Heartbroken student

S

Subhro Kar

Filing Flight Plan
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Jul 26, 2017
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shutterboy
Hello folks,

15 hours on the log book and I got kicked out today by my CFI. His reason, all his students solo in 10 hours and I was unable to get a good control of pitch or was unable to co-ordinate my turns in 15 hours. The gist of his parting comment was, I was not worth his time.

Not trying to start a blame game here, but I got to fly once, maybe twice a week in a Cessna 150 and got judged for every small mistake I made. Also, I believe I was never given the opportunity to feel the plane. But maybe, I am wrong considering my (now former) instructor has been around for more than a decade and runs his own Part 61 school here.

Really heartbroken. Would the more experienced pilots/CFIs here be able to recommend someone who could take my under their wing?

I am from Seattle area.
 
your CFI has, IMO, has unreasonable expectations. pilots, especially student pilots, are not created from cookie cutters. each is unique. don't give up. find a different school and get back in the air. good luck.
 
I know a very good pilot who took over 100 hours of dual to solo.

In my opinion your CFI failed by giving up so quickly.

Please don't make excuses for yourself.

Do what it takes to learn to fly.

It is harder for some to lean to fly.

Are you ready to make a commitment to do the work? It is something you have to do for yourself. Your instructor can't do it for you.
 
Find another instructor.

Your instructor sounds like a jerk (and in the long run, did you a favor). There are a lot of variables that go in to determining when someone can solo. Hours is the least important factor.
 
You'll find your CFI eventually. My current one was my original. He quit instructing to be an EMT several years ago, so I bounced around between 3 CFIs and was off and on due to school and what not, then I bought my 182 and he started back as my personal CFI. Perfect situation and he's miles better than anyone else I've flown with. I learned stuff from the other CFIs, but it just isn't the same. Just keep looking.
 
Yeah, just find another CFI. Don't let this cause you to miss a beat. Everybody's different. You solo when you solo.
 
Screw that's CFI, you're better off without him.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Find another CFI. I didn't solo until 24ish hours. Nothing wrong with taking a little longer.
 
Find a new CFI,who enjoys the challenge of instructing. Sounds like your old CFI didn't want to have to work,or be challenged.
 
Sounds like a crappy CFI.

Just because he's been around for a decade doesn't mean jack, sorry but unless you are a complete hot mess and are not putting any work in, or showing up smelling like booze or something, your ex CFI was acting like an ass.

If you're from Seattle, join FATPNW, really great group of north west aviators, they'll point you towards a great CFI.
https://m.facebook.com/FATPNW/

A few good CFIs
Kit from
http://www.seattleseaplanes.com

Spence from
http://www.atcseattle.com/

If they can't help you they'll be able to point you in the right direction, I'd also ask on that Facebook group I posted the link to

For what it's worth, I've been flying for a little while, ATP / gold seal CFI / turbine pilot, and my average student solos in about 15hours, I do a few things above and beyond the cookie cutter requirements before first solo, don't think I've ever fit everything in for a first solo in only 10hrs.
 
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I certainly hope this isn't true.

The CFI is a failure, not you. To think every student can reach the same skill level at the same time is asinine and beyond the realm of normal thinking.
 
[Sarcasam] No man he is right you are making the rest of us aces look bad with your sloppy flying. I will have you know when I fly that ball is pegged so hard to the center that a micrometer is necessary to measure the variance. While some may accept altitude variations of 100 feet I keep mine to less than one foot anyone who can't do that shouldn't be flying in my opinion. If you can't fly every day then there is no sense in even taking lessons you will never figure it out. [\Sarcasm]


Your CFI is an idiot and apparently not a capitalist but seeing you are in Seattle the latter is not surprising.
 
As the other stated, the CFI failed you.
In addition, if you are only flying an hour a week, it will take longer.

Good luck, find a new CFI and have fun!

Tim
 
  1. Find a new instructor, hopefully an old crotchety bastid who's been around since sliced bread and is interested in putting out good pilots, not gaining hours.
  2. Fly more than once a week, two to three at least.
 
I will play devils advocate and say the instructor did you a favor. He could have strung you along and kept making money from you. He probably isn't in it for the money and wants to find students who pick up on it easily. Don't give up though, find a larger flying school and get a second opinion.
 
I'll say it even though it might not be exactly true: nobody solos in 10 hours anymore. Somewhere along the way folks realized that the solo should be after the student has learned some emergency procedures which comes after learning basic aircraft control which includes slow flight and stalls. I even had an hour of hood time before solo. So yeah some folks solo early. Many programs are not set up to solo early. Even the Air Force doesn't expect solo in 10 hours in their initial training. IIRC they are programmed for something like 20 hours dual and 3 hours solo in the Doss contracted programs.

Find an instructor interested in teaching...
 
Am I the only one who read this and thinks that there has got to be more to the story here.

I mean 15 hrs before solo is not unheard of and not really that uncommon. There is no way a REASONABLE CFI would kick out a paying customer just because he didn't solo fast enough.

Put me down as someone who would LOVE to hear the CFI's explanation, as it probably differs significantly from the OP's.
 
Too bad you aren't in the Little Rock area. I know an instructor here that must be part saint. He has a couple that too a LONG time to get to a check ride. We are talking years. Good people, but ... wow. I think I just now passed them in logged hours and I'm on my second airplane. (They are on their third - another long story.)

The others have it pegged - hours isn't a good indicator. No, you won't likely be the next Air Force fighter pilot, but who cares. If you have the passion - find another CFI. Do listen to them as they may not always tell you what you want to hear. That is just part of the learning process.

But firing a student - gotta be a jerk.
 
Wow your instructor sounds like a real piece of work, count your blessings that he did that for you. My instructor had been teaching at my school for about 5 years and I was the first student he had (so he says) that solo'd part 141 in 14 hours, and I was only flying once a week. Giving up on someone at 15 hours is absolutely insane.

If there isn't more to the story here, your CFI should find a new career.
 
Grum.Man said:
I will play devils advocate and say the instructor did you a favor. He could have strung you along and kept making money from you. He probably isn't in it for the money and wants to find students who pick up on it easily. Don't give up though, find a larger flying school and get a second opinion.
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I'll agree with you on the point that some folks should not learn to fly. There was a student a few hours behind me in training, call them Smitty. After returning from a checkride prep flight one of the instructors showed me a tire...flat to the point you could see through it. Smitty had gone three wheeling off the side of the runway but had second thoughts on the way and locked the brakes. Chief pilot flies with Smitty and a few weeks later Smitty is inducted into the league of temporary airmen. Me? I'm certificated and just flying around. Anyway, another couple weeks pass and one of the 172s (the newest one to be on the line and the one used on the traffic contract) is taken off the schedule. Smitty had balled it up beside the runway receiving a broken pelvis and concussion in the process. Darn lucky to be alive. Some folks shouldn't learn to fly.

If ya can't make the aircraft do what you want for the most part, don't fly without an instructor. It might take more than 15 hours to get there.
 
There has to be more the story. Like all relationships, sometimes a CFI and student just don't work out. I'm not saying it's your fault or the CFI's. Find a new CFI. Maybe talk to a few before selecting another and express your concerns and expectations.

Were there any issues with the CFI prior to parting ways? All students make mistakes and the CFI needs to correct them. Personally, I preferred a 100% honest, direct, and firm assessment. It's possible the CFI just wanted to see you acknowledge issues and promptly address them. The "small mistakes" you mention may not be that small.
 
Move on, your money spends anywhere. People learn at different paces, don't let one CFI throw a wet blanket on your dreams. Think of it as a motivational chip to carry on your shoulder. Now get out there and get it done!
 
My first instructor told a story of a guy that just couldn't grasp that there 360* in a circle and had endless trouble with which direction to turn from one heading to another. He told the guy he should focus on his golf game.

I told him not to take that approach with me.

"Why?" he asked.

I replied, "I'm here because I was a terrible golfer and I need an expensive hobby."

[Actual conversation]

I often tell people my golf game was so bad they gave me a pilot certificate.
 
neilw2 said:
Am I the only one who read this and thinks that there has got to be more to the story here.

I mean 15 hrs before solo is not unheard of and not really that uncommon. There is no way a REASONABLE CFI would kick out a paying customer just because he didn't solo fast enough.

Put me down as someone who would LOVE to hear the CFI's explanation, as it probably differs significantly from the OP's.
Click to expand...

I wondered the same and won't go slamming the CFI without knowing the other side of the story. Either way, the instructor and student were obviously a bad mix, so my advice is still the same - just find a new CFI. If this is something you really want, go do it.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
I wondered the same and won't go slamming the CFI without knowing the other side of the story. Either way, the instructor and student were obviously a bad mix, so my advice is still the same - just find a new CFI. If this is something you really want, go do it.
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I think the litmus test on that would be if he recommend him to another CFI, or just dropped him like a jerk
 
James331 said:
I think the litmus test on that would be if he recommend him to another CFI, or just dropped him like a jerk
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Agreed, the professional thing would be for him to have referred him out to another CFI, but James- as a CFI have you ever had a student do something-even early in training, that made you "fire" a student to the point where you wouldn't recommend the student continuing training- with you or another CFI?

Not saying that is the case here, but MAYBE it was? I just wouldn't be soo quick to call the CFI as a jerk without the CFI's account of events.
 
There's two sides to every story... but if half of that is right, it's just boggle-worthy.
 
neilw2 said:
that made you "fire" a student to the point where you wouldn't recommend the student continuing training- with you or another CFI?.
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Exactly. He might have a valid reason for not wanting to refer the guy to another instructor. No idea what the real situation is here.
 
I flew with a CFI once, after 15 mins in the air with this man I was a bundle of nerves. I mean I got out of that airplane shaking. I have learned, ask a lot of questions on the ground. If you don't like any of the answers or the way they come out of this person. Find another. Don't think it will get better or easier once in the air. It will only get worse.

Tony
 
After you tell him to F**K Off - post his contact info here and we can all tell him to do the same
 
Lots of students take more than 15 hours to solo. Lots. So just find a way to keep on working on your dream. There are lots of other CFI's. Lots.
 
First, on your hours: understand that very few people flying once or twice a week will solo at 10 hours. That's not a knock on you, but just a reality. Just like the folks who take their checkride at 40hours, the folks who solo at 10 hours are usually the ones who are flying 3-4 times a week, which keeps everything very "fresh." For once or twice a week students, I'd guess that 15-20 hours is much more common.

Second, you're better off ending the relationship with your CFI at this early stage. The student/CFI relationship, especially at the primary level, is an odd one in that it's not a pure "business" relationship. There's got to be a certain level of trust and confidence, and for that you need to "click" at least a little bit. Sometimes students and CFIs just don't click, and those situations rarely end well. It's better those end early, too.

Ultimately, find another CFI and charge forward. This is but a small bump in the road on your aviation journey.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Lots of students take more than 15 hours to solo. Lots. So just find a way to keep on working on your dream. There are lots of other CFI's. Lots.
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Yup

I did my solo Monday, at about 35 hours

That guy would hate me or love the money.
 
EminiTrader said:
After you tell him to F**K Off - post his contact info here and we can all tell him to do the same
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Didn't people want to do that a few months ago to a aircraft broker that a user here reported treated him unfairly? That is until he came to this very forum, explained himself, and at least people understood where he was coming from.

People are rarely as bad as they seem when you only hear one side of the story.

I'd say before we tell this guy to "F Off" it we be prudent to get the CFI's side.

@Subhro Kar - Like many others have said here just move on to another CFI, if you really want it and you have a good attitude about it I'm sure you will make it happen!
 
Maybe this flight school operator had already decided he wasn't going to allow you to solo in his planes. That's his choice. One of the beauties of being your own boss is the ability to fire your customers when you see fit.
 
It's one thing to not solo in 15 hours. It's another thing if someone can't control the pitch and bank in that amount of time. Sounds like they spent 15 hours practicing straight and level, turns, climbs, and descents without any progress.
 
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