Just wondering about independent CFI

[Chris Charanza]

So I'm 35.2 hours in and it seems that my CFI (who is affiliated with the flight school I go to) is getting busier and busier during the time I'm actually available to fly and it seems to have put me to where I'm only able to fly with him once a week at best and more often than not once every 8-11 days and I feel like I'm regressing some. I'm endorsed to solo and I have a few times but there are some specific things I want to work on with a CFI as I get closer to my checkride. So I happen to know a guy who is a commercial pilot, multi-engine as well as a CFII who said he'd fly with me at no cost to me but the issue is the plane rental. I can rent a plane from my flight school for my solo flights but I'm not sure that the insurance carrier would be cool with me flying in it with a non-affiliated CFI. My flight school tells me that I need no additional insurance than what they provide while I'm a student or a renter (once I get my certificate) and I've verified this to be the case. What I'm curious about is if anyone has ever been in similar situation where they went out and bought a policy that covers all the things you'd need to and were able to take a non-affiliated CFI with them. The issue is that I can only fly (a) by myself or (b) with a CFI and the guy i'm talking about is a commercial pilot with hours in the 8-10k range and I trust him (got to fly right seat with him in a King Air that he flies) so I'd really rather go fly with him than another CFI with the school that I don't know from Adam.

 

[Mason]

I would not trust the school's insurance to protect you against personal liability if you should cause damage or injury to someone else while using their aircraft. Have you read their policy? Also, if you damage their aircraft, their insurance may cover repairs but then go after you for reimbursement. Check into a renters policy is my 2 cents.

 

[dmspilot]

Most schools prohibit using outside instructors, sometimes for insurance, and other times for business reasons (imagine going to a restaurant and asking if you can use your own chef). Since you're doing it for scheduling rather than to try to save money, your friend could see if the school will "hire" him to work there part-time.

 

[RyanB]

I’ve used an outside instructor at a nearby flight school several years ago. I asked the chief pilot if he was okay with me using a non-affiliated instructor for a flight review and he said it was fine. This probably isn’t the norm, but it’s worth inquiring about.

 

[Chris Charanza]

I’ve used an outside instructor at a nearby flight school several years ago. I asked the chief pilot if he was okay with me using a non-affiliated instructor for a flight review and he said it was fine. This probably isn’t the norm, but it’s worth inquiring about.

The interesting part is that the guy I know actually knows the owner of the flight school, they went through training together years and years ago. I don't know that it's so much an issue with him flying with me as it is the insurance part of the equation although I'd think the insurance has to cover the PIC and in our situation he'd be the PIC.

 

[AggieMike88]

I’m an independent CFI located north of Dallas if I can be of help.

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

At our airport, we would never allow an independent CFI to give instruction in our airplanes. So, I guess your first step is to clear this idea with the flight school.

The guy you know would be accepting a lot of risk unless he carries personal insurance for flying non-owned aircraft. And you should review your liability, too. Our school covers student and renter pilots' liability up to $100,000, but they are responsible for the $5,000 deductible, and if it is pilot error, could be asked for a lot more. We recommend students and renters buy a non-owned policy if they have significant assets.

As an employee, I am covered by the company's insurance in company airplanes. But I do flight reviews in airplanes owned by private parties, so I have my own liability insurance. If we have someone wanting to get regular instruction in their airplane, we require our company to be named as additional insured, with a waiver of subrogation. I have two students right now in that situation.

 

[brcase]

If can schedule further out might help with your current instructor, Schedule the next 4 or 5 lessons. Or ask if you can have the same time slot(s) each week. I tend to do this, for example I may fly with the same student on Saturdays at Noon and Wednesdays a 7am.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[Chris Charanza]

If can schedule further out might help with your current instructor, Schedule the next 4 or 5 lessons. Or ask if you can have the same time slot(s) each week. I tend to do this, for example I may fly with the same student on Saturdays at Noon and Wednesdays a 7am.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

This is actually the next thing I had thought about was just trying to work out a regular recurring flight schedule with him. I think the main issue with scheduling him is where his availability and mine intersect at the same time and an airplane is available. It seems like the school itself has had an uptick in students but only 2 172's available for training. There are two Cirrus and one multi-engine but it's outside of my budget to pay $375/hr or whatever it is for the Cirrus. Once I'm finished I'd like to do some lessons in it but not something my budget supports for my PPL and while there are other CFI's I could probably schedule I'm just not really comfortable with the idea of multiple instructors right now. I've been with my CFI for a while so I trust him and the other guy i was referring to I've flown with before and I trust him-I'm sure there is nothing wrong with the other CFI's at the school but it's a personal comfort thing I guess.

 

[Chris Charanza]

At our airport, we would never allow an independent CFI to give instruction in our airplanes. So, I guess your first step is to clear this idea with the flight school.

The guy you know would be accepting a lot of risk unless he carries personal insurance for flying non-owned aircraft. And you should review your liability, too. Our school covers student and renter pilots' liability up to $100,000, but they are responsible for the $5,000 deductible, and if it is pilot error, could be asked for a lot more. We recommend students and renters buy a non-owned policy if they have significant assets.

As an employee, I am covered by the company's insurance in company airplanes. But I do flight reviews in airplanes owned by private parties, so I have my own liability insurance. If we have someone wanting to get regular instruction in their airplane, we require our company to be named as additional insured, with a waiver of subrogation. I have two students right now in that situation.

I need to look further into that and see exactly what their deductible is and then just buy a policy accordingly to protect me in that case.