Bad timing for instructor change?

[RichyRich]

Hi all

My instructor gave me the bad news last week: he's off to do his IR, which leaves me 'instructorless'. Naturally there is another to step into his shoes, but I wonder where that is going to leave me? Last time I flew (last week) I went out on my first solo nav. So the questions are

How much do you think I'm going to have to repeat because of instructor change?

What do you think I've got left to do e.g. dual and solo XC, revision of everything, build up those solo hours (only got 3.7 including the solo short nav)?

RR

[Monocock]

Wouldn't worry if I were you. When I learned at Old Sarum I had a "cocktail" of instructors. In fact there were 4 different ones and I was allocated whoever was free.

PPL was completed in 47 hrs and I personally found the variation a benefit.

[RichyRich]

When I started, now approaching two years ago, the school essentially tried to match me up with a particular instructor, but I did fly with other guys also. Like you I found that a good thing, because no matter how well you get on with the instructor, there's always something that he's missing and someone else picks up.

That school went bust, and I only continued over 8 months later. I've had the same instructor (different of course to that of the first school ;) ) since then.

As you say, I will (try to) not let it worry me, and see how I get on. With only flying once a week, and then only when Big G decides the weather will be ok, I do sometimes get a bit despondant. Gotta work on that.

RR

[FlyingForFun]

I would say this depends on the school, how good their record-keeping is, and how standardised their course is.

I'm lucky in that both of the schools I've used for training were excellent in this respect. I changed PPL instructor towards the end of my course, and it didn't delay me at all. Likewise, when my regular PPL instructor was on holiday or off sick, I would simply fly with someone else who would read my student notes left by my regular instructor, and we'd carry on where I'd left off.

Apart from my PPL training, the other course where I switched instructors was a 10-hour aerobatics course, where I don't believe I flew with the same instructor for any two consecutive lessons. But every single time I flew, the instructor knew what I'd done previously, and what was next on the agenda. This came down to the fact that the school standardised the course sufficiently that each instructor was confident that I'd learnt the previous lessons well enough to be able to progress onto the next one without the need for re-capping.

Don't worry about it - and good luck!

FFF
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[VFR800]

If your club's sorted, then this shouldn't be a problem, I've flown at 2 differing FTO's, the first used to pair me with an instructor for a while and then change if he was unavailable. This meant I ended up flying with a number of differing instructors, not a problem if you get on with them, however I had a definite problem with one guy and told the club I wouldn't fly with him again. On the flip side, I flew with an Airbus Captain who s**t hot on PFL's!

Club I fly with now only has a couple of instructors, I always get the same one (providing they don't cancel the lesson!), which is cool, 'cause she's a babe!

I do think the pupil (as the customer) should have a say, after all it's no good being stuck with an instructor you detest!;)

[flyingfemme]

If you are very close to the end of the course you would probably be going to fly with somebody else very soon anyway. There's usually some sort of check by a "different" instructor to make sure you are ready for checkride and point out areas for brushup.

[MLS-12D]

I agree with the previous posts. Look on the bright side: at least you will be getting a fresh perspective.

I had a variety of instructors when I first learned to fly in gliders; I flew with whomever was free at the time. It didn't seem to do me any harm.

When I was learning to fly airplanes, there was a change in ownership at the flying school, and my instructor was not kept on. I waited a month for him to secure new employment, and then went back to the school and after meeting with the CFI and complaining about the lack of progress, I was assigned a very experienced instructor who got me ready for my flight test with only two more lessons. In hindsight, losing the first instructor (who was a good pilot, but a poor teacher) was the best thing that could have happened to me.

Anyway, there's nothing that you can do about this, so just try to keep your chin up and make the best of it. As you gain experience, you'll find that challenges like this are common: e.g., the weather is poor for weeks on end, your instructor gets sick, your favourite airplane is down for maintenance, you finally start making rapid progress but then can't get out to the airport because of job or family commitments, etc. Try to persevere; the headaches are annoying but they are vastly outweighed by the fun of flying.

[springers]

I had a couple of lessons with a stand-in instructor, an AFI, before going solo and felt that I didn't really progress when I flew with the AFI (my instructor was ex-RAF C130s) because they had slight differences in teaching style wrt circuits/landing.

I reckon though that as you have soloed and are into consolidating and preparing for your skills test that it should be less disruptive for you. The old advice applies though - if it's not working for you, tell your new instructor and be clear about what you need from him/her.

Springers

[HelenD]

Changing instructor is a good thing as it means that any bad habits that have gone unnoticed by your regular instructor will be errased before test. You will also feel less nervous when it comes to doing your test. Treat the change in a positive manner and you will be fine. Any problems talk to the CFI sooner rather than later.

[flyingwelshman]

Just looked back at my LogBook.

During my PPL I had 5 instructors, and still passed in almost the minimum time.

Flying with different people means you pick up other "top tips" as well as learning the lessons. Flying with someone new puts you on edge as well a little - out of the "comfort zone".

Dont worry! Keep enjoying it,

FW

[RichyRich]

Thanks for all the replies. I think you are all correct in that I can only gain out of flying with someone else. Crossing my fingers for a gap in the impending weather this Sat.

RR

[Dewdrop]

Main problem is he'll want to sign you off solo again so your money is wasted meeting that requirement.

[Wot No Engines]

Dewdrop,

I take the view that a flight that I fail to learn something from is a wasted flight. It probably also signifies complacency, which if I ever feel I have developed, I will STOP - I want to stay alive.

I have never failed to learn something when flying with an instructor, and even if it is a check, will make sure that we do something that I am not happy with, or something new.

So if your new instructor insists on a check, then see what else you can get from the flight.

[Dewdrop]

I didn't say you wouldn't learn, I said it would be an extra cost, which it will be. Its about time flying schools shared this additional cost, if for no other reason as a sign of goodwill toward the student. You always learn something new from a different instructor but the change is disrupting there's no getting away from it.
It is accepted that instructor jobs are usually more to do with hours building then a life long career but I do wonder how many new students are made aware of how mobile a lot of instructors are.

[RichyRich]

Dewdrop's point about being signed off for solo again is what I'm concerned about. How many hours do I now have to go through, essentially proving myself again? What lessons are going to be repeated? Some of them I don't mind, and in fact I know need repeating, but if its circuits again for the rest of the summer, I'll find another hobby thank you very much.

Or is the situation a bit overblown, and the new instructor uses the student notes, and picks up from there?

Some of you obviously had the latter, as you yourselves have said that you had (essentially) a random instructor for your lessons.

The time when I had multiple instructors was very early on, and repeating things was the name of the game anyway, so I have no real experience of this.

I suppose I'll find out next weekend (this one being my last with my current instructor).