Switching instructors?

Steven Barnes wrote:
I think trying different instructors is a good idea. During my primary I had
a couple different instructors before I settled on someone who did a great
job & finished the private. He started me on the instrument, but due to time
constraints I ended up finishing the IR with another instructor. I could see
some similarities in styles & approaches (pun intended), but quite a few
differences, too. Made for learning different ways of looking at things.

Bottom line: Try someone new. If it isn't working out, dump 'em & go back to
your current instructor. This current instructor shouldn't have a problem
with you wanting to see different viewpoints on things.


"Dave Jacobowitz" wrote in message
om...

Here's a question for the group: I've got a flight instructor that I
work well with. I finished my private with him and did my entire
instrument rating with him. I want to start on my commercial (SE, and
then CFI, CFII, and later ME) and was wondering if there is any good
reason to look for someone new to train with.

To give some background, when working on my private I had some bad
luck. The first guy I worked with was a timebuilder. I don't even want
to say how many hours I had before I soloed, suffice it so say that I
was probably taken advantage of. Later, he got an job with a commuter
in Florida, and was gone. My second instructor, who soloed me probably
on my second or third lesson (hmm...) was a good guy, but he had to
relocate when his job at UAL went away. (he wasn't a pilot, but an
A&P).

Anyway, my current instructor is good. He's definitely of the
old-school mold: great stick, kind of irritable, smart, ATP gazillion
hours, nitpicky, occasionally absent-minded, has some strange ideas
about how the world does/ought to work He's one of those guys who
is happy to fly GPS approaches, but can't quite mask his derision for
pilots who "need to see the little airplane on the moving map." Of
course, we all know he has a point, but he's not the most politic
person in the world.

So, I get along with this guy, and I've done two ratings with him, so
the question is if there really is anything to be gained by finding
somebody else to fly with someone new, just for a different
perspective? Different style of piloting? I suspect that the answer is
yes, but is it worth it? What are the odds that the next guy I fly
with is going to be a flake?

It probably helps to share my long-term goals. I do *not* want to be
an airline pilot. I have another career, which, though not the stuff
of dreams, pays nicely. What I do want to do is get my CFI and have a
student or two at a time, flying weekends, etc, maybe have a part-time
income for when I'm "retired." Sometimes I think that maybe I could do
some corporate flying one day if I one the lottery first. (or my
company went IPO, which has seems to have similar odds)

Also, I just like to pursue ratings, because I enjoy the challenge and
the learning.

Just soliciting opinions... What do you guys think?


thanks!

jacobowitz73 --at-- yahoo --dot-- com



There is a cost associated with switching instructors. If you are
wealthy, this isn't and issue for you. But the real measure is whether
you are progressing at the rate you think you should, not only flying,
but learning how and why you do things (see discussion of juggling radios).

You don't have to switch instructors to get the benefit of another viewpoint. You can just take a few lessons from a different instructor while keeping with your old one for most of the instructoin, and you can pick up new tips and tricks that way.
I'd reccomend that approach, at least for starters.

Jose
--
for Email, make the obvious change in the address

(Dave Jacobowitz) wrote
So, I get along with this guy, and I've done two ratings with him, so
the question is if there really is anything to be gained by finding
somebody else to fly with someone new, just for a different
perspective? Different style of piloting? I suspect that the answer is
yes, but is it worth it? What are the odds that the next guy I fly
with is going to be a flake?

Getting a differfent perspective on flying styles (and teaching
styles, since your goals include teaching) is definitely very valuable
- potentially. I say potentially because not all perspectives are
valuable. It's unfortunate but true that most instructors really have
little or nothing valuable to teach other than the passing of
checkrides. Not their fault - they simply lack experience.

I'm not sure what your odds are of getting a flake (and I'm not sure
what you mean by a flake) but your chances of getting an instructor
who knows very little about real flying (as opposed to passing
checkrides - not at all the same thing) are very high unless you are
very careful. I recommend you discuss your concerns with your
instructor (trust me, he will recognize them as legitimate) and ask
him to recommend someone.

It probably helps to share my long-term goals. I do *not* want to be
an airline pilot. I have another career, which, though not the stuff
of dreams, pays nicely. What I do want to do is get my CFI and have a
student or two at a time, flying weekends, etc, maybe have a part-time
income for when I'm "retired." Sometimes I think that maybe I could do
some corporate flying one day if I one the lottery first. (or my
company went IPO, which has seems to have similar odds)

I know exactly where you are coming from - I was there, and I'm now
where you want to be. I'm very glad that I flew with a variety of
instructors rather than just one. Even very experienced pilots can
disagree on quite a few matters of technique, and it helps to see as
many sides of the issue as possible. On the other hand, I've also
flown with my share of low time pilots trying to be instructors.
Can't say I learned anything particularly valuable from most of them.

So basically, my advice is you should fly with other instructors - but
only if you can find ones who are worthwhile.

Michael

Hey, thanks to everyone who responded to my message! I got a lot of
interesting perspectives and idea. I think one thing I know for sure
is that I probably should start flying with more pilots in general,
not just/necessarily a new instructor.

Anybody in the Bay Area looking for a new flying pal?

-- dave