"Monarch Student" wrote in message
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[...]
So should I get a new instructor? Mine seems like a miserable human
being. If I was a bad student, maybe I could understand. But the
senior instructor that's flown with me on progress flights called me
"significantly better than average".

OF COURSE YOU ****ING SHOULD GET A NEW INSTRUCTOR!



Seriously though, I didn't even have to finish your first paragraph
describing your flight to know that you need a new instructor. There is
*absolutely* to place for abuse of any sort in any kind of teaching
relationship. It's simply not necessary, no matter how successful some
people may have found it in the past.

Yelling, profanity, jerking the flight controls, and hitting the student
have no place in the cockpit (unless you're under attack by a hijacker, of
course ). Get as far away from this instructor as possible, and if he is
working for a flight school, make sure that his supervisor and/or the owner
of the flight school are familiar with your experience.

Frankly, I'd say that if they don't fire the guy outright, you ought to find
a new school entirely. But I don't know what your situation is and I don't
know whether there are actually other flight schools around (though, in that
part of Texas I'd think there would be).

How much of a hit would I take changing instructors this far in? Does
asking for a new one (preferrably with some experience) label me as a
problem student with the school?

No, not at all. And again, you should make it very clear to the school that
the instructor is the one with the problem. He shouldn't be working there
at all.

If you went through a half-dozen instructors and still couldn't find one you
liked, that might be an indication of a problem. But switching once doesn't
even come close to suggesting a problem with the student.

In any case, it really doesn't matter how far into your training you are.
You stand to lose WAY more if you stick with this instructor than if you
switch and work with one that can teach in a respectful manner. I don't
know exactly what your instructor's problem is, but until he gets his own
issues under control, he's got no business being involved in flight
instruction.

Is it too much to ask, to be allowed a few feet into the runway if I'm
more comfortable with it?

That depends on the situation. But regardless of whether your performance
meets the criteria, it needs to be communicated in a respectful way.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm beginning to hate flying, which
is sad because I began learning thinking it would be fun.

It is fun. The only reason you're not having fun is that your instructor
sucks. Find a new instructor. Make sure that your instructor is making the
flying fun. If he is not, either explain to him that you need the lessons
to be fun or find an instructor who already understands that.

Learning *anything* can be and should be fun. A good teacher understands
this. But especially in flying, there's absolutely no reason that almost
every flight you make shouldn't be just a huge amount of fun. You're
FLYING!

Pete