Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site laidbak.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!harpo!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!mhuxt!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!laidbak!jeq From: jeq@laidbak.UUCP (Jonathan E. Quist) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Advice on obtaining pilot's license Message-ID: <180@laidbak.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 22:47:43 EDT Article-I.D.: laidbak.180 Posted: Mon Aug 19 22:47:43 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 23-Aug-85 20:59:46 EDT References: <360@tektools.UUCP> <489@cepu.UUCP> <107@avsdS.UUCP> Reply-To: jeq@laidbak.UUCP (Jonathan E. Quist) Distribution: net Organization: LAI Chicago Lines: 75 In article <107@avsdS.UUCP> rlr@avsdS.UUCP (Rhode L. Roberts) writes: > Some flight schools have highly polished and clean new > aircraft with instructors who all wear suit and ties ( > $5000 ). > > Others have a rag wing champ thats seen better days and > an instructor in a T shirt. ( $1500 ) > > Both will probably teach you the ropes equally well. > > Most instructors who work for a flight school full time > and as their only source of income typically want to get > you into the craft, start the clock, get you back in as > close to an hour as posible so they can get the next stu- > dent on the clock. They really need to build the hours > for themselves so they can quit the school and get a cor- > porate flying job. No REAL intrest in what you are > learning. There are a few rare good ones out there work- > ing at the schools. ( my opinion ) > > The instructor who has a regular job and teaches in > his/her spare time is ususally intrested in seeing that > YOU get all of the REAL information DIGESTED. And also, > that you pass the written with high marks and pass the > flight exam with no fear ( hee hee ) and good comments > from the examiner. (There may be sombody at your place > of work who is an instructor, ask around, they usually > don't charge as much either as they get their rewards > from seeing you take to the sky). (sorry for the length of quotation, but I want to maintain context) I'd like to add a 3rd type of instructor to the list, although they're rare. My first instructor was a career CFI. To be distinguished from someone works as a fulltime CFI. Old Fred learned to fly his first Stearman before he learned to drive his first Model A Ford. Flew Navy during WWII, freight and airlines after, then looked for something more rewarding, namely teaching flying. His rates are higher than the local FBO's, but less than the big flight schools, and he is a natural teacher. After nearly two years of without flying, I started up again at a local flight school. After getting past being a little rusty, I started getting all sorts of surprised ``Where'd you learn that?'' from various instructors who couldn't beleive a low-time student who hadn't flown in 2 years could fly so well. Instructors like this are hard to come by, but if you can find one, it's worth your while. When I stopped lessons with Fred (I moved ), I asked him how to find another instructor. ``Look for someone with a few grey hairs.'' This isn't an absolute rule, but the point is valid: It's hard to beat experience. At the school where I've been flying recently, most of the instructors are quite young. They are all very competent, and each of those I have flown with are outstanding in various phases of flight training, but without exception I have been able to show them one or two things they didn't know because I had benefitted from Fred's vast experience. (When I last flew with him, he had nearly 12,000 hours logged as a CFI, plus all his military and commercial time.) Currently, I'm taking a month off. (The place I've been flying is one of the $5000 variety.) Next month, when my bank balance recovers a bit, I'm spending some time with an oldtimer with a 1948 Cessna 140 (a 90 horsepower taildragger). $20 an hour for the plane, $15 for the instructor, and more seat-of-the-pants flying than I've seen in the past six months. But, as Rhode has said, have fun. All the best, Jonathan E. Quist