On 2007-12-26 09:24:54 -0800, "Jim Macklin"
said:

I'll add one more think, the instructor/student relationship is very
personal. Instructors have plan and if a student flies with another
instructor who does not follow the principle instructors plan, it is a
problem. Often the INSTRUCTOR has a series of step by step lesson plans,
concentrating on mastering airwork, turns of all kinds, ground reference
maneuvers, airspeed control and is not ready for "landings" yet.
The student is happy because they are flying and working hard and learning
the basics. But if the instructor is ill and another instructor subs a
problem arises.
#2 instructor may just say to the student, "You've got 8 hours, so let's
stay in the pattern and practice take-offs and landings."

This is the thing, though. Too many instructors do nothing except what
#2 instructor does -- and so their students never learn to fly.

I would say that one of the first things you want to do is ask a
potential instructor's other students how closely the instructor
follows the syllabus. There are several possible answers:

1) "What syllabus?" An instructor without a syllabus will not teach you
to fly. Flee from an instructor who does not use one.

2) "Step by step. If the weather does not allow us to do the next
lesson, we cancel." Not as bad as the first, but it will take a long
time to finish with this instructor, especially in the Pacific
Northwest where the weather is often bad.

3) "We started out using a syllabus, but lately I am just practicing
takeoffs and landings. I have 120 landings and I still am not getting
it right." You will not get them right, either, if you fly with this
instructor. He started out with good intentions, but for some reason he
has stopped instructing. He just likes riding in the airplane with his
students.

4) "We have a syllabus, but if the weather does not work for a
particular lesson, we do something else. If he has a substitute
instructor, he follows the syllabus, too." Good instructor with good
backup. You can bet he will have you fly with a check instructor from
time to time, too, just to confirm his own observations and to make
sure you get a fresh point of view.

I do not like instructors who are abusive -- an instructor should never
use foul language and nearly all of his criticism should be positive.
It is better to say "Try keeping your airspeed at 65 knots on final"
instead of "Your landings were lousy today," but it is a lot easier for
some instructors to say the latter instead of the former.


--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor