Reconstructing long-ago hours
I am a private pilot who started flying in 1959 and flew for many years after that. In the interim, I misplaced my logbook. As I recall, I had about 250 hours as pilot in command. How do I go about bringing a new logbook up to date so I can start flying again?
Kent
Greetings Kent:
Look for any documentation in support of your previous flight time. This could be FBO schedule sheets, check stubs, receipts, or statements from flight instructors or anyone else that might authenticate your experience. Use these items to document the reconstruction of the flight time in your logbook. You can also make an official declaration of your time in the logbook, sign it, have it notarized as being your official statement, and leave it at that. The issue here is whether anyone will accept it as an official record. It's all a matter of making your hours claim believable. I'd also suggest contacting your local Flight Standards District Office and getting the FAA's take on the problem. If you plan to pursue a higher rating, then following the FAA's guidelines should help you to authenticate the experience that you declare in your book.
On the other hand, if your objective is to fly for fun and you don't need your earlier hours to pursue a higher rating, then I wouldn't worry about reconstructing all your flight time. Your private pilot certificate is all you need to train for a flight review. Purchase a new logbook, find a good CFI, and begin training. There's no need to document any previous time in that situation. (For more, see the aviation subject report, "Logbooks and Logging Time," on AOPA Online. -- Ed.)
A flight instructor syllabus
Dear Rod:
What is the syllabus of materials that you'd recommend to help me prepare for pursuing my avocation as a CFI/II?
Sincerely,
Todd
Greetings Todd:
The most comprehensive training syllabus for flight instructor preparation with which I'm familiar is the one offered by Ralph Butcher. It's backed by decades of flight experience and is precisely what you want to help you prepare for your flight instructor certificates. Visit his Web site to learn more about it.
To be fair, I'm sure there are a lot of other good syllabi for pilots on the market that I haven't seen. If someone cares to recommend something they've used and found effective for the CFI certificate, I might mention it in a future column.
Studying for the instrument knowledge test
Dear Rod:
I am training for the instrument rating with an excellent instructor, but I am having difficulty preparing for the IFR knowledge test. Basically, I'm having trouble remembering the lesson problems and answers from the test guide. Since I don't have a good memory, could you recommend a set of flash cards to assist me?
Mr. T.
Greetings Mr. T.:
Flash cards are fine, but why use only flash cards when you can improve your memory by purchasing Harry Lorayne's memory book? It's titled The Memory Book. That makes it easy to remember. Flash cards will help you to prepare for the exam, but they won't solve your memory problem.
Lorayne's book is an excellent investment. I've known people who learned a few basic memory techniques and could memorize long strings of facts and figures as well as the contents of entire books. Learn these techniques and you'll never have a problem memorizing anything.
CFI salaries
Dear Rod:
I would love to be a flight instructor, but I've seen on the Internet that the salaries are very low. Are they low because so many pilots instruct for a few years and then move on, or do they increase for those who instruct full time?
Thanks,
Ryan
Greetings Ryan:
There are several reasons why an instructor's salary might be low. An instructor who works for a flight school or fixed-base operator often relinquishes part of his or her fee to that business (which is only fair, since the business is generating students for that instructor). Some businesses keep instructors' fees low to attract more students, and this often makes it hard for CFIs to earn a reasonable income.
Many people, however, become instructors as a means of transitioning to higher-paying jobs flying airliners and corporate aircraft. The result is that many CFIs are willing to work for a lower fee to accumulate flight time.
On the other hand, there are independent instructors like Alec Cody and Gene Hudson in Southern California who have earned such incredible reputations as educators that they make top pay for their time ($70 to $100 per hour). These and other instructors of similar caliber earn top dollar because of the quality of their work. Thus, they are in great demand, and pilots gladly pay a higher price for their time. Of course, a good reputation isn't earned overnight. It may take many years before you acquire the necessary skills and polish to earn the income that would please you.
After more than three decades of talking with instructors, it's very clear to me that economic success as a flight instructor requires that you act like a pro and exercise the basic business and social skills that any 18-year-old with a little common sense should already know. No doubt someone will write and say that he's a pro CFI but can't make a living in Bisbee, Arizona, because the population is just too small. Then again, it seems to me that any 18-year-old would know that you don't open a surfboard shop in Bisbee, Arizona, because the demand just isn't there.
You get the point, right? To earn top dollar as a CFI you may have to move to a more populated area where the weather is good for long periods of time. On the other hand, I know a few incredible CFIs with such great reputations that pilots fly to their Midwest location for flight training. Reputation is everything.
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1974, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site.
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