"doc" wrote in message
...
are awfully hard to find.

I just "interviewed" a couple at local flight schools by taking little
flights with them, ostensibly just for rust removal.

There's no way I'd hire them for instrument training. It is
tough to find an instructor who really knows his stuff, is a good
teacher and is congenial enough that I'd be willing to spend 10's of
hours in a cockpit with him/her.

Just an observation. I don't expect anyone to have a solution.

Oh...I don't know. They're out there if you look. It's true that finding
just the right combination of qualities you have mentioned isn't the
easiest task in the world, but it's worth the effort looking around for
the right instructor.
Just a tip; although first impressions are important and are what hit
you square in the puss when you start this quest, for someone like
yourself; knowing beforehand what you're looking for can actually skew
the interview if you're not careful. It's very easy to go in with an up
front conception for what you are expecting as a positive result that is
so strong it overpowers what would normally pass as "conditions" of the
day".
Everyone has pressures and schedules and chief flight instructors to
deal with. You might be catching a very good prospect and letting them
get away when your "net" should have caught them. You have to make
absolutely certain that you're considering everything......all the data
points....before you write off someone who came with a fair
recommendation. When you interview, just make sure you're "up" on the
atmosphere you're encountering so that your opinion doesn't get skewered
on you.
Bottom line.....in your quest for a GOOD instructor......be
aware........be advised.......and be alert. Observe the whole picture.
Then when you're certain you have considered it all, make your decision.
I'm just passing this on to you because I've seen many a mistake made by
students going into these things with preconception. Not to say that
preconception isn't a good idea...it is. But it also has to be tempered
and flexible to be an effective tool.
Best of luck in your quest,
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
for email; take out the trash