not funny, but insightful...i hope

I've been a flight instructor now for over 8 years.  I can for sure say that my teaching methods and style have changed and grown since I first started, and I've definitely become more, shall we say, professional in the way I teach thanks to the environment I've been working in for the past (almost) 3 years.  Pretty much anyone with the time, means, and commercial pilot certificate can go on to be a certified flight instructor, but it doesn't mean they necessarily should.  I'm not claiming to be the World's Finest CFI (and whoever is should just quit while they're ahead), but I tell you what, there's some people out there who should not be teaching.  

Think back about when you were in school- elementary, high school, doesn't matter.  Who was your favorite teacher?  Chances are it was not the one who yelled in class, chastised students in front of the others, or otherwise made you dread going in.  But you HAD to, because truancy is kind of against the law.  You suffer through the year and then move on.  What about the teacher who made no impact on you whatsoever?  The one who's class was one boring lecture right after another...the one you're thinking of but can't even remember their name.  The thing is, while and education is mandatory, taking flying lessons is not.  People come to us with large amounts of disposable income to spend on a mere hobby.  And yet, there are flight instructors out there (oh don't I know it) who yell, berate, and yes, even HIT their students.  There are flight instructors who are only interested in building up their own personal experiences so that they can bail out and run to an airline as soon as possible.  And people PAY these people to do exactly that!  Think about it- if you went in to a retail store and the clerk was chatting on the phone, too busy to bother with you, then hung up and yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" you'd leave, right?  Maybe after a few choice words, but you'd probably never go back.  

When a person decides to take flying lessons and chooses a CFI, they're basically entrusting their life with someone they barely know and are paying sometimes a couple hundred dollars an hour for it.  Would you want someone professional and experienced?  Or someone rude and abusive?  When most people sign up for flight training, they really have no idea what they're getting in to, and the poor souls that end up with less than savory instructors usually don't know any better.  It's not the customer's fault, just as it wouldn't be your fault with the rude clerk in the retail store.  It's our job as CFIs to guide our customers through their training in a respectful and professional manner.  After all, THEY'RE paying US.  They're like our boss- they can quit, essentially fire us- at any time.  However, so many people just wind up putting up with it, for god knows what reason, but I'm thinking that maybe it's the idea from the customer's point of view that the CFI is all-knowing (which we're supposed to be...mostly.  Or know where to look it up.) and that this (abusive, disrespectful way) is the way flight training should be.  And outsider can look at this and say "Um, no, anyone who'd stay is cray-cray" but allow me to share a recent story with you and my uncomfortable thoughts behind it...

A student-CFI relationship is just that, a relationship.  Similar to those we have with friends and loved ones.  There has to be a mutual respect and communication between the 2 parties for it to work.  Period.  I recently inherited a new student, let's call him "K."  I am K's 4th flight instructor.  K came to us after being thisclose to giving up flying altogether,  Here's some of his story he shared with me-
He began flight training out of a small airport northwest of town with a CFI I actually used to work with.  All the flying he did with this instructor was spent flying to other airports and getting breakfast or lunch.  Maybe some basic maneuver work every now and then, but other than that, he was not learning anything.  In fact, he never even learned to land the airplane from this man.  This particular CFI happens to think he is God's gift to flying (like I said, I know him and wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him but of course I'd never tell my new customer this.  He doesn't need that) and essentially milked money out of K while making zero progress.  K caught on after an airline pal pointed it out, and switched to a new CFI at the airport I currently work at.  This new CFI is (again, I know him, and pardon my French) an old crotchety son-of-a-bitch who probably hasn't adjusted his instructing style since his military work back in the 70s.  This man yells and verbally abuses his customers and K told me of several occasions of this man cursing him out, calling him names and refusing to take the time to teach him anything constructive as far as procedures and ground work goes.  K eventually had enough when this man started yelling at him before they even took off of the runway, and he told me he unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, got out, and said "never again am I flying with you" and he walked back across the airport, got in his car, and left.  I can't say I blamed him.  K then found another instructor, a younger guy who was splitting his time between 2 airports and was constantly on his phone talking, texting, or emailing.  Let me ask- what would you do if you went to see the doctor and he only half-listened to you try to explain your illness because he was too busy doing other things?  Would you feel jipped?  Like you're wasting your time and money?  Well, this new instructor did eventually get K to a point where he could operate the aircraft on a solo flight, but he also charged him for every.  single.  second. that they were together.  He also made (MADE!) K purchase an iPad and expensive headset, telling him they were required items.  He told K that the FAA is phasing out the use of paper navigation charts (couldn't be farther from the truth) and that's why he needed these things.  My boss had to tell K after he came to us that if he showed up to an FAA flight test with no paper charts, he'd fail.  Which is true.  This instructor would also take K up in cloudy, nasty weather without briefing him on what to do or expect, just to build his own flight time up.  Admittedly, conditions like that could have been educational, if only K had been properly prepped for them.  K basically has close to 60 hours of flight time and nothing to show for it.  To put that in perspective, our average customers have between 60-70 hours by the time they're ready for their FAA flight tests.    

I feel bad for K, and I'm taking a lot of extra time and devoting a lot of extra attention to him, especially since he's had no organization or proper ground school instruction.  Coming out of those horrible CFI relationships is not at all unlike getting out of an abusive relationship.  I know, I've been there.  It was several years ago, but it still affects me.  When I finally had had enough (after 10 months) and called the police on my ex, it was a very scary, yet freeing world I came back in to.  Little things would make me noticeably happy, like getting to choose the radio station that I alone wanted to listen to, instead of being told my taste in music sucks.  Forgetting to run an errand I'd planned on, or not having time to complete a chore around the house and NOT having it turn in to a messy fight with me on the defensive.  Things were okay.  People were nice.  I could talk to whoever I wanted to, I could go over to a friend's house if I wanted to without fear of punishment.  

K is the same way after breaking up with his last CFI...he's told me he's nervous a bit about the flying because he doesn't want to upset me if he doesn't do well.  He's afraid that I'm going to tell him that he's not good enough and that he should quit.  I've been doing this long enough to know that not everyone learns the same way and that some people may require a more delicate approach, especially ones who have been damaged in past relationships.  I take my time with K, we plan out the lesson together, we go over procedures for maneuvers in the classroom beforehand (which he'd never done before), and we carefully follow the airplane checklist (also something he'd never used before) so there are no surprises and he knows exactly what I expect from the lesson for that day.  Today he was visibly relaxed and actually told me that he really had a fun time on the flight, that I am an excellent instructor, and that he wishes he'd known to start at our school from the beginning.  My heart just about melted!  I love hearing such positive things from customers, and it feels good knowing that I'm doing a good job.  K is going to take some work, but he is eager to learn.  It's like he's stepping out of a dark basement of a world into the light.  A little skittish to start, but I think he'll eventually do very well.  It just takes proper guidance from someone who (again, pardon my French and pardon for not ending on an eloquent note) actually gives a shit.