On Mon, 1 Mar 2010 14:48:17 -0800 (PST), glider
wrote:

Just for fun, I wonder how many CFI-G types have Gold Badges with
Diamonds? How many instructors compete?
I would think that an active instructor is not the same chap that
goes for long flights or gets involved with competition. I'll bet it
takes a different mind-set to want to instruct.


Interesting point - and I disagree completely.

If you allow, I'd like to add my German point of view:
Here in Germany there are very, very few XC pilots who are *not*
instructing in their clubs.
Nearly all of the famous XC-pilots in Germany are active instructors
in his club (for example, in my club, 3 of the 9 active instructors
are currently members of the German 15m class national team).


On my side of the pond the career of a CFIG usually looks like this:

One gets his license, starts to fly XC, maybe competitions, and is
being watched all the time by the instructors of the club. Sooner or
later any talented pilot is going to be asked if he wouldn't like to
become an instructor - usually in terms that make it difficult to
decline this offer. In many cases the club even sponsors the
instructor course.


How does the career of a CFIG look in other places of the world?

Cheers
Andreas


p.s.
Of course even in Germany there are CFIGs who don't do any XC at all -
but they are a small minority.