I was lucky to be of an age that the guys who taught me to fly had flown Hurricanes, Mosquitos, Lancaster's, Viscounts, Tridents, VC10's and yet were more than happy to try to help put right my appalling landings in the PA38.
The final thing is that the two worst taught subjects at PPL level are aerodynamics and aircraft technical, I don't know what to recommend about aerodynamics apart from getting a copy of Kermode's book on the subject. Most of the technical teaching is stuck in the era of the Tiger Moth and so totally outdated and the only way around this one it to talk to the guys who maintain the aircraft.
I could also quote you many of those sorts of guys who are the worst kinds of instructors as well. Just because you flew an airliner or were involved in the war that doesn't make you a good flying instructor. Teaching is vocational and very few actually have that true vocation, many think they have but its more about themselves than it is about their students.
Ive seen brand new instructors teach far better than so called professionals that were doing the job for years and lost their enthusiasm a good while ago.#
Asking an instructor why he/she instructs can be very illuminating!