit

The instructor that gave me my ck ride in an F27 years ago as a new hire at a regional became my FO 5 yrs later on a DC9 I was a captain on.

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RyanZ225_PC@reddit (OP)

This is a really valid point actually

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xxBoomerxPilotxx@reddit

I’m in touch with a couple of my instructors. Not weird

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tincancan15@reddit

Comments under this make me feel a bit sad. I've had 7 CFIs so far, to my knowledge, I didn't get along with only 1 of them. Not in touch with any of them, obviously except for the current one. Almost all of them felt like they ghosted me once they moved on to the airlines or moved on from the school.

But no, I don't think it's weird to keep in touch. I would have preferred to keep in touch with my CFIs myself.

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Diver_Driver@reddit

My original CFI had played a huge role in several jobs I have gotten over the years. Even wrote me a letter of rec for my current gig.

Definitely keep in touch with as many people along your journey that you can.

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pimbaman1337@reddit

Civilian and military aviation is so different. I dont even wanna see my former instructors painted, let alone stay in touch with them.

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sunfishtommy@reddit

Always good to have someone you can ask for advice. Or someone you can call when you need a second opinion in a tough situation. Someone who is not associated with your job.

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SirERJ-Driver@reddit

I’m still in touch with several of my instructors after 10+ years. Same with several of my old students. And colleagues from my last airline. Make friends, add people on social media, take phone numbers, it’s not weird at all. It’s just making friends and expanding your network.

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davisre114@reddit

My first instructor and I kept in touch every now and again. He was hired at a legacy airline just prior to covid and was at risk of furlough when covid hit. We just so happened to have a slot open at my 135 op. He came there through the worst of covid and we flew together for a year and had a blast. Now super close friends. Not weird at all.

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937OYE@reddit

Fellas is it weird to befriend someone you spent 100 hours shoulder to shoulder in an airplane with?

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PLIKITYPLAK@reddit

I've mentored and kept in touch with many of my students years after our last instruction.

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SteroidAccount@reddit

Of course not, you're packed in to a tapped out keg for many hours just shooting the shit and flying around. My PPL instructor was a good dude and I still talk to him all the time.

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LR_1986@reddit

Keep in touch! It’s good to have the support of friends with good knowledge in the industry, particularly down the road when you need the opinion of someone you trust.

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FratStarStallion@reddit

I still talk to all of my CFIs except my PPL one

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Pinknailzz69@reddit

I’m 58. Started instructing 20 years ago. I still have students get in touch. Especially after they survive an actual emergency that I trained them for. I have even worked now with former students who are themselves instructors now.

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AlexJamesFitz@reddit

You're an instructor grandparent.

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DDX1837@reddit

I got my PPL in 1998 and my IR in 2000. I am in touch with both CFI's. My IR CFI recently retired from Delta and I drove 6 hours so I could be on his retirement flight.

https://imgur.com/a/dyb0tsU

So no, it would not be weird.

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AlexJamesFitz@reddit

That rules, good on you.

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t0ny7@reddit

I talk with my instructor often even though I got my license over 2 years ago. She is still my instructor even though I don't take lessons often.

She taught me to fly my Cessna 140 when I bought it and later did my bi-annual review.

It isn't weird to keep in touch because you will likely need an instructor in the future for other reasons. Plus you are allowed to be friends. :)

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Dmackman1969@reddit

Think about how much time you spend with a CFI. Becoming friends happens.

I still talk with, fly and am friends with both of my instructors. I try to introduce them to all the guys and gals at my home base, both of them have found connections and even jobs through those connections.

I was super lucky, both my CFI’s actually enjoyed training and teaching. I was also obsessed so I always came over prepared to every lesson. I’m sure I was pretty easy compared to some of the folks in the pipeline.

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dinanm3atl@reddit

I routinely text with almost all of my CFIs that I worked with. One is still in flying club and do random stuff with him. Both CFIs that went to delta and AA I chat with from Time to time. And my first CFI flies jets out of same airport. I see her here and there. And text as well. Mostly aviation related stuff.

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Occams_ElectricRazor@reddit

Why would it be weird? You want to bang him?

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Rich-Cucumber-5821@reddit

This industry is small and you will likely meet again somewhere or one of you might need help getting a job. Always mind your manners and keep in touch with people.

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81dank@reddit

I’m still good friends with 2 of my former instructors. Flying is a cool and unique shared thing to make connections over.

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Visual_Trainer2565@reddit

I earned my PPL in 1999 and had beers with my instructor in the summer.

Flying can create some great experiences and friendships.

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fflyguy@reddit

Slightly different relationship, I was a training manager overseeing 100s of students for 3 years. I was commuting the other day, saw a student that I had managed waiting to fly their route and they called out to me, caught up briefly, then went on our way. That he called out to catch up made my day! Keep these relationships and check in every once in awhile if they meant a lot to you.

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PutOptions@reddit

I have a group chat with a couple of my former instructors. We will update each other with significant events or experiences. I'll send a stupid picture of me sitting left seat in a 37, 57, 67, 47, 320... and one of them will send back a photo of their walk around the CRJ.

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Impressive-Ad3348@reddit

Not at all. We love it! My students stay in touch with me. To us it means we did something right. Best wishes!

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Jwylde2@reddit

Not weird at all unless he decides to make it inappropriate.

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EvoProblems@reddit

I don’t think that’s weird. All my buddies keep in touch with their CFIs that are in the airlines now.

Dude, I even surf with my instructor and his kid multiple times a week.

Keep in touch, just don’t let him touch. lol

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illimitable1@reddit

It would not necessarily be weird.

It's fine to have adult friends as long as they act appropriately towards you.

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Is it weird if i asked him to stay in touch afterwards or something? I often hear CFIs connect with their past students but I'm a minor and hes an adult so maybe its different.

I would like to know your thoughts (maybe there are others in this same dilemma)

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