Hi Rock;
Good to hear from you.
You'd be surprised how often we agree :-))

I think a lot has changed since the old days when I was doing primary
instructing. I watched it change through the years I was doing nothing
but aerobatic instruction, then through my "consultation" years :-).
Getting a full time student from start to finish seems to be the
exception today rather than the norm. The old FBO's where you drove out
to the local airport on Sunday; found a CFI who had been at that airport
for a hundred years and signed up to take a lesson each weekend are
hanging in there, but becoming more and more rare as time goes on.
It's been interesting for me, watching this transition as I wandered
through the path of my career in aviation.
It's a much more complicated world out there now as you know all too
well, and the whole scenario involving learning to fly has changed a
great deal. People move a round a lot more; jobs change like the
weather; the costs have skyrocketed; lawyers and insurance have entered
the equation now,and CFI's have a tendency to be part time and
transient. It's a whole new world out there.
Frankly, I really miss the old days. There are still a few of the old
airports around where you can go and sit around the picnic table on a
warm clear Sunday afternoon with the same bunch that show up like
clockwork every week, and talk flying while everybody "grades" the
landing just made out on the runway a few yards away. At our little
grass field where I learned to fly, we actually had large white
cardboard signs with a 0 on one side and a 10 on the other side like the
figure skater cards. After some poor character would land, we'd all be
sitting there holding up the cards showing our "choice" for the score as
the pilot taxied in.
There's a serious training point that I could make here about all this
fun. That scenario I just described was also a learning environment. New
pilots learned quite a lot about flying during those fun filled Sunday
sessions around the old picnic table. I can remember many times sitting
there with a student watching a landing and getting a question that
changed the atmosphere immediately into a serious training mode. The
whole table would listen as the more experienced straightened out things
for the new pilots on something. You could see the learning in their
faces.
Yup...that ole table out there was the best classroom I ever had to
teach in! :-)
The 141 operations were different of course. We pushed them through
faster. We still did a good job, but for me, it was never the same as
that old airport on a Sunday morning with everybody gathered around
having fun and learning something every second they were there.

Sounds like you did a hell of a job with that "captive" student, and in
minimum time as well.
Have a great and safe new year Rock; I'm sure we'll be "talkin" again
:-)
Dudley




wrote in message
ups.com...
Dudley
We agree again g. I recently finished a student who is a rarity in
that I have been his only instructor. He committed to hit it hard and
steady and he passed his PP check ride with a total of 41.3 hours when
he walked in to take it. He flew 3 times a week, got a 98 on his
written and the DE said he was a delight to fly with and no weak areas
except in maintenance paperwork. Was fuzzy on AD vs service bulletin
vs
regular entries in the logbooks. He took roughly 3 months with a few
weather interruptions like Hurricane Ivan, and spent just under $5000
all inclusive with headset and other pilot tools.
He is the first student I have had "captive" in many years. As a Chief
Instructor at a number of schools, nearly all the students had been
exposed to a variety of instructors and I did phase checks as well as
standardization rides for my CFI's.
I have often recommended a student fly with another CFI to see if
there
was an area or presentation that was better for that student.
Sometimes
it was just personality that made a difference. My own style is pretty
relaxed, low key, and demanding as hell. I have high standards of
performance for those I choose to fly with or give instruction to and
am relentless in demanding they meet those standards.
But, as you know, I am one of those pilots who has been everywhere and
done nearly everything of interest to guys like us.
Best personal regards and best wishes for a successful and healthy New
Year to all.
Ol Shy & Bashful