Instructor seems scared to sign me off for solo

essemiis

essemiis

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essemiis
I'm looking for second opinions on my current instructor and I believe I am in the right to reconsider. However, I heard you have to re-perform every maneuver with a new instructor before they can sign you off.
I am just about approaching 50 hours of dual flight time, no solo.
For about 2&1/2 months now my instructor has been telling me that I am just about ready to solo and since then had me working the pattern. Nailing some landings, botching others, but got the solid idea of all the components put into a good landing.
For 1&1/2 months he left for Europe just one lesson before promising to sign me off. In the mean time I flew with a temp CFI in lieu of maintaining proficiency in my primary's absence. I landed perfectly for most landings (albeit partial flaps) without any input from the right seat and he gave me good reviews. Now, this temporary CFI never touched the controls, lets me make the adjustments, catch my own mistakes, loves to teach, and gave me gentle suggestions to help me "feel" where to go - and I thrived. I felt ready and he was happy.
My primary CFI only let's me operate under his parameters, rides the controls, especially on landing, and blames me for the outcomes. Not knowing if I am entirely controlling the aircraft is confusing and distracting for me and causes me to be a bit more passive. Now we have been working on landings for another 6 lessons since his return from Europe and i'm feelings discouraged.
I also realize that my feminine calm and mellow demeanor might seem like a weakness, perhaps even comes across as an incompetency or lack of confidence compared to his Type "A", overbearing personality - I feel on eggshells and because of that I tend to let him call the shots. I believe that's where I fall short.

Thoughts?


edit: Also, I pay for school by being a stripper. Some advice on different ways to pay for school would be awesome.
 
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1. Are you at a 141 school?
2. Did you ask if the 2nd instructor was comfortable signing you off for solo?
 
I agree with RyanShort above - see if he will sign you off for the checkride. If he won't/can't, require your original CFI give you a list of maneuvers that he deems unsatisfactory, and a plan to work on them. If you can, get him to commit to performance milestones so you can check them off. Time to leave your calm and mellow demeanor in the trunk of the car. PICs are supposed to be in charge...

-Skip
 
I'm answering this as a legit post despite the edited out stripper disclosure strongly suggesting it is a troll.
essemiis said:
I'm looking for second opinions on my current instructor and I believe I am in the right to reconsider. However, I heard you have to re-perform every maneuver with a new instructor before they can sign you off.
Click to expand...
So get an opinion from another instructor.

Re-performing every maneuver is not a big deal. It's a review, not starting all over. If you are indeed ready to solo, doesn't take more than a lesson or two. Keep in mind that you will eventually be performing all of them - and more - on your checkride in very little over an hour.

I was a pre-solo student. My CFI left after a blowout with management. I was decent on the other maneuvers but really sucked at landings. I soloed on my second lesson with the new CFI.
 
You are the paying customer. Assuming the problem is not you, switch CFIs. They can tell in an hour or so if you’re gonna kill yourself or others. That’s their job when they fly with unknown pilots on stage checks, flight reviews, and practical exams. Do it. You know. Be PIC.
 
As @midlifeflyer said, if you’re ready to solo, the time to demonstrate all that stuff to a new instructor is minimal.

I’d take @Skip Miller ’s comment a step further, and not only ask which maneuvers are unsat, but also why they are unsat.
 
RyanShort1 said:
1. Are you at a 141 school?
2. Did you ask if the 2nd instructor was comfortable signing you off for solo?
Click to expand...
I'm training under 61 and I will ask that instructor when viable.
Thank you
 
Skip Miller said:
I agree with RyanShort above - see if he will sign you off for the checkride. If he won't/can't, require your original CFI give you a list of maneuvers that he deems unsatisfactory, and a plan to work on them. If you can, get him to commit to performance milestones so you can check them off. Time to leave your calm and mellow demeanor in the trunk of the car. PICs are supposed to be in charge...

-Skip
Click to expand...
This is good advice and would make things more productive and I will do that.
I love my calm demeanor and find it as a strength, though you are right. PICs should be the assertive ones and I think i'll grow in that way.

midlifeflyer said:
I'm answering this as a legit post despite the edited out stripper disclosure strongly suggesting it is a troll.

So get an opinion from another instructor.

Re-performing every maneuver is not a big deal. It's a review, not starting all over. If you are indeed ready to solo, doesn't take more than a lesson or two. Keep in mind that you will eventually be performing all of them - and more - on your checkride in very little over an hour.

I was a pre-solo student. My CFI left after a blowout with management. I was decent on the other maneuvers but really sucked at landings. I soloed on my second lesson with the new CFI.
Click to expand...
I was always hesitant of switching instructors since reviewing all maneuvers seemed like it'd take a lot of time and money - so thank you for showing me the light lol. In this case, my mind is made up. No use spending time and money with a teacher who doesn't fit well with you.
 
If you like the “temp cfi” (I have no idea what that is. A CFI is a CFI) use him. Sounds like he’d solo you.
 
It is important that you find the right fit with instruction.. you're spending a lot of money and ultimately people who pursue aviation do so because of a passion or calling
 
Sometimes it just takes a talk with your instructor. My first CFI I think was a bit of a rookie instructor himself even though he was pretty good and kept riding the controls even when I was doing things right. I felt like I was getting too far along and also not "feeling" the airplane enough. I called him up, met him for lunch and let him know I was going to solo or quit and I think I soloed two flights later.
 
Skip Miller said:
Time to leave your calm and mellow demeanor in the trunk of the car. PICs are supposed to be in charge...
Click to expand...

I think that hurt me too, I tend to be hard on myself, I think they expect you to display “Tom Cruise” confidence. After I got 100% on the written and got the solo out of the way, it went smoothly after that.


Tom
 
As the instructor if I can't solo someone in 25ish hours I will try to pair the student up with someone else myself.

I've also been on the opposite end where I soloed someone with 35 hours after two or three lessons.

But there are also students out there who may take 50 or more hours to solo no matter who they fly with.

The instructor should be not riding the controls unless you're doing something grossly wrong to a large degree.
 
AWu7x55b_400x400.jpg
 
I can only speak for myself, but 50 hours seems like a long time. But hey, better safe than sorry. I definitely don’t want you to kill yourself or others. I have to agree with others here in getting another instructor to help review what you are doing and see a specific plane to work on items needed to move forward. Nothing wrong withnhaving a second opinion.
 
I would try a new instructor
My instructors never “road the controls”. In the beginning of training (I had some previous flying experience) they told me what to do and only intervened when needed. Had a couple of firm landings when they probably should have intervened but I learned a lot when things didn’t go completely right.
 
Just try a different CFI, ideally a higher time dude.

You don’t have to re do EVERYTHING, but at 50hrs and no solo, you really have little to loose at this point.

Could be the CFI
Could be you
Could be a little of both
 
IMO, riding the controls shows a lack of foresight, in knowing when you need to put your hands on the controls.
 
Have you ever ridden along on one of this guys other student flights? Sit behind the student and watch the instructor for a while. Then slide over. (tell them first)

Might be illuminating.

[Edit: Won't work in a 152]
 
I had about 40 hrs when my instructor hired on a commercial pilot job. New cfi flew with me 1.5 hrs and said he would sign off my checkride no problem.
 
So you paid for your instructors ,vacation,trip to Italy. You would probably be better off,with an instructor your comfortable with. You don’t want to turn into someone’s cash cow. Good luck with your future training.
 
I've felt such a calling and passion for perusing aviation as a career, though this rut has me feeling deterred yet nothing will make me quit. After creating this thread and reading the comments I feel encouraged - to put my best foot forward and not let this temporary frustration become much more. I'm sure in time I will be in a much better situation and able to soar. :p
Thanks again
 
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essemiis said:
I'm looking for second opinions on my current instructor and I believe I am in the right to reconsider. However, I heard you have to re-perform every maneuver with a new instructor before they can sign you off.
I am just about approaching 50 hours of dual flight time, no solo.
For about 2&1/2 months now my instructor has been telling me that I am just about ready to solo and since then had me working the pattern. Nailing some landings, botching others, but got the solid idea of all the components put into a good landing.
For 1&1/2 months he left for Europe just one lesson before promising to sign me off. In the mean time I flew with a temp CFI in lieu of maintaining proficiency in my primary's absence. I landed perfectly for most landings (albeit partial flaps) without any input from the right seat and he gave me good reviews. Now, this temporary CFI never touched the controls, lets me make the adjustments, catch my own mistakes, loves to teach, and gave me gentle suggestions to help me "feel" where to go - and I thrived. I felt ready and he was happy.
My primary CFI only let's me operate under his parameters, rides the controls, especially on landing, and blames me for the outcomes. Not knowing if I am entirely controlling the aircraft is confusing and distracting for me and causes me to be a bit more passive. Now we have been working on landings for another 6 lessons since his return from Europe and i'm feelings discouraged.
I also realize that my feminine calm and mellow demeanor might seem like a weakness, perhaps even comes across as an incompetency or lack of confidence compared to his Type "A", overbearing personality - I feel on eggshells and because of that I tend to let him call the shots. I believe that's where I fall short.

Thoughts?


edit: Also, I pay for school by being a stripper. Some advice on different ways to pay for school would be awesome.
Click to expand...


You said he "rides the controls, especially on landing, and blames me for the outcomes." If that is accurate, that's enough for me to call him totally incompetent.

No CFI should be riding the controls. Except when demonstrating something, CFIs should stay off the controls. Of course they should be ready to assume control when necessary, but the student should never be confused who is manipulating the controls.

You should have fired him a long time ago. Personality types has nothing to do with this.
 
Just a side note, if there was any way I could pay for instruction and plane rental by stripping, I'd be naked all the time. In my case folks would probably throw money at me begging me to put some clothes on. You're the customer, if you don't feel you're getting good service, at least get a second or third opinion, then probably change doctors.... er, instructors.
 
I was known as a "fixer" when I worked full time as a flight instructor. I would get all the students who were looking for a new instructor after wasting lots of expensive Hobbs time with an incompatible CFI.

Sometimes they were just fine and just needed encouragement and discipline. Sometimes they were truly "problem children" and seemed un-trainable. They all passed their checkrides and became decent pilots.

Some of them had emotional problems and I had to invent some creative teaching methods that I still use today...

My first instructor was a three time World Precision Flight team Champion and a very precise pilot. He sucked as an instructor, though and it took me 80 hours to get my license. I went on to also be a Precision Flight Team member and was very competitive, thanks to putting up with his ridiculous standards.

You need to switch instructors immediately. You will benefit doubly from the switch: Dumping an incompetent instructor and gaining someone better!
 
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