My ab-initio instructress was absolutely excellent - Lindsay Glaum (Swaziland) who was immortalised in Anthony Woodhead's Propellerhead. I bought Lindsay (Rrrrrright rudder, rrrrrright rudder) and John her husband dinner after I passed.
I kept in touch with them throughout the years, kept them up to date on my latest flying acheivements and had arranged to visit them (fly in to their Swazi farmstrip) whilst in RSA.
Unfortunately Lindsay and John were murdered by an intruder in Jan 2001, exactly a week before I was due to visit.
I feel that I owe them ever such a lot - John was building a Christen Eagle and explained how the EAA worked and told tales of a trip to Oshkosh. Almost 15 years later, I've been to Oshkosh, built my own aeroplane and believe that that couple sowed the seeds for all of that!
Yes - good instructors are worth their weight in gold. Dinner at a "posh" Swazi gaff was definetely not enough!
Stik