Converison FAA to EASA - having a difficult time preparing for check-ride

[Transsonic2000]

Hi all,

perhaps somebody is/was in the same boat and has some advise for me. My EASA exams will expire by the end of October this year (2018) and currently I'm at a flight school preparing for the EASA CPL/IR check-ride (haven't been flying since 2009, but got my FAA license current last year). I must say I didn't expect it to be that challenging, things are certainly different here in EASA land and I feel like a total beginner. But the main problem is that I don't really get along with my assigned instructor (we are two completely different characters "East meets West" so to speak) and he is not much of help for me! He pretty much let's me alone, but he constantly gives me the impression that I piss him off! Not much of communication between us (e.g. no post flight, only the necessary paperwork, like invoice and his logbook and no assignment what's next) and then he complains about my performance or why I didn't prepare this and that. I mean when I started (a few days ago) he showed me how things are done, where to get information etc. But to me it was a complete information overflow! The school uses a program called Flightlogger - I'm still in the process of exploring it and where to find things. In my opinion they should have mentioned this well in advance in order to familiarize oneself with the "program" and it's content before the training starts!

Tomorrow I have a sim session (with this guy) and I still don't have the charts to prepare for it - it will be a complete waste of time and money! I feel like throwing up, I don't know if I should cry or be pissed off!

This is a small school and apparently he is the only instructor qualified to train me, otherwise I'd switch to a different instructor! If I'd only had more time (exams expire by end of October) I'd certainly go and look for another school to finish the conversion!!! But I think I'm running out of time, unfortunately! I seems like a lifetime dream is coming to a bitter end!

Any advise greatly appreciated - many thanks!

[Nurse2Pilot]

It may help to mention where you are training, perhaps people here can recommend something better nearby. I can only think of two things --- 1) have a word with your instructor and straighten things out or 2) find another school and be ready to do #2 if #1 doesn't work out.

Good luck!

[Transsonic2000]

It may help to mention where you are training, perhaps people here can recommend something better nearby
I'm currently in the center of Europe! This can be easily narrowed to only one country (Hint: France is to it's West and to Poland it's East)! I think it's somehow understandable that I don't really want to mention any names here. But location doesn't really matter to me, if there would be a school (no matter which part of Europe) which would offer me "come here" we will help you achieving your goals and try to finish you up on time! Hey I'll be on my way the very next day!

Thanks for your advise, tough! Will try to talk to this guy, but honestly I don't have much hope that things will turn to the better! Tomorrow will just be a disastrous day in the sim, a complete waste of time and money! Don't know if we will get into an argument or if I just abort the sim session and walk away and abandon my dream! Perhaps also too much time has passed and it's too long that I have been out of flying! I mean I have been an instructor myself in the US and I enjoyed it very much! The fun came to an abrupt end as I returned to Europe and started the distance learning course for the theoretical exams, what a pain! And apparently the pain is not getting better... Things are extremely frustrating for me at the moment!

[Nurse2Pilot]

I can understand your pain but I think distance learning is enough of a pain. Going out to fly or sim time should be a fun learning experience. The fact that you dread it already means that you're wasting your money. I would think you'd not do any more paying until you sort out your issues with the instructor. If he can't teach properly, then he has no right to your money. Can you go up to him tomorrow, tell him you're not fit to go in the simulator, and ask to spend time working out your issues instead? I would think a "wasted" session but smoother learning afterwards is well worth the money whereas a forced session would be might as well burn your cash and get some warmth out of the fire!

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and maybe he doesn't know how he comes across to you or maybe you're just mixing signals and that's why I'm telling you to talk to him but if that doesn't work, see #2 above.

I wasn't asking your exact location or school you go to, but a country or region would probably help. Have you contacted any CPL schools? There are a lot of schools that get recommended and who knows, one of them just might have a free slot you can join and they can help you out in some way.

BTW, I'm not sure why you're protecting the school. If it is as bad as you say, then maybe they should get named-and-shamed as appropriate? Save yourself and save some future student from giving them their business?

Anyway, good luck!

[flapsupboy]

I too agree with Nurse2pilot. If you aren't satisfied talk with him and sort things out. My PPL instructor always made sure I was cool with him. He always shouted at me in the flight and in the debrief when I didn't come prepared or didn't do properly but later I realised that it was to save my money and make me a better pilot and after all that he didn't have any grudges with me and neither did I. And if you aren't prepared don't go for it. That is just a waste of time and money.
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[Transsonic2000]

@ Nurse2pilot: Many thanks for your prompt reply! Well, I'd say the problem is not actually the school (doesn't have a bad reputation), but more this guy / Instructor! Usually I don't have any issues getting along with people and if necessary I can be quite diplomatic! But this guy just makes me feel extremely uncomfortable, I can tell for sure he simply doesn't like me! As I said it's a mentality thing between us! As mentioned earlier, unfortunately he is the only instructor qualified to train me. There would be other instructors but they are available only on a part time basis and since I'm not a local (living at a hotel at the moment) it would not be possible to finish me up in a time frame of two or three weeks, which I think (given the circumstances) won't work out anyway! I just don't know what to do right now and I'm somehow about to panic, since my theoretical exams will expire by the end of October and I believe it's not possible to get things organized with another school until then! I'm unable to find a clear thought at the moment! Perhaps things could work out with a different instructor here, but somehow I don't feel comfortable here anymore (given the fact that I would come across this guy every single day and he will talk about me with the other instructors).

@Tharaka737: a shouting instructor is absolutely unacceptable, no matter what!!! You are the customer and it's your money and your time and in return every customer deserves the best possible instruction for his/her money!!! And a shouting instructor is in no way "the best possible" instruction!!! I have been an instructor myself, so I believe I have an idea what I'm talking about! Unfortunately, to my own experience I have to say that there are too few good instructors out there, at least not enough to cover all the aspiring future aviators to receive the quality instruction they deserve! Go and find yourself a different/better instructor for the remainder of your training! Good luck!

[Duchess_Driver]

If I had a cent for every student I didn’t like I would have retired long ago - but I can count on one finger those that knew I didn’t like them. Your instructor should be professional enough to put personal issues to one side and thoroughly brief, fly, debrief AND prep you for the next lesson otherwise he’s not doing his job.

Step 1 - clarify both your expectations to him and his expectations of you.
Step 2 - if things don’t improve - go see the Head of Training.
Step 3 - ship out.

Don’t hang around - the authority won’t give you any flex on exam deadline day.

[jack11111]

Transsonic2000 please tell us you did NOT put a pile of money down on account with these people!

[Nurse2Pilot]

Well, I'm not saying the school is bad but if they only have one guy for CPL or even if they continue employing this guy despite being such a lousy instructor, they're complicit in one way or another. As Duchess says, it's normal for people to not like each other but in a business relationship such as this, you really shouldn't be giving him/them your business as not only is it an unpleasant experience for you, I would wager to say that this friction is hurting your learning which is essentially the "product" they are selling to you. You won't pay full price for a sub-standard product now, would you?

[Transsonic2000]

Thank you everybody for your feedback/opinion, I really appreciate it! This is a great community I must say! I canceled my schedule for the next two days and informed the general manager that I need some time to consider if it makes sense to continue my training under the given circumstances or not. And that I won't be available for the next two days! I had a really bad day at the school yesterday and I was totally frustrated and angry to waste my money for this! I think taking a brake and overthink a situation is sometimes a good thing to do! Perhaps it also makes the other side think as well?!

@Nurse2Pilot: Thanks for your expertise, appreciate it! You are absolutely 100% right and I totally agree!!!

@jack11111:
Transsonic2000 please tell us you did NOT put a pile of money down on account with these people!
No I surely did not! I pay as I go :-)

[banjodrone]

Conversion is still a very expensive thing to do, especially if you don't have the required PIC hours already. I think they give you 36 months, it's not long enough for a person on an average salary. 7 years to get an ATP(L) issued.