I quit my pilots lessons today.

Aviation General Aviation
1

I have never quit anything in my life that I really wanted to do but today, after 9 + hours I have had enough of this arrogant instructor. Nothing I do is right. For example today, I taxied either too fast or too slow, 3000 feet doesn’t mean 3005 or 2995 feet. A heading of 130 doesn’t mean 131 or 129 no matter how much wind you have or how hot it is. Let’s see, gotta hear the thump thump thump of the center line when landing if not, you ain’t landing right. Too much rudder, too little rudder.

Here is the kicker for me. I can fly the plane just fine (172M) it is just this guy is ex military and is over bearing. He yells when you are taking off and during the entire landing sequence. Anything from “don’t look at the flap knob, look outside” to stay here stay there. What the heck happened to sterile cockpits?

Now this happened two weeks back. During my pre-flight and when I turned the master on to lower the flaps, I had no power at all. I switched it on and off several times, nothing. He comes out and askes what my “problem” is that the preflight isn’t complete. I tell him and he proceeds to tell me I ran “HIS” battery down. WHAT? I just unlocked the dang doors and tried to lower the flaps. He messed with the switch and then hit the panel with his palm and oresto…we have master switch control again. I asked if we were going to use another plane and he said nope…this one is fine. It pissed him off that I questioned his precious Cessna and the intermitting master switch. Reluctently I flew anyway and when we got back, I tried to see if it would come back on after switching it off…NOPE.

Last week, I go to check the fuel and the check valve sticks. I cannot stop the flow of fuel. Again, “WHAT DID YOU DO”? I done just what I supposed to do, check the dang fuel. What does he do, taps with a pocket knife or something until it finally quit. I went to climb up to check the level, “NO TIME FOR THAT” “YOU HAVE WASTED TIME ON THIS CHECK VALVE” Screaming I tell you.

I have 9.7 hrs in the plane, 7 hours ground school and I have to hear the same spill every time. This is “MY” school, “I run it the way I want to” and these are “MY” planes and I let who I want to fly in them".

Here is the part I don’t understand…where are the smiling faces and shaking hands you see in the advertisements you see all over the palce when people are taking lessons? I cannot say I wasn’t warned AFTER I paid some up front money. I found that he is banned from two other local FBO’s and one airport entirely.

I have such a bad taste for flight lessons now that I don’t even want go to another school. I’d rather take up knitting than to go through that crap again.

Sorry…I had to vent.

2

:laughing: and vent you did! Find another school…period. Or another CFI. Thats all there is to it. I went thru three CFIs and finally found a good one. Of course, this was 25 yrs ago. Oh and two instrument instructors…But the fact still remains. He sucks. He calls you tell him to go F himself. He’s ex military. He’s heard the word before I’m sure. :laughing: And if he were the one doing my BFR and said or talked to me that way… I wouldve banged his head against the airplane. But I’m a hot head and have my ppl…so thats not good advice. :blush:

3

I agree, find another CFI. You’ll never regret getting that ticket. This guy sounds like a jerk. I’m an AIGI myself and I don’t recall EVER yelling at a student nor having an instructor yell at me.

4

are you selling your supplies now?

5

Please don’t quit flying, quit wasting your money with an instructor that doesn’t know how to teach!
It’s your money, YOU choose your instructor, find an instructor that you can get along with in the cockpit. Go someplace else and fly an hour with another instructor and see if they are the kind of person that works with you in learning how to fly.
He’s trying to teach accuracy but going about it in the wrong way, this isn’t the military and you don’t need that kind of precision for a Private pilots certificate.

6

What flight school is this so we can warn other people

7

Call the feds and have him put under review, They’ll do that with a valid enough camplaint. I had a ground instructor put under review when I took commercial and then instrument ground with the same guy, when all he did was blaze through the ASA book and talk about how he cant wait to get home and start drinking, didnt cover a lot of the material and when questions were asked he was VERY short with the answer and didnt fully explain things.

8

There are thousands of CFI’s dying to get more flight time (especially with this new ATP requirement on the horizon). There is no reason to have any CFI who is not compatible with your personality. You are paying for this, you are the customer. You are not being paid to feel misserable.

9

Thanks for the replies guys. Let me make something clear…When I say things like 3000 is 3000, not 3005, imagine a drill instrcutor up in yor face screaming at the top of his lungs. This guy would ruin a nice headset speaker in no time. He would say things like, if you cannot maintain 3000 feet, give me the controls. Guess what, I said take the controls then… and you know where he flew at, 2910 to 3100 the whole way back to the airport. Never was a nice word spoke after the first day and the paperwork was done. All he said was “don’t be tardy”.

I am in my late 40’s and have never seen anything like this in my life. I guess it is partially my fault because I was warned but…I figured what the heck, I can get along with most anyone and it is only for an hour or so a day. WRONG… I told my Wife that I hoped it would rain on the days I supposed to fly just to put it off. At least I could just walk out of the classroom, er um, supply closet. I did have him return to the airport on two occasions. I told him it was hard to own the controls with shot nerves. He even went so far as to call my new DC H10-60 a cheap headset.

OK enough…I’ll get worked up again. Sorry for the long rant but you know, sometimes it is best to rant with people who can relate.

Oh, and without calling out names, it was at KAGS and there is only one flight school there!

Thanks again guys and maybe after a month or so break I’ll want to go again. My spirits are broken right now and could care less about about an airplane. There is Augusta Aviation and KDNL that offers lessons but I PROMISE…I’ll ask to speak to some CURRENT students before I enlist!

10

Besides, he’s trying to teach you to risk your life, with the fuel check valve and master switch incidents. Get away from that madman, and tell others too.

11

All CFIs can fly. Fewer CFIs can teach. Make your focus for a new instructor on the teaching end. You’ll end up a better pilot.

12

I agree with all of the comments here–find another CFI/school. I’m currently a part 61 student and i’m enjoying it VERY much.

There are good instructors and there are bad instructors. There are instructors who are only getting hours for an ATP license. You should talk to another CFI and if you like what you hear, go with him/her.

My dad is giving me some grief because there are cheaper CFIs around than the one I’m using. But I think I’m better off: I’m at a real flight school with multiple instructors and when mine is on vacation, I can schedule with another; and I’m at a controlled airport where I’m getting a lot of experience with ATC and somewhat busy airspace.

I’ve had some very memorable experiences in training so far. By far, the most exciting was when one of the other students was practicing short field TO/LDG at another airport. He had a tire blow out and the school needed to send a mechanic and new wheel out. So my instructor told me today we’re going to practice a full weight takeoff and landing. I flew my CFI, two mechanics, a wheel, and a jack out to the other airport. At the end of the lesson, my CFI told me that this was probably the most material he has ever covered in one lesson. We did a full weight takeoff/landing, controlled and uncontrolled airport procedures, taxiway safety, airplane maintenance, and all the normal stuff in the lesson. I’m very glad my instructor let me fly along on this!

So stick with it and hopefully you’ll get some great stories too!

13

Find a new CFI. It’s too early to quit.

14

You’ve already read all the reasons to change CFIs and not give up, but I’ll add one additional thought. If you’ve pre-paid any money at all to this fellow, get a refund.

Don’t ask for it, demand it.

15

I suggest you read this book: It’s Not My Department: How to Get the Service You Want, Exactly the Way You Want It by Peter Glen

I read this book about 18 years ago and I use it’s lessons every day. This is one of the few books I’ve ever read that has really changed me. In this case, it changed me as a customer and also as a business person.

What do you think dadalope?

16

you ever read Willy Wanka and the Chololate Factory? its 1 of 2 books i red cover to cover in High School.

Grapes of wrath was the other.

17

Wanka? That’s exactly what i think when I read your posts. And you only read 2 books in high school!!! Zoinks

18

Hey now, i dont even know if i read that many books in High School, i hated to read, i spent most of my time on the golf course.

I love those Cliff Notes!!!

19

Let me add another spin on this CFI thing. YOU are his BOSS. YOU are PAYING HIM! Look him dead in the eyes and tell him, “YOU’RE FIRED!” Give him a little Donald Trump “cobra” jesture for a little emphasis!

http://dashrconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trump-youre-fired1.jpg

20

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Love it.