'So, who's a good instructor?'
Weather queries are easy to field, because the arcane science of meteorology is not well understood. Your answers, however imaginative, are not likely to be challenged.
Who is the best instructor? That is a far tougher question to handle, for a variety of reasons ranging from your knowledge (or lack of it) of the local instructor corps, to personal biases that may not be shared by the questioner. A technically incorrect answer about why the clouds disappear at night is one thing. Bad advice about the expensive, time-consuming, and highly personal challenge of taking flight instruction is quite another.
Twice in recent weeks I've been asked for an instructor recommendation. The first time was by a friend who has had a lifelong desire to learn to fly, but has never acted on it. He has decided that the time has come-for both him and his 14-year-old daughter. He wanted the two of them to take introductory lessons.
I was genuinely thrilled to hear of his decision, especially since it would be a flight of two. Then he popped the question: "So, who's a good instructor?"
A few weeks later I got the same question, but under different circumstances. A private pilot and aircraft owner was looking for some instrument instruction. He holds an instrument rating, but he was neither proficient nor current. "So, who's a good instrument instructor?"
At first I thought to name the instructor with whom I am most familiar. And why not? If I'm happy with this instructor, shouldn't others be as well?
Perhaps, but perhaps not. My professional relationship with instructors at my home field is mostly concerned with multiengine proficiency. Most instructors are capable of providing a wide range of services, but primary instruction is a lot different than multiengine instruction, which is different than instrument instruction. Each requires specific training and skills, and each benefits from specific experience. The instructor I use to maintain and enhance my flying skills may or may not be the best choice for a primary or instrument student.
Instructors' training credentials and specific experience in a particular type of instruction are just some of the factors to consider when advising a friend or acquaintance. The recommendation also should take into account the person who is asking for your advice.
What is his or her flying goal? Is it to take a tentative sip to see if it tastes good enough to go for the big gulp? Or is the person fully committed to diving into a comprehensive ground- and flight-training curriculum with the hard and fast goal of earning a private certificate?
Most likely, the truth lies somewhere in between an introductory flight and an accelerated, intensive flight-training program. The goal may be to take instruction leading to solo-a tremendous achievement. We hope that all student pilots who solo will eventually become certificated pilots, but for some, soloing is the endgame.
If that is the case, it might be best to suggest an instructor who understands the student's objectives and is strong on patience and interpersonal skills, rather than a large, busy flight school with uniformed instructors and a more formal, professional atmosphere. The student probably would feel out of place in the larger school, where the majority of students may be young and career-oriented.
Speaking of age, it should be a consideration when recommending instructors, but it's less of a factor than you might think. Conventional wisdom holds that student pilots prefer older, more experienced CFIs to kids clutching brand-new flight instructor certificates. After all, what's not to like about years of experience teaching many people the science and art of flying?
Experience certainly does count for a lot in flight instruction. Some of the most valuable lessons about flying result from life experience-stuff that can't be found in textbooks and CDs. The longer an instructor has been flying from the right seat, the more varied the experience and the deeper the well of knowledge. Age alone should not be the trump card, however. A rich flying history is wasted as a teaching tool if the instructor is rigid and inflexible, or a poor communicator. A young and inexperienced instructor who is sharp on the fundamentals, has real empathy for students, and can suggest creative ways to overcome learning hurdles probably is the better choice.
Age isn't the only consideration when it comes to recommending an instructor. There's also gender. My personal belief is that women probably feel more comfortable with a female instructor. My wife disagrees and counters that males are more comfortable with a guy CFI. I suppose that just proves we're both wrong, and both right. Looking at the big picture, gender doesn't really matter, but when it comes down to the individual, some people do have a preference.
So, recommending an instructor isn't quite as easy as passing along the name of your personal favorite. The prospective student's goals and objectives, personality, and possible age and gender biases all or separately may play a part in determining who is the best fit. The same factors ought to be applied to the instructor.
I did recommend instructors to my friend and his daughter, and to the aircraft owner looking for instrument instruction. But I also urged the prospective student pilots to visit AOPA Online. It has lots of information on what it takes to learn to fly and a comprehensive list of flight schools.
My second recommendation was to visit the facilities and meet the staff. Great training aircraft and well-equipped classrooms are ideal, but the most important teaching tool is the instructor.
A student must feel comfortable with and confident in his or her instructor if the relationship is to be efficient and productive. Learning to fly is no different than any type of education-the best curriculum and facilities can't make up for a poor instructor, but a great instructor can make up for a lot of deficiencies in the school and the curriculum. It all comes down to who will be sitting in that right seat.
I don't know what path the airplane owner took because the request for an instructor recommendation came secondhand. But I'm happy to report that the father and daughter followed my advice-to a point. He did some online research and then paid a visit to the instructor I first recommended. His search ended there. He and his daughter took an introductory flight. They both were thrilled with the instructor and the experience, and say they want to continue. I highly recommend they do just that.
Mark Twombly is a writer and editor who has been flying for 35 years. He is a commercial pilot with instrument and multiengine ratings and co-owner of a Piper Twin Comanche.
Related Articles
