Finding a good CFI (certified flight instructor) can be tough andvery frustrating.
I often liken it to trying to find a spouse or a significant other.
Not everyone fits well each other.
If you don't jive well with the Instructor, chances are that you aren't going to be able to learn anything from them.
And let me tell you, being stuck inside of a tiny training aircraft with someone you don't like can be downright insufferable.
And by the way, you're at three or four thousand feet where you can't exactly just hop right out and give him or her the finger.
Well, unless you've got a parachute on.
Then, by all means, have at it.
When I was a student pilot, I went through four Instructors before I found one that I did well with; only to have him leave after about two weeks.
I literally walked into the school for my lessonthat day and was met by another guy who said he would be taking over as my new Instructor, because my old one got a new airline job.
No "goodbye".
No "see ya later".
No "hope life goes well".
No "don't crash into a lake"...
NOTHING.
I was blindsided and now here I was with this new guy.
To be nice, I'll just say that we only did one lesson before I went shopping for a new Instructor.
The Flight Instructor's Job Before we go any further, I think you need to understand exactly what an Instructor's job is.
An Instructor is a teacher first and a pilot second.
Many pilots and CFIs might disagree with me on that statement.
If you are one of those Pilots or CFIs, feel free to send me an email or leave a comment below.
His or her job is to teach and train you to become a proficient and safe pilot.
Now, I know that involves a lot of things; but that is beyond the scope of this article and quite honestly, that would take a book.
Oh wait, there is a book for that; it's called the Aviation Instructor's Handbook.
My point is: the Instructor's main job is to turn you into a pilot who can operate within the national airspace system (NAS); in a safe and competent manner.
The Practical Test standards, set by the FAA, are only designed to test over a sampling of the material you will learn.
An Instructor should NEVER be training a student only to pass the test! So if that's how your Instructor teaches, then I recommend that you find another Instructor! What the Flight Instructor's job isn't Now, I know that I will probably catch hell for this next sentence, but I am going to say it anyway.
Your Instructor's job isn't to be your best friend, (although you will probably become friends anyway) your babysitter, or someone to dump all of your emotional baggage on (this happens way too often).
So please, do the poor guy or girl a favor and leave that junk at home.
He or she isn't getting paid enough to listen to that.
I'm sure that you don't enjoy going to work and having to listen to that.
Besides, if it's something that's eating at you; you probably shouldn't be flying that day anyway.
And nothing will piss an Instructor off more than a student who shows up unprepared, with their mind not in the game, or complaining non-stop about something their spouse or Significant Other said or did.
So, if that's you, go see a therapist.
You aren't paying the Instructor for that; you're paying them to teach you to fly! Professionalism Many things can be said and many books have been written on this topic.
So, to spare us both a lot of boredom, I'll keep it pretty simple and straight forward.
If you feel that your Instructor isn't professional, in any way, according to your definition, then it's time to find another Instructor.
Don't waste your time on someone who doesn't present themselves in a professional manner.
Now, keep in mind, that many flight schools have a dress code.
Everyone that I have ever worked at did.
Some were more stringent than others.
At one school, we had to wear a shirt and tie (I can't even begin to tell you how much that sucked in the summer months).
I would always ask my students if it was OK if I removed it when we got into the aircraft.
Most of the time, they didn't care.
With some students I didn't even bother to ask because they presented themselves in such a manner that I didn't feel it would be appropriate for me to do so.
It just depended on the student.
Professionalism goes a lot further than how someone dresses, obviously.
Are they inappropriate with their comments? Do they show up unprepared? By the way, that's a red flag and you should be finding another Instructor and probably another flight school too.
If the flight school would employ someone like that, then you probably don't want to know what else they might be overlooking.
Just keep in mind that YOU are the customer and they are providing you a service.
They work for you.
So remember that when you are shopping for a flight school and an Instructor.
Instructor's Training All Flight Instructors are trained to a certain standard that is set by the FAA.
The FAA determines what the Instructor Candidate must know and also ensures that the Candidate can actually teach the subjects, as set by the practical test standards.
The Candidate must be a Commercial Rated Pilot, with an Instrument Rating.
They must be proficient to the level of a Commercial Pilot, but with the added bonus of being able to teach the material as well, both on the ground and while flying.
And trust me; many people are not very good at teaching, so this part of it takes a lot more work on their part.
Just because they have a little green card in their pocket that says they are an Instructor; that doesn't mean that they are a very good Instructor.
They may just be very good at passing with the minimums.
But if you pay attention, you'll be able to spot a good Instructor within your first lesson or two.
Instructor Retention Stick around long enough at any flight school and you are bound to see an Instructor one day; then without warning, be gone the next; off to that new and better paying flying job.
And if you're the student who just lost your Instructor, it really stinks because now you feel like an orphan.
Unfortunately for flight schools and their students, this has been the case for years and it isn't looking any better.
Right now, there is a Pilot shortage in the airlines.
To make matters worse, the FAA and Congress, in their infinite wisdom (read: they make no sense) have decided to make up some new requirements for Pilots, with regards to flight time totals, who want to fly for an airline.
What this boils down to is that almost every Pilot (who wants to fly for an airline) with enough flight time under the current regulations (the new regulations don't take effect until August, 2014) is making a mad dash for that airline job and leaving Students and flight schools high and dry.
So, keep this in mind when you are Instructor shopping.
Ask the Instructor what his or her plans are, with regards to how long they plan on sticking around.
You have every right to know what their plans are.
You don't want to be left standing there one day, like I did, looking for a new instructor because yours left.
Also, ask them about their flying background as well.
How long have they been flying? What is their student pass rate? These are all things that YOU SHOULD be asking.
Final Thoughts If you are new to aviation and you don't know anyone who is a Pilot, then you have got your work cut out for you when you start your search for the right CFI.
Just remember to be thorough in your search and don't settle for just any Instructor or flight school.
Go to other flight schools.
Find out what they are like and take an introductory flight.
The Introductory flight does count towards your total flight time and it will give you a chance to "feel" the school, their Instructors and their equipment out.
Decide what type of program you want to enroll in.
Part 61 or Part 141? It doesn't matter if you want to become an airline pilot or you just want to get your private license so that you can have a little fun and take your family and friends up; you owe it to yourself (and the rest of us, for that matter) to get the best training that you can.
A great resource that you may not know about is the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
They also maintain a site just for Student Pilots and CFIs, where you can look for an Instructor in your area and Instructors can find useful tools to help them train students.
You should also go and have a look at Let's Go Flying!, where you can search for flight schools in your area.
Each of these websites will help you find just about anything you can think of with regards to being a Pilot or becoming one.
If you have questions, send me an email.
I will be more than happy to help you and I'll do my absolute best to guide you in the right direction.
Finding the right Instructor and flight school can be tough.
But just keep looking and you will know it when you find it.
Having a great Instructor, which you are comfortable with, makes all the difference in your training.
Happy hunting!