CFI FIA blog post #3

When I first meet with my new private pilot student, I would try and be as honest as possible with the student.  I would explain why I am teaching as a flight instructor, and that I love to teach.  My motivations for having the job are many.  I want to get paid obviously, and I love to fly.  I can build up hours, but this is secondary to what my objective is with each student. 

My primary objective with the student is to help them become a safe pilot and to love flying as much as I do.  In order to be successful in flight training, I expect them to work hard and be prepared for every lesson.  This will help them to train quicker, and use less money in the long run.  I expect them to complete the private pilot quizzes on Angel (if applicable) and to have looked over the syllabus to determine what we will be learning that day.  I also expect good communication.  I expect cancellations to be made with 24 hrs notice, or if in the case of an emergency or illness, ASAP. 

The student can expect me to have the same rules as he/she does.  I will be prepared for each lesson, and work hard.  I will communicate with them consistently, and will be available for questions, concerns and/or help at all reasonable hours.  If I have to cancel, it will be with 24 hrs notice.  In the case of an emergency or illness, I will alert them ASAP as well. 

I would also expect honesty to be prevalent in our relationship.  I will always be honest and try to be as un-biased as possible.  My interest is to help the student become the best and safest pilot possible, and would put all of my efforts towards that goal.  I would expect the student to do the same.

CFI FAI Blog #2

Today I'm going to talk about the difficult transition that happens when changing instructors in the middle of a rating or certificate.

I've actually been thinking about this lately, and feel that it is really important that the new instructor get a solid idea of how the student performs as well as strengths and weaknesses. If I were assigned a new student today, and he/she was working on a private pilot's license, there are a lot of things I would ask the previous instructor.

The first thing that I would do would be to take a very close look at the student's folder. I would make sure that the hours needed as well as the specific requirements for that stage were being met. If there was anything that seemed out of place, I would be able to ask the previous instructor questions before they became a problem.

The second thing I would do would be to sit down with the instructor, or at least have a good conversation with him/her to see how that student was doing. Specifically, I would ask about the level of preparation, dedication, and the financial status of the student. I would also ask if there were any hazardous attitudes, or any other unique concerns that I should keep in mind.

The third thing I would do would be to talk with the student. I would clarify what I expect him/her to do as far as preparation, and I would also look into the financial situation of the student. I know that when I was getting my private pilot's license, money was a critical part. If I hadn't had the support of my flight instructor, it would have been tough to go all the way through with my training.

In addition to doing these things, I would talk with the student every chance we got about ground topics. Instead of doing it in a more evaluational method, I would just converse with him/her. This would let me know what things I needed to focus on, as well as make conversation comfortable between us.

Hopefully these things would help me to transition the student smoothly, and he/she wouldn't feel like any time or effort was wasted.