Starting program for PPL, what are signs of a good or bad instructor?
Posted by throwingitanyway@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Posted by throwingitanyway@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Only-Figure4829@reddit
If they brief the flight before getting in the plane, and debrief the lesson after the flight, that’s a really good sign. If they take notes during the flight, they’re way ahead.
Green Flags: -Thorough debriefs -They let you make mistakes…..to an extent -If they don’t know something, they’ll tell you & look it up for you or teach you how to look it up
Red Flags: -They get frustrated easily -They rush you -They’re more worried about their logbook than yours -They’re texting in flight or not paying attention
I’ve had both amazing flight instructors, and absolutely terrible ones. Mostly if you’re progressing in your training and you mesh well, then you’ve got a good instructor for you.
Everyone teaches different, so you can help by asking lots of questions (especially “dumb” ones). If they’re explaining it a way that doesn’t make sense, ask them to show you in a different way. Most instructors do a great job and try their best to teach well.
stickJ0ckey@reddit
Always telling you you are doing things wrong
Instruction differs from session to session (eg approaching at 60kts is wrong, you should do it at 57, but later when you're doing it at 57 it's also wrong because you should have done it at 55 or 60kts)
Continuously saying you need to purchase more flight hours
Lack of composure
Dismissing / Not being able to answer legitimate questions
DrScienceSpaceCat@reddit
When I was in college I was in a 141 school, I was still timid and fresh out of highschool, in hindsight the instructor I had was abysmal and if I had him now I would have definitely put my foot down on being told "another instructor wasn't available." Dude berated me if I did something wrong, like he's correct me but he'd just kind of talk down to me, whenever I wasn't "aggressive enough (?)" with the controls he'd always say "are you a girl/you fly like a girl" to tell me to put more into the controls which there's certainly a better way to go about that. Multiple times he'd jerk my arm or hand around.
There was also a time where he yanked my prescription sunglasses off too because he thought they were interfering with me seeing something (they weren't), but to his credit I wore contacts most days and had taken my sunglasses off before, he did end up apologizing for that one but I feel like he shouldn't be yanking things off my face.
I'm sure I had done things wrong that required some correction but I felt like he never went about it a good way. I did have a different flight instructor a few times and I actually the school was trying to see how I did with a different instructor and to no superise I actually did better which both instructors told me. Unfortunately that instructor was leaving for another job shortly after so I never got to do anything else with him.
At this point my instructor, myself, and the college knew it wasn't a good fit and agreed I was learning and doing better with other instructors, however I was told no other instructor was available and said I either needed to deal with my current one or leave the program. I had wanted to fly for years so I tried to tough it out with the same dude but it ended up not working and I ultimately left the program which was unfortunate because I was close to soloing for the first time. There were other personal problems I had with the instructor that don't pertain to flying but looking back I definitely should have been more assertive with not wanting to pay money to a dude like that.
That was a little over 12 years ago with a little over $12k that some felt like a waste because I genuinely wasn't being taught or learning anything with that instructor, but I'm starting up again with a 61 school soon.
Otherwise screw you Liberty University because I feel like that dude shouldn't have been there.
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
He’s probably an airline captain still making people’s lives miserable.
DrScienceSpaceCat@reddit
Last I saw on his Facebook he is working for the airlines, for what it's worth I'm glad the dude ended up where he wanted and I don't hold any ill will towards him, I just wish I was paired with a different CFI a decade ago.
bulld0gsppr@reddit
jesus, what a bad instructor, sorry that you had to deal with that
TxAggieMike@reddit
The good ones…
… make learning interesting and fun
… learn your personality and adapt to your way of learning.
… demonstrate that they care about you and your success.
… are willing to take extra steps at their expense to ensure your success.
Put your success ahead of their own career ladder climb.
… are willing to take your phone call in the evening when the chapter your studying doesn’t make sense and you need an item explained.
There is more but this is a good start.
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
The Ideal CFI.
RevolutionaryRun7744@reddit
Eagerness to tell you how “you’re doing it wrong”, followed by little to no attempt to find a way for YOU to do it right. Any sign of frustration from their end when you make a mistake is a big red flag.
Icy-Bar-9712@reddit
Clarifying your response just a touch:
Any time there is a problem or thing you are struggling with where the issue is dealt with the exact same way every time, that's a bad instructor.
Adaptation is a critical skill for a cfi
blindpylote@reddit
What about when you spend 3 entire lessons just trying to change airspeed without changing altitude? Is the instructor allowed to get frustrated then? Or when you are trying to do power off stalls with a 440 hr Cpl student you just got from another instructor and they snap roll your 172 because they don’t know what the rudder is for?
zerotosixty3_5@reddit
Your job is to teach. If you cannot teach properly find a different way to earn your hours. Not everyone is meant to teach, especially in a cockpit.
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
No. Maintain Composure.
Av8torryan@reddit
There isn’t really- some good instructors might not match your learning style and makes them not a great instructor
I_Follow_Roads@reddit
Make sure they have a syllabus for the course of instruction, and a plan going into each lesson. If you don’t have a plan, there’s nothing propelling you toward a checkride and you might end up getting stuck or working on perfecting one little thing forever. You also need to ensure that your schedules align such that you are flying at least twice a week through your training. You could fly once a week for the rest of your life and never be ready for a checkride (my personal experience. YMMV)
Anixton@reddit
Not really black and white. But me personally if I don't see myself 'having a cold one' with them then our personalities aren't compatible. If you are able to befriend them outside of Aviation then theyre more likely to actually look-out for you as more of a platonic-friend way rather than "I'm just doing this because I want hours/money".
This is assuming that they know how to instruct, if the criteria above is met but they can't actually teach/know the material then the above is obsolete; if they're a competent CFI then that's the advice I'd give. Try to keep them for the rest of your training if feasible.