Training thought

L

Luvrv8

Line Up and Wait
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Sep 11, 2011
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Camarillo Ca
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KCMA flyer
I was lucky enough to be able to buy a airplane to get my private instruction in and hired a free lance CFI. I am now training for my IFR ticket with the same plane and CFII.

Yesterday I was cleaning my airplane and a few students from the flight school came by and we had a conversation about training. They had the opinion that a structured school and the schools planes were a better way to go for training. I said I much rather own the plane so I had the ability to oversee the repairs, add equipment as I see fit and hire my own CFII. As we talked about it they brought up that the flight school had several (around 8) CFII's that they were able to share info with. Now my CFII is a corporate pilot, has around 19K hours and flys 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off as most of his flights are in Europe etc.

My question is what are your opinions on the 2 different types of training? My thoughts are that with my CFII he has a bank of knowledge to fall back on, he does not need my time and at 40 an hour he is not making his living on me. I know that the 3 weeks off is not great for me but I am able to fly with friends in that time on IFR flights for lunch at least 2X a week. I am very happy with his style of training, we get along great in the plane. He is a stickler on cockpit management, procedures and training me to ATP standards to the point the other students say its too much too soon. The school WILL NOT let students with their CFII fly actual. My CFII not only has me in IMC but likes to train in wind shooting the ILS in 20 G27 this week as he says its learning to get me to figure out correction headings. Is he asking too much of a IFR student?
 
No he is not asking too much...he is showing what you may face past your training and check ride.

I just recommend leveraging his knowledge and experience against a syllabus like Gliem or one of the others....
 
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I have to generally agree here. Someone asking you to fly to a higher standard is never a bad thing...
 
First, the best training environment for any particular pilot may or may not be the best training evironment for any other particular pilot. It's all about individual needs, abilities, resources, availabilities, learning styles etc. I will say that if you're planning on a professional flying career in a large, procedures-oriented highly-standardized flying orgainization (airlines, military, big corporate operation, etc), you may find a large, regimented training program will better prepare you for how you'll be expected to learn, train, and fly later on, but that's a different and specialized issue.

As for challenging the trainee to be better and operate in less-than-favorable conditions, I'm all for it. Nobody gets good or better at their craft without being pushed by themselves and/or their trainers/coaches/bosses.
 
The thing I see with large training centers is a type of in-breeding
on instruction. I find it really interesting that most colleges will not hire
their own alumni for Professor positions in anything but aviation.
Dave
 
The replies are what I was thinking but just wanted to bounce it off of a few others on the "outside".

On a recent training flight we encountered a problem, my CDI went out on the ILS to Oxnard. I told him I lost it and he said "What is your next move?". I leveled the plane, got a VOR clearance to Camarillo with my #2 radio. This was happening in IMC conditions. He never sounded excited, he never took the plane in fact his arms stayed crossed the whole time. After that I knew I had the right CFII with me. I wondered if a newer CFII trying to build time would have handled it that way as well. It might have been good training that day but it did cost me $700 to American Avionics for a repair. My CFII said that type of failure was is uncommon but glad if it was going to happen it was with a CFII.

I have a friend who is a Senior Caption at Delta, I asked my CFII it he was cool with me getting a few approches in while he was gone for 3 weeks, his reply was for me to fly with him as much as I could. That statement told me he is comfortable with what he is training me and has nothing to hide. In fact he has told me to schedule a mock check ride with him before I schedule my real check ride.
 
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I've done all my training Part 61. My private through CFI were done with one instructor, who has about 75% of his time in piston singles and twins, flying in all kinds of weather, doing the kind of flying that I do. I found this to be extremely helpful, because he was able to teach me the kind of things I need to know as a pilot. Was he the perfect instructor? Absolutely not. But he's also done a good job on the whole.

I augmented my instruction with learning from my own research, reading the FAR/AIM, and other pilot mentors.

And I commend your instructor for pushing you. That will make you a safer pilot.
 
Son,...any instrument flying school that does not let their instructors fly in actual imc,...run - run as fast as you can away from there.
 
(he said "What is your next move?)

That is proper instruction, let the student decide how to get out of a situation that isn't immediate danger. If he gave you the textbook instruction of what to do, or took over, you would not have truly learned. When I instruct I point out what might be wrong, let the student realize it, and then let him know it's his decision how to fix it.
 
Again, thanks for the input. It's nice to get input from people that are removed from the school and my CFII.
 
Did my private and instrument with an independent CFI. It worked great for me.
 
Sounds like your CFII really knows his stuff...he flys IFR every working day. As his student, your instructor can safely draw you in to the real complexities of navigation, (like your recently failed CDI) the ATC system...and how your particular aircraft fits in it, and, equally as important, cockpit organization (mandatory, when single-pilot). I don't wish to paint all double Is with this brush, but many instrument instructors lack much real-world experience.

But rolling ideas around with other instrument students (and other instructors) also has plenty of merit...so, why don't you do both? My only concern with your current guy is the athrophy of your skills while you wait for him, 3 weeks at a time. So, while he is off flying the globe, why don't you poke around the flight school a bit, to see if it feels right. Someone said it takes a village...
 
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