A good instructor deserves a raise
I'm a private pilot student with 30.5 hours of flight training. I've soloed and am finishing my cross-country trips. I have an excellent instructor and am happy with him, but he's just raised his rates from $30 an hour to $35 in the middle of my flight training program. He's an independent flight instructor who works though a local flying club. The flying club has no control over what he charges for instruction. It's not the money that bothers me. It's that he raised his rates part way through my training that I think is unfair. Is there something I can do about this?
Thanks,
Perry
Greetings Perry:
You've got to be kidding, right? You have an "excellent" instructor and are apparently learning at a rate faster than the national average, and you feel that your instructor is unfair because he raised his rates midway through your training? The fact is that this CFI probably spends more time with you than he charges for. Given that you'll probably spend no more than 20 additional hours of ground and flight dual, the most you'll pay extra is $100. That's probably less than you're paying for one hour's airplane rental. If you have a good CFI, then I can assure you that he (or she) is probably not being paid anything near what he's worth, and that's a fact! It's a shame, too. Is there is something you can do about it? Yes. Pay him $40 an hour and count your blessings for having a good CFI.
A checkride guest
Dear Rod:
I recently took a checkride and passed, but not without a great deal of anxiety. When I showed up for the ride, the designated examiner asked if it would be OK if an FAA inspector sat through the oral and came along for the ride. The designated examiner said that he also has to take evaluation rides from the FAA to check his performance. I felt very ill at ease saying yes, but did so anyway. The last thing I needed was another inspector on board the airplane. Is it reasonable to have another inspector along on these checkrides?
Should I have said just said no? Is the ride any likely to be more relaxed with the FAA along? I'd like to know what you think about it.
Sincerely,
Shirley
Greetings Shirley:
Is a checkride likely to be a more relaxing experience with the FAA along? I simply can't imagine how it could. Common sense tells you that if the designated examiner is being examined, then he (or she) is not likely to be as relaxed as he would be if he were doing your check solo. More important, since a checkride, especially a primary one, is really about convincing the designated examiner that you'll be a safe pilot, now you must essentially convince two examiners of that idea. That doesn't sound like a more relaxed environment to me.
I fully realize that many folks will say that if you're a competent pilot candidate, then you should be able to handle the anxiety of two inspectors on the airplane. If this were a checkride for a commercial or airline transport pilot, I'd probably agree with them. If it were a private checkride, I wouldn't. I've known many a competent pilot who spooked him- or herself out of a successful checkride performance by not handling the checkride jitters well. The essential question here is, why should you expose yourself to two inspectors for the price of one? Somehow, I find it difficult to believe that having two inspectors on board will make any evaluation of your airmanship any easier or more comfortable for you.
On the other hand, you asked if it was reasonable to permit an FAA inspector to come along for the ride. My answer is a definite yes, but only if you are sure that having an extra person along won't interfere with your performance. You'll have to make that call.
If you feel that you wouldn't care to be examined when the examiner is being examined, then let the designated examiner know in advance. You can simply state that if the examiner is being evaluated on your ride, then you'd prefer to reschedule the event.
I'm not saying nor suggesting that the ride would be any less fair with two sets of examining eyes along. Fairness is a function of the character of the two individuals involved, and we can only assume that both will be reasonable people. I am suggesting that the ride isn't likely to be a less anxious experience in such instances.
Doubts about teaching
Dear Rod.
This is not your typical question about a student having doubts about their instructor. This is about my having doubts about my capability as a potential instructor.
I want to become a corporate or airline pilot, and I know the two best routes are working as an instructor or the military. The military will no longer be an option as I am approaching the upper age limit. I did not go in sooner because I had doubts about uprooting my life.
The problem is that I also have doubts about being an instructor. I don't want to be a bad instructor because it is a huge responsibility to teach people to become safe pilots. I only have my private pilot certificate and am now working on an instrument rating. Will my doubts about being a good instructor go away with experience, or are they an indication of a larger problem?
No Name Please
Greetings NNP:
The fact that you're actually taking the time to write someone and seek advice on whether you'll be a good CFI is, in itself, character revealing. I infer from this that you want to do a good job at teaching, but have no benchmark by which to gauge your ability to do so. That's OK. As I see it, you're one step ahead of the person who is only concerned about building flight time.
I've always felt that doubt can be a powerful motivator, especially when it involves aviation training. Perhaps it will compel you to read a bit more, think a bit harder, and practice a bit longer. In this sense, doubt is an ally, not necessarily a hindrance to you. Experience has taught me to trust "doubt" as a disposition more than "apathy" or even "extreme certainty" in the matter of predicting our future performance.
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. Will doubt ever go away? If you're lucky, it won't.
The only way to know for sure whether you'll be good at flight instruction is to try it. You can always stop instructing, right? If you enjoy flying and enjoy sharing the experience with others, then you'll probably enjoy instructing. Enjoying flying and sharing it with others is the important part, learning how to teach well is a matter of experience (and asking questions, just like the one you asked me).
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site.
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