Never a bad CFI

No, I flew with Gordon today in the lime green 172N. Fun practice getting used to the pattern here. But the toughest one was at small mountain airport that I did a supervised cross country into.
 
I soloed in the Flying Zucchini. It seems a bit weak, but the CFIs like the 430. Last I checked, the HSI was AFU, which would be a problem for a student.

You went to Bonny Doon? That's a bit advanced. It's the only airport in the area well above sea level, and it's obstructed. And private use....
 
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No, I did pattern work to improve my skills and familiarize myself with KPAO. I feel almos ready for solo based on how well I did today! Yeah the HSI in that plane is whacked but since I am staying in closed pattern until I finish my first solo not really need it. The landmarks at KPAO make it a lot easier. I'll probably get trained on the Aspen display once I've solo'd and use that 172 for finishing up cross country and training.
 
It's hard to hold a heading when the compass shows the same heading regardless of direction.

The Aspen is an eye magnet. I don't suggest that for a student. And you need to get in the habit of adjusting the DG. Aspens do that for you.

Pattern work by landmark only works at one airport.
 
Everskyward said:
Do you think it's appropriate to have the student try it on their first lesson?
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I thought he said it was his first "instrument lesson". Obviously it wouldn't be appropriate for a 0 hour student.
 
dmspilot said:
I thought he said it was his first "instrument lesson". Obviously it wouldn't be appropriate for a 0 hour student.
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My IR CFII had me do a zero/zero hooded takeoff on 13R at BFI on my first lesson and I thought nothing of it, after all, he sat ready at the dual controls. What's the big deal?
 
What is a DG? So you think using VOR and compass without GPS is good for cross country? Sounds kinda old school to me!
 
I've been flight trained and tested for various ratings, BFRs and Wings Phases, new club/aircraft checkouts, and optional additional, self-inflicted dual flight training by over 30 CFIs, most of whom were totally acceptable but some much better than others. One was poor (my first) and another became poor. Neither was a poor pilot, both just had weird attitudes of authority, coupled with poor communication and their attentions wanting to be elsewhere, like to the airlines and/or charter flights.

After firing the first CFI, post solo, the next 3 went in rapid succession to the airlines, which was actually good for me because it kept me from getting comfortable with the same CFI, and I got used to flying with new people and to fly the aircraft and it's published POH procedures.
 
skynewbie said:
What is a DG? So you think using VOR and compass without GPS is good for cross country? Sounds kinda old school to me!
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I can see thinking that you do not need to know how to use a VOR, especially for VFR flight, because that is technology that is becoming outmoded and may not even be installed in your airplane (the CTLS I flew had a glass panel, Garmin 696, XM weather, etc but no VOR receiver).

But don't ever think that that mag compass is anything but vital for cross-country. Personally, I plan and practice pilotage and dead reckoning on every VFR flight even though I have a GPS, dual VOR, and DME on-board. I don't bother making wind corrections because you never know more than an idea of what the wind will be and I make those corrections on the fly but I have visual checkpoints no more that 30 minutes apart with headings and flight times and check them off as I fly. I like doing that, it keeps my head outside where it belongs, and I am ready if all the "new skool" crap takes a dump.
 
I'd agree that truly bad CFI's are rare, but they do exist.

Just reviewed my logs and I have flown with 28 different CFIs (not counting DPEs). Of those, there were only 4 that I did not enjoy flying with and only one was truly a bad CFI. The one bad CFI really had no business holding a pilot certificate in the first place. He was a free-lance instructor who would fill in for my primary CFI occasionally during my PPL training. Pretty much a body to sit in the other seat to make things legal. Guy knew less about aviation than I did as a student and from his own descriptions of his CFI checkride, I place alot of the blame on the DPE who passed him. My instructor eventually kicked him to the curb after finding out that he had been using his airplane without permission and doing things like starting the plane up inside the hangar and then taxiing out. The guy was a menace to himself and everything in the air.....yes, birds too.

Of the remaining three, two were simply personality/teaching conflicts. They were good pilots and knowledgeable, but their styles were such that I just wanted the flight to be over with.

The final one was a decent pilot, but didn't really enjoy instructing and it showed. He was building time for the airlines and to my great benefit and relief, he was hired by a regional shortly after I started my multi-engine training and replaced with one of the best instructors I have ever flown with.
 
skynewbie said:
What is a DG? So you think using VOR and compass without GPS is good for cross country? Sounds kinda old school to me!
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Do you want to be limited only to GPS? There are still a lot of aircraft without them, and despite some ill informed rumblings off the internet, there will be for years to come. The ADS-B requirement kicks in in 2020, but I predict it gets delayed (again).

But the REAL skill to learn pilotage and ded reckoning. You're a VISUAL flight rules student pilot and should not need any gadget to tell you where to go.

You are also confusing your gadgets (another reason to reduce complexity). 8GE has an Aspen panel, but NO GPS. And you need to understand GPS limitations. It is neither magic nor perfect and a RAIM alert simply must never become an emergency.
 
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Dave Krall CFII said:
My IR CFII had me do a zero/zero hooded takeoff on 13R at BFI on my first lesson and I thought nothing of it, after all, he sat ready at the dual controls. What's the big deal?
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What is the student really learning from that? I think it's more of a stunt.
 
Everskyward said:
What is the student really learning from that? I think it's more of a stunt.
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I would think it would be best for the student to become proficient at climbing and holding heading under the hood before worrying about practicing something that many IR pilots will, by choice, never go near.
 
+1 MAKG Agree on mastering pilotage and dead reckoning. A pilot buddy of mine took me up in his Bonanza recently and he uses that quite a bit by following freeways from southern California to bay area in VFR conditions.
 
Everskyward said:
What is the student really learning from that? I think it's more of a stunt.
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I thought the reference I posted described that well enough.

Instrument Flying Handbook said:
Competency in instrument takeoffs will provide the proficiency and confidence necessary for use of flight instruments during departures under conditions of low visibility, rain, low ceilings, or disorientation at night. A sudden rapid transition from “visual” to “instrument” flight can result in serious disorientation and control problems.
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From the cockpit of a Cherokee 140 waiting at the hold line, I watched the entire airport at ICT go solid IFR when a TWA 727 departed. We knew the fog was only a few hundred feet thick so we used the opportunity to train the zero/zero as part of my dual X/C flight.

It was good training just for the first-hand observation of the precision that can be obtained, but not a maneuver I've found to be of much use on a day-to-day basis. The real value of the training was to see how just a little wind can cause an otherwise clear night with narrow temp/dewpoint spread to go foggier than a blonde in trigonometry class.

Everskyward said:
What is the student really learning from that? I think it's more of a stunt.
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Everskyward said:
What is the student really learning from that? I think it's more of a stunt.
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You've got to take-off anyway, why do another normal take-off that teaches nothing new?

0/0 T.O. teaches aircraft control and utility among other things, as per some of the quotes above.
 
Dave Krall CFII said:
You've got to take-off anyway, why do another normal take-off that teaches nothing new?

0/0 T.O. teaches aircraft control and utility among other things, as per some of the quotes above.
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It was her first IFR lesson, before she had been taught anything past what you are taught while getting your private, about control under the hood.
 
Everskyward said:
It was her first IFR lesson, before she had been taught anything past what you are taught while getting your private, about control under the hood.
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It's one of the very simplest tasks to do under the hood, perfect for an introduction in dual IFR flight instruction.
 
I only had one unsafe CFI. He pulled an engine on a multi engine checkout, during a power on departure stall. The airplane immediately went into a Vmc roll. I recovered and demanded that we land. I spoke with the chief instructor and never flew there again.

Some instructors are better than others. Personality plays a big part in the effectiveness of the instruction. The big message is that if things aren't working, make a change. It's hard for a student to recognize when to make this change. This is where a mentor can be a blessing.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
Personality plays a big part in the effectiveness of the instruction. The big message is that if things aren't working, make a change. It's hard for a student to recognize when to make this change. This is where a mentor can be a blessing.
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How true! Unfortunately it's taken me many thousands of dollars in instruction to realize this, and now I'm ready to give up.
 
I've never flown with a bad CFI.

Sometimes we had minor breakdowns in communication...but we always worked it out.
 
There are lots of "okay"/average CFI's out there.

There are some really excellent CFI's out there.

There are, unfortunately, some bad ones too.

Sounds like a bell curve, doesn't it?

In my experiences, I've had... One CFI who was giving me a checkout in a new (to me) aircraft type. His phone rang on downwind for my first landing, and he answered it. Buhbye. I've had one or two other bad ones too, but I can't think of 'em right off the top of my head.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
I only had one unsafe CFI. He pulled an engine on a multi engine checkout, during a power on departure stall. The airplane immediately went into a Vmc roll. I recovered and demanded that we land. I spoke with the chief instructor and never flew there again.

Some instructors are better than others. Personality plays a big part in the effectiveness of the instruction. The big message is that if things aren't working, make a change. It's hard for a student to recognize when to make this change. This is where a mentor can be a blessing.
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:hairraise: That there is just plain suicidal on his part.
 
Funny the two bad CFI that I ditched never got a clue or memo when I quit training with them lol.
 
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