How old is/was your CFI?

How old is/was your CFI?

  • 24 or less

    Votes: 52 19.6%

  • 25-34

    Votes: 76 28.7%

  • 35-44

    Votes: 28 10.6%

  • 45-54

    Votes: 29 10.9%

  • 55-64

    Votes: 39 14.7%

  • 65+

    Votes: 41 15.5%
  • Total voters
    265
Mine was in his forties but looked like he was younger and he claimed to have over 10,000 hours INSTRUCTING and about 15K or 20K hours total since at one point he flew professionally for Kaiser (Keezar?) Air.

Kimberly
 
I went to a flight college all the instructors were graduates of the school. They were all close to my age 20-30 (I started college late). Now I am instructing at 27 and flying corporate. I have flown with older pilots and from my experience they just don't have the knowledge for the change in technology. I mean who still files an IFR plan with DUATS?
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Mine was in his forties but looked like he was younger and he claimed to have over 10,000 hours INSTRUCTING and about 15K or 20K hours total since at one point he flew professionally for Kaiser (Keezar?) Air.

Kimberly
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Henry?

<---<^>--->
 
I file through foreflight and that files through DUATS
 
I know pilots who still file over the phone. I use fltplan.com.
 
Steven Hewlett said:
I have flown with older pilots and from my experience they just don't have the knowledge for the change in technology. I mean who still files an IFR plan with DUATS?
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When I start working on my instrument rating here in 2012 I will file through Foreflight.

This whole "you gotta be a techno geek" is overblown IMHO. The latest and greatest whiz-bang junk in the panel will be obsolete in 10 years anyway. Flying is still flying. Do you want to be a computer programmer or a pilot?

Besides which, my bird doesn't have a glass panel. I have 2 nav radios, DME and ADF (plus the iPad2 on the yoke). But she still flies just like planes with panels that cost more than my total purchase price. I'd rather fly more plane with less panel-bling than to fly less plane and more panel-bling. YMMV
 
I haven't had a CFI over 30 yet. I have lost 6 to airlines though. All were CFII's with multi's and they were on average 24-28. My last one had 300 hours and I was his first student that spring. This past fall I asked for him and found out that he had been picked up by USAir. When I had my 4th lesson with him he was already at 600hrs and doing sim rides with them. I have had 8 CFI's total, not counting gliders or a heli intro flight.
 
Young guys are typically more susceptible to making that mistake, but entire organizations can fall into the trap. After the Cali crash, American apologized to their flight crews for forgetting that flying the airplane was much more important than becoming experts about the buttonology and fancy glass displays.

I saw the same pattern when teaching the G-V. When we started the program, only one of the instructors turned all that crap off and taught the pilots how to fly the airplane first. The others were so impressed with themselves for being glass mavens that they forgot that the guy in the left seat needed to be a pilot before he started trying to be a programmer and systems manager.

Morne said:
.

This whole "you gotta be a techno geek" is overblown IMHO. The latest and greatest whiz-bang junk in the panel will be obsolete in 10 years anyway. Flying is still flying. Do you want to be a computer programmer or a pilot?

Besides which, my bird doesn't have a glass panel. I have 2 nav radios, DME and ADF (plus the iPad2 on the yoke). But she still flies just like planes with panels that cost more than my total purchase price. I'd rather fly more plane with less panel-bling than to fly less plane and more panel-bling. YMMV
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Everskyward said:
I know pilots who still file over the phone. I use fltplan.com.
Click to expand...

Sometimes you dont have a choice. I've had to file over the phone when foreflight is being cantankerous or if I dont have 3g
 
Morne said:
Do you want to be a computer programmer or a pilot?
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Both. One pays for the other. ;)

Computers on the ground, in data centers, running command-line OS's that don't crash, making big piles of cash that trickle down to paying my salary.

So, I can go flying. ;)

Morne said:
Besides which, my bird doesn't have a glass panel. I have 2 nav radios, DME and ADF (plus the iPad2 on the yoke). But she still flies just like planes with panels that cost more than my total purchase price. I'd rather fly more plane with less panel-bling than to fly less plane and more panel-bling. YMMV
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Generally I agree with you, but having just spent a bunch o' time hunting for approaches that a /A equipped aircraft could fly, both in Nebraska (better than here) and here at home, the handwriting is on the wall.

You at least still have your ADF... We yanked ours when it started showing signs of not being healthy.

But, you're going to want to put an IFR GPS in your bird relatively soon.

Things seen during training...

Controllers trying to give mystery direct vectors, assuming even a VFR GPS on board. (Helpful in the real world, had to turn them down in the training environment and fly the dog-legs in the Airway structure.)

Having to tell a controller we did NOT want to cancel IFR so we could complete the IFR XC with one airport in the middle that we had to accept a Visual approach to so we could stay IFR while still landing at Stearman for dinner with Tony and Leah. ;)

On another flight getting a big long description over the air of how we MUST call and cancel as soon as possible on the ground quickly, when we wanted to remain IFR in variable IMC at night, all the way down...

He had another aircraft inbound for the airport 12 minutes behind us...

"That airport is effectively closed until you call! Please don't forget!" ...

And more requests "Would you like a vector Direct?" than we could shake a stick at, enroute.

GPS RNAV is here to stay... /A you can still get from point A to point B and find an airport with an approach or two, but nothing like the plethora of approaches all over the charts for GPS equipped birds.

We found it necessary to make a bunch of mini-XC flights and a couple really big ones, to get enough variety in approach types to train thoroughly in my /A airplane without a GPS.

DME made a huge difference in this too. A number of approaches were able to be shot significantly lower in Nebraska with DME. One had three DME step-downs. Others had DME Arcs for transition routes.

You can only shoot the couple or three local approaches so many times before you're just memorizing the plate.

Sadly, my home airport has exactly one flyable approach I can accept right now, the ILS.

Can't do the NDB, and can't do either of the GPS approaches. I have to leave the pattern and fly to another airport to train, which is fine...

But not nearly as efficient as KLNK with 6 of 9 approaches (not including the HI-ILS approaches published) flyable by my bird.
 
DavidWhite said:
Sometimes you dont have a choice. I've had to file over the phone when foreflight is being cantankerous or if I dont have 3g
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I meant regularly. While they are sitting in a room with four computers.
 
I just counted, I had 7 CFIs for my PP, youngest 4 were in their 20s same as I, 2 were in their 40-50s and one in his 70s. There was another old guy I'd fly with in his 80s who taught me as much as the rest combined but he wasn't a CFI.
 
Henning said:
I just counted, I had 7 CFIs for my PP, youngest 4 were in their 20s same as I, 2 were in their 40-50s and one in his 70s. There was another old guy I'd fly with in his 80s who taught me as much as the rest combined but he wasn't a CFI.
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Geez... I had just one CFI for my PP.... I guess my next question to all you guys and gals.... How many have had multiple CFI's to get the the private ticket ?:dunno::dunno:


Ben.
 
N801BH said:
Geez... I had just one CFI for my PP.... I guess my next question to all you guys and gals.... How many have had multiple CFI's to get the the private ticket ?:dunno::dunno:


Ben.
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It was a timing/schedule thing, I used who and what plane was available at the moment I had time to go fly. I used 15 different planes (5 different types, 150/2, 172, 172RG, 182 & PA 28 140/161/180) to get my PP and was done in just under 3 months and 41.5hrs with ticket in hand.
 
For the PP I had 3 CFIs but not as you think.

As a teenager I started flight training. I quit just prior to solo. I don't remember the CFI's age...didn't make an impact I guess.

20 yrs later I started with a guy a couple yrs older than me. 11,000 hours, over 6,000 dual given. He left for a F/T corp job. Too bad because he was awesome.

Six months later I enrolled at a 141 school. Finished in 28 days. That CFI was 34 and I was his first student.
 
I only had 2, really. I flew with a few other guys for stage checks or because my [2nd] CFI was busy being an electrician at the time (He, like me had a full-time blue collar job as well, it was kind of a relief though because he was more down to Earth). Interesting thing is my 1st CFI had a BS from ERAU and 380hrs when he left for an FO position with UA (or maybe one of their regionals)... It seemed like a land of oppurtunity then (2005). I now have 1,100hrs.. LOL Although I haven't applied to the airlines because I can't even afford the pay cut and I love teaching anyway. Maybe I would take a corporate job if it actually meant real money, although it still probably wouldn't be as much fun as getting into small airplanes with people that don't know how to fly [and letting them fly.. even pushing them to try things they can't do, yet]...

<---<^>--->
 
My CFI is pretty young at 24. He's flown for half his life. He's built time and flew for the regionals and gave that up cause the pay wasn't all that and went on to ATC but he didn't like being stuck indoors and now he's a cop. He still loves to fly which is the reason he's a CFI.
 
ainokea said:
My CFI is pretty young at 24. He's flown for half his life. He's built time and flew for the regionals and gave that up cause the pay wasn't all that and went on to ATC but he didn't like being stuck indoors and now he's a cop. He still loves to fly which is the reason he's a CFI.
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Smart kid

<---<^>--->
 
I hope you are not in the world of aviation for the money. You will be disappointed.

p1l0t said:
I only had 2, really. I flew with a few other guys for stage checks or because my [2nd] CFI was busy being an electrician at the time (He, like me had a full-time blue collar job as well, it was kind of a relief though because he was more down to Earth). Interesting thing is my 1st CFI had a BS from ERAU and 380hrs when he left for an FO position with UA (or maybe one of their regionals)... It seemed like a land of oppurtunity then (2005). I now have 1,100hrs.. LOL Although I haven't applied to the airlines because I can't even afford the pay cut and I love teaching anyway. Maybe I would take a corporate job if it actually meant real money, although it still probably wouldn't be as much fun as getting into small airplanes with people that don't know how to fly [and letting them fly.. even pushing them to try things they can't do, yet]...

<---<^>--->
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My CFI was 24.

My CFII was in his fifties.
 
I took a guess and averaged, since at Pensacola where I took primary we would be often assigned to different instructors day to day. My only experience with civilian instruction comes from the couple of BFRs I have had since I retired, and each instructor was much younger than I am. I think if the syllabus is valid and the PTS are adhered to, age is a non-factor in instruction, barring any personality clashes.
 
I think I had 9 CFIs signatures in my PP40 including a couple of Beech 18 flights. My instructors ranged from my age, early 20s with about 1200hrs to 80+ with 50,000 and their 20 missions in a B-24...twice, ET & PT, and a career in aviation.
 
Most of the advice I read here said to go hire the gray-haired CFI, and that is exactly what I did. I think he's in his 60s, 8000 hours, 1/2 of that is training. He usually does advanced ratings, but somehow I talked him into talking me on as a primary student. I am incredible happy with my choice, and if I ever move past the PPL I will hire him back in a second.
 
My first PPL instructor was early 40s, pretty good guy, but got a better job about 8-10 hours in.

Second was a retired cop, decent instructor, pretty easygoing style but had me doing Commercial maneuvers which I liked. We got along fine, too bad the school went under.

Third was a freshly minted 20 year old, still finishing college, and apparently terrified of signing off his first student for solo.

My current guy is in his late 20s, charter jet pilot. Seems kind of laid back and nonchalant, until you start flying -- then he's demanding and challenging, which I like. Yesterday we did everythign but ground reference maneuvers - departure and approach stalls, steep turns, slow flight, left & right turning approach stalls, you name it -- while under the hood. I only saw outside the airplane from 200' after takeoff to 200' before landing.
 
My PPL CFI(s) were mostly late 20's early 30's and were charter pilots at the local FBO. They were all very good pilots.
The Law Of Primacy applies and you see it on this board all the time. People are taught something and believe it firmly in the face of good information to the contrary. What I'm saying is that sometimes the guy who has flown the line helps a new pilot by NOT teaching them things or at least not teaching them rigidly. The new, young CFI is too often a "see one, do one, teach one" kind of instructor who may be very good within a narrow window. I do not disparage the piloting skills of the young CFI. I do say that the old, gray head may instruct from a wider set of experiences and that can be helpful in ways that are not immediately apparent (such as not teaching "hard and fast rules" that re really not hard and fast). Just one example? Pattern entry and behavior. Another? Radio operations. A third? Be PIC. Fourth? Situational awareness (in a realm the young CFI may not even know, let alone appreciate).
 
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My CFI, David Darnell, drove Sherman tanks in WWII. So when I was a student in 1993, that made him probably 65-70 years old.

He was a great guy who taught primary students because he liked teaching. He flew everything from King Airs down to ratty Cubs, and was always ready to step up and fly with most anyone on the field to help them transition to a new airplane. He did most of it for free and for fun. A real pilot's pilot.
 
Early 30's(Primary take 2, IA, and some of the Commercial), 50's(Primary take 1), 60's(Most of Commercial) , and late 20's (CFI). I found the one in his 30's to be the best instructor of the bunch...by far.
 
I wager that my CFI is in her mid 20s - around the same age as me, for the most part.

I have no qualms with it. It's nice working with someone my age.
 
My CFI turned 75 during my primary training. He learned to fly in the 1940's. He was retired Air Force (navigator) and real estate agent (not retired). He taught because he loved to fly. I got many priceless bits of experience from him.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
numl0ck said:
Most of the advice I read here said to go hire the gray-haired CFI, and that is exactly what I did. I think he's in his 60s, 8000 hours, 1/2 of that is training. He usually does advanced ratings, but somehow I talked him into talking me on as a primary student. I am incredible happy with my choice, and if I ever move past the PPL I will hire him back in a second.
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My philosophy is to never generalize based on age. Make your judgement based on the person as an induvidual instructor.
 
GCA319 said:
My philosophy is to never generalize based on age. Make your judgement based on the person as an induvidual instructor.
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This.

I ave gotten excellent instruction from very young instructors, and "YGBSM"-bad instruction from "experienced" guys.
 
My CFI for my private was 18, as was I. Managed to solo in 9 hours and get the private in 40 and change. This was years before the FAA even considered issuing the PTS for any certificate, and actually before they spelled out the newer minimum requirements for solo flight that they have today. With what they require nowadays, there's no way most folks would be able finish in the minimum time.
 
15 hours is still well within reason for first solo, 25 hrs not so much so.
 
My CFI's have ranged in age from mid-20's to late 50's.
 
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