Frustrated Student Pilot About to Quit

Finding another CFI isn't terribly difficult. As with other things, you
just have to know where to look.
The FAA online database is one. Another would be to call or email the
FSDO for your are and ask them to send you a list.
A third source is the National Association of Flight Instructors. Go to
the EAA website and find the link to NAFI.
Once you obtain some names, you can GOOGLE (or ANYWHO) for telephone
numbers.
Call them directly and explain your situation. Ask if they would be
willing to take you on. Some will probably have their own aircraft that
they would prefer to use.
Be creative and stick with it. You will not regret it.

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I did check as to freelance CFIs in
this region, one is in Florida 8 months out of the year (gee I wonder
why) and not highly recommended, the other had his med certificate
pulled, and the other is well, on good information, a drunk so to
speak, and wouldnt have access to a plane. I also checked the other
airport 65 miles from here, a few I talked to were disappointed with
their flight instruction there. The next closest ga instruction is 90
miles. College and post grad were closer, and yes I want to fly, but
what preposterous conditions, its just not a reasonable sacrafice for
me. I guess it is different in the big city.

I drove to the airport this am to submit my "resignation" and I did
give the reasons, while looking at them trying to handprop one of the
training planes. I was such an excellent student, what a
disappointing surprise blah blah blah, they dont get it and never
will. And if I were to get my PP certif., I would be likely flying
out of that place anyway.

I am giving my flight bag with the books, videos, kneeboard and
headset to my nephew down south, if he wants them, perhaps he will
have more enjoyable circumstances than i encountered when he is old
enough to fly.

I learned a lot and progressed better than I imagined, and enjoyed the
very few good days. I never thought I could learn to control and land
an airplane unassisted, but I did. The fact that i could at least do
that is pretty cool.

I drove out after my "resignation" in a developing whiteout, knowing
that the coming 3 or 4 days of low IFR left me confident that learning
to fly is not practical in these parts, as the headlights of my former
CFI were turning into the airport, 45 minutes late.

The best of luck to the rest of you who have better circumstances and
the opportunity to find it rewarding.

The best of luck to the rest of you who have better circumstances and
the opportunity to find it rewarding.

Another one bites the dust.

Too depressing.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Wow. What a depressing thread :-(
I never would have thought (with GA businesses scrambling to earn and save
every nickel) that they'd let such a promising student slip away . . . or more
accurately DRIVE a student away.
THAT SAID,
If you *really* want to fly as much as it appears you do, you cannot let
setbacks like yours do more than DELAY your progress. It's on YOU to change
your circumstances.






www.Rosspilot.com

If you *really* want to fly as much as it appears you do, you cannot let
setbacks like yours do more than DELAY your progress. It's on YOU to
change
your circumstances.

I smell something not quite right in this whole story. In my experience,
people who quit when they are this far along have run up against something
deeper.

Either this guy discovered that flying isn't what he really wants to do with
his money, or he has run up against a quiet inner fear of soloing. I think
we all experienced the latter, to one degree or another, and fought our way
through it to success.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

If you *really* want to fly as much as it appears you do, you cannot let
setbacks like yours do more than DELAY your progress. It's on YOU to
change
your circumstances.

I smell something not quite right in this whole story. In my experience,
people who quit when they are this far along have run up against something
deeper.

Either this guy discovered that flying isn't what he really wants to do with
his money, or he has run up against a quiet inner fear of soloing. I think
we all experienced the latter, to one degree or another, and fought our way
through it to success.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.

Having a hard time relating on this one, Jay . . . maybe because I was trained
in the military, I was frothing at the bit to solo in that little TH-55a . . .
those in my flight class were kinda betting on who would be first . . . I was
among the last :-(

I agree that there may be a little more to the story, but the CFI being
perpetually THAT tardy is inexcusable in my judgement. He needs a swift kick
in the ass. G


www.Rosspilot.com

ospam (Rosspilot) wrote:

I agree that there may be a little more to the story, but the CFI being
perpetually THAT tardy is inexcusable in my judgement. He needs a swift kick
in the ass. G

I've flown with CFI's who taught for free in a club setting,
and CFI's who were paid peanuts and spent three times what
they earned flying their twin in to the airport before the
lesson, and CFI's who were grandmothers, and CFI's who were
just friends of mine and flew with me when we were both on
the airport and we both had time to spare. The one thing
that the CFI's I've flown with shared was a love of flying
and a desire to share that love. When they were late, it
wasn't because they didn't care or couldn't be bothered to
arrive on time. If that's what was going on, I'd have
ditched the instructor too, but not my desire to fly.

Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
Make a commitment to learn something from every flight.
Share what you learn.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.

Having a hard time relating on this one, Jay . . . maybe because I was trained
in the military, I was frothing at the bit to solo in that little TH-55a . . .
those in my flight class were kinda betting on who would be first . . . I was
among the last :-(

I just couldn't wait to get that guy out of the front seat. I dreamed
about it at night. I pretended he wasn't there (pretty difficult
flying from the back seat of a J-3). I went to the airport each time
*knowing* he would solo me that day.

All I remember from the experience was the glorious feeling of being
able to see without a sheepskin flying jacket in the front seat.

Now, the *next* day, my first day going down and renting a plane and
taking off alone -- *that* was a terrifying experience. For one thing,
there was six inches of snow on the ground.



all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

No, sorry, you are wrong, have had much less fear and axiety about
flying than I thought I would.. It is more of a feeling of being
driven away, as the other gentleman pointed out in his post, and of
investing so much more time and money in such a screwed up business in
something that when it works is an enjoyable challenege, but lacks so
much practicality in this part of the world for much of the year. I
truly wish it were different, and i have now put my frustration to an
end, but believe what you want.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:pKRPb.123597$xy6.429769@attbi_s02...
If you *really* want to fly as much as it appears you do, you cannot let
setbacks like yours do more than DELAY your progress. It's on YOU to
change
your circumstances.

I smell something not quite right in this whole story. In my experience,
people who quit when they are this far along have run up against something
deeper.

Either this guy discovered that flying isn't what he really wants to do with
his money, or he has run up against a quiet inner fear of soloing. I think
we all experienced the latter, to one degree or another, and fought our way
through it to success.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of flight students quit before soloing due
to a fear of being alone at the controls for the first time.

Check out AvWeb databases. I know they have a list of A&Ps,
and all certificated pilots. It's really just a copy of the
FAA's list, so take your choice.

www.avweb.com/databases/airmen.html

Search for your state and find a list of CFIs. Ask them
to visit you at the airport and talk about using them as a
CFI instead of whatever you've got now.

Some CFIs teach using their own aircraft, so that may be
an option, also.

Remember, yes, you are a student. You're also the customer.