Owning a plane and flying it all over the place is one way to get this
experience. Flying 135 could be another.

Agreed, but instructors can also fly "all over the place" with their
students. Like someone else said, the x-c's don't have to be 1000 miles
to get good wx experience. A lot of part 135 pilots don't tend to
fly very far. As another example, Cape Air which flies from Boston
to the Islands(Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard) and other short hops,
probably have some of the best wx pilots around. They fly through
all New England wx....fog, ice, etc.. and they probably never fly
more than 150 miles. So if these pilots are able to get this experience
(difference in equipment noted) why do instructors need to be going
"all over the place" to give their students some great wx experience?

Having said all this, none of this makes someone good at teaching.
Teaching is mostly an art, you either have it or not. The best CFIs
combine a natural ability to teach with real world experience of
flying.

I don't agree that with teaching you either have it or not. I think
if you have the aptitude, over time you become a better teacher every
day you teach. I doubt that the best teachers you know were that good
on their first day because "they had it".


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
"Peter MacPherson" wrote in message
news:jY9kd.386904$D%.80590@attbi_s51...
How does owning your own airplane
make you a better instructor? I own my own airplane, have "another job",
fly a lot of actual, and he is STILL a better instructor than I.

I think "better" may be a relative term. A CFI that only does training
will be very good at getting you through the checkride. However, when
you ask real questions, like how to you manage ice you will be met
with a blank face. As an example, any CFI who says the solution to ice
in a non-ice approved plane is to stay out of the ice has never really
flown IFR outside of the training env. In actual flying (long cross
countries, flying IFR because you need to) you will end up getting ice
when its not forcast and not suppose to be there. Having the practical
background on how to come up with alternates and what type of ice to
expect in what real-world situations, how different types of ice can
be escaped, is where a good CFI gives benefit. Getting out of clear
ice can be different than getting out of rime simply because of the
environment they form in. Any CFI can read the FAA pubs and spew back
what the pubs say.
Owning a plane and flying it all over the place is one way to get this
experience. Flying 135 could be another.
Having said all this, none of this makes someone good at teaching.
Teaching is mostly an art, you either have it or not. The best CFIs
combine a natural ability to teach with real world experience of
flying.

-Robert, CFI