(Dancebert) wrote in message . com...
Does everbody teach soaring the same way? If so, excuse me while I
step outside and scream.

I've had 24 flights with 4 different instructors at two different
schools. (I switched schools quickly after realizing that there are
some places where humans were not meant to be in August) The
instruction mode all four used I describe is "I'll tell you what to do
but I'm not going to tell you how to do it". After I screw up a few
times, figure out enough of what happened to ask an intelligent
question, they will tell me how to do it. What I want to know is why
the bleep don't they tell me in the first place?

I cannot speak for other instructors, but I remember using a similar
method for certain situations. A hundred or so years ago when I taught
hang gliding, and I had first day students, I would put the bagged
glider on the ground, and tell the 4 or 5 of them, "go ahead, set it
up". They would say, "how"? I would say, "figure it out". The results
were always comical, but eventually they would learn about all the
parts, break the ice between themselves with teamwork, and get it set
up. Sometimes upside down. Rather than me saying "put this here", they
had to examine the whole contraption and it's parts, and they would
learn a great deal more than if I showed them.
You can tell a good instructor by what he doesn't tell you sometimes.
I never "taught anyone to fly", but I have guided many students safely
while they learned it on their own, so to speak. That was my job. To
keep you alive & guide you while you learn. One power-to-glider
transition pilot, on his first out of control attempt at aerotow said,
" I can't believe it's so hard, I read the book"!
You will learn more & better what you figure out on your own, than
what somebody tells you.
Having said all that, and not knowing the particulars, maybe you just
found crummy instructors? Or maybe your a crummy student? (nothing
personal)
Find the instructor you get along with best, & schedual with him/her
exclusively, even if you have to miss a few days. Jumping around to
different instructors can easily double your time-to-solo. And stick
with it, it's definatly worth it.
-Dan