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Instructors, a rare breed indeed!!

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Flying Instructors & Examiners A place for instructors to communicate with one another because some of them get a bit tired of the attitude that instructing is the lowest form of aviation, as seems to prevail on some of the other forums!

Instructors, a rare breed indeed!!

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Old 21st Oct 2006, 14:30
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Snakecharmer,

Is the FI/R itself not a decent test of skill then? I have a couple of CPL FI friends who reckon the CPL skills test was a walk in the park compared to the FI/R? Where you a crap instrutor as a PPL? Are you saying that many, most or virtually all PPL instructors were crap also? I found all my PPL instructors to be highly skilled and vary experienced ... I must have been lucky? Also by what you say, the magority of French PPL's must be pretty lacking too, as most of their instructors are just PPL's. Also a NPPL M having been trained by a non CPL instructor can simply do some differences training and fly virtually all the same two seat aircraft that most PPL's in this country fly ... but obviously in a much less skilled way.

I'd be happy with a tough pre-FI/R skills test if the FIR one is deemed not up to scratch? Or a harder FI/R skill test? What erks me is the ridiculous need to obtain the CPL ground exams to prove an appropriate level of knowledge to teach basic PPL. Even these wouldn't be too bad if you didn't have to do the compulsory ground school which makes obtaining these exams so expensive these days. Why is it that our CAA has interpreted the JAR standard required to become an instructor in a different way to other European countries? Where's the level playing field?

Still we can stay as we are and like the title of this thread says, instructors can remain a rare breed ... well, at PPL SEP level anyway. The microlight, SLMG and gliding though, will probably continue to flourish (until mode S kills that off ... but then I guess you proffesionals would prefer that we amateurs were grounded anyway).

SS

SS
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Old 21st Oct 2006, 16:48
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Shortstripper... the CPL skill test may not be the biggest hurdle in aviation, but if you care to study the words I used, I stated that, if done properly, the course leading to the Test can provide a firm foundation. Neither did I say that I was rubbish (!), but I had a fairly broad aviation background prior to instructing - that background was not, however, mandated as a requirement!

I did not state that all or many PPL instructors were rubbish, but it's a fairly sound principle that a requirement to prove oneself at the professional rather than amateur level is more likely to lead to an overall raising of standards than not having such a requirement. However, it is indeed difficult to find the relevance of most of the exams to low performance SEP flying!
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Old 21st Oct 2006, 18:07
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Smile

Snakecharmer does NOT speak with forked tongue !

If Instructors become a rare breed then we will all be driving Bentleys pretty soon so bring it on !

Come on guys not all professional instructors are crap and not all PPL Instructors are Gods gift to aviation. A bit of balance is required. The CPL flight test and exams do raise the bar a tad although I agree that it is overkill and extra unnecessary cost for teaching a student how to fly.

I would be overjoyed if CAA refund me for the CAA exams and flight training costs when the PPL instructor makes a noble come back so that I can buy my car back.
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Old 21st Oct 2006, 18:38
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Neither did I say that I was rubbish (!),
[
No. but you implied that most were!

but I had a fairly broad aviation background prior to instructing - that background was not, however, mandated as a requirement!
And I wasn't suggesting that a fresh faced PPL with no experience should teach. My PPL instructors were vastly experienced and so I question why such PPL's should not be allowed to instruct now?

However, it is indeed difficult to find the relevance of most of the exams to low performance SEP flying!
Well that's where I agree, and that was my point.

Come on guys not all professional instructors are crap and not all PPL Instructors are Gods gift to aviation.
Funny that you should choose to put it that way rather than, say ... "not all professional instructors are Gods gift to aviation and not all PPL instructors are crap" Kind of sums up what most CPL instructors think of anybody who doesn't aspire to CPL/ATPL level.

I've never suggested that the CPL is not a level worth obtaining, or that CPL instructors cannot be very good or dedicated as instructors. However, I do believe that PPL instructors are not to be desmissed as amateurish idiots with nothing worth teaching. It would be nice to see new PPL's come out knowing that the PFA exists, that there is more to flying than club aircraft, big airfields and ratings. This is where experienced PPL instructors can breath life into the rather stale club scene of today. There are good professional instructors and good schools ... but to many just take money and churn out uninspired PPL's who fly for a year and give up, having never attended a fly-in or flown anything other than the aircraft they learnt in. When you say that the CPL insures a level of skill PPL's cannot compare with, I'd question it slightly. You can attain CPL with 200 hours in one summer, having only flown one type in nothing but good weather. Hardly likely I know ... but possible, but most of you seem to like sweeping statements about PPL skill levels too

SS
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Old 21st Oct 2006, 20:50
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Instructor Pay

I have seen many references to Instructors’ having better pay to improve retention; the flip side of course would be an increase in prices. Solution: Let’s get rid of this ridiculous tax on Avgas.

I would give both testi s to be a full time career Instructor; however, I could not take the large loss in income from my current job.

Chris
Part-Time FI(A)
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 00:20
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Shortstripper,

I understand many PPLers have the skill set, and relevent experience to make good instructors. There are also those (myself included) who spent more time looking at my 'confuser' than I did at my text books during my PPL course.

The requirement to complete the CPL groundschool course does unfortunatly stop some 'would be good' instructors teaching. But it also ensures a basic minimum technical knowledge, above that of PPL level, so when students ask the slightly more in depth questions the instructors level of knowledge is above that found in the PPL text books.

In my opinion the CAA have got this one right, the CPL ground course (although weighted to commercial operations) is a good way of improving on the basic knowledge taught at PPL and private flying level. The FI course will provide the flying standards and teaching skills required to instruct.

SW.
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 09:48
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But it also ensures a basic minimum technical knowledge, above that of PPL level, so when students ask the slightly more in depth questions the instructors level of knowledge is above that found in the PPL text books.
So an experienced PPL isn't likely to have expanded his/her knowledge over the years since passing their PPL? I suppose pilots of 5, 10 ... 20 or more years know little more than was required to pass their original test?

Oh well, I suppose trying to put my ameteurish case on a forum filled with professionals was always likely to draw few friends

SS
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 12:07
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I'm always interested in these threads, being a CPL FI myself.

I don't think that a reduction in fuel tax will improve the pay/conditions for flying instructors. What it would do is to allow the various schools to compete for custom at a lower price level. The students would likely benefit from slightly cheaper flying, I expect.

My school operates at around £115-ish per hour (dual), I think. Now, the fuel consumed averages at 32litres per hour. I would guess that its cost is something like £1.20 per litre. How much of this is a tax on aviation, I wonder?
Anyone out there enlighten me?

In any case, why should any aviation fuel be tax exempt?

As to the CPL question. I think that, by and large, the person who has attained the greater level of qualification is most likely to be the better pilot. Bear in mind that piloting has relatively little to do with handling skills (flame suit ON!)

An argument which proposes that PPL FIs would be as competent as CPL FIs, must be applied to all walks of life if it is to be consistent. Would it hold water if it was applied to Doctors, Solicitors or members of any other professional body?

Would you rather have a surgeon who had learned by observation only, rather than one who had received a formal academic training? They may both have excellent "hands", but the educated one is more likely to have a more complete comprehension of his task, I suspect.

More importantly, when the educated one encounters a problem which he has not experienced previously, he has an academic background which he can interrogate in order to arrive at a sensible solution. If that academic background is not available, the surgeon is left with nothing but experience....and in a novel situation he has no experience.

For my money, the perfect flying instructor has a fulsome meld of experience and qualification....both having been demonstrated regularly by test.

The underlying issues, though, are pay and conditions....at least, that's how I construe things. The industry' goal seems to be simply to coerce instructors into working as cheaply as possible. Flying schools are generally profit-driven...I've seen little evidence of any drive for quality. Why? 'Cos it costs money and there is a supermarket mentality which is prevalent.

Very many of my students cannot afford to fly. So, they scrape through a PPL and rapidly drift away. It's probably the same at your school.

I don't buy any argument that smacks of "instructing for the good of the student/light aviation". Flying is an industry and I can't imagine anyone instructing for free, unless they're desperate for flying hours, or perhaps need a hobby.

I know that, if I was instructing pro bono, there'd be a sight fewer pupils with whom I was prepared to persevere. You all must have encountered students who are not temperamentally suited to flying....ones that you wish would simply quit. Sensible ones self-select, of course, but there's always a few who persevere with flying training beyond the bounds of decency. They're hard work and I certainly wouldn't fly with these people for a hobby.Would your unpaid FI put up with these, I wonder?

Time for me to quit, I'm rambling.

Bogbeagle
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 13:50
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An argument which proposes that PPL FIs would be as competent as CPL FIs, must be applied to all walks of life if it is to be consistent. Would it hold water if it was applied to Doctors, Solicitors or members of any other professional body?

Would you rather have a surgeon who had learned by observation only, rather than one who had received a formal academic training? They may both have excellent "hands", but the educated one is more likely to have a more complete comprehension of his task, I suspect.
What a daft analogy A doctor would have had formal acedemic training to become a doctor in the first place ... ever heard of one who's learned by observation only? They become surgeons by choosing that speciality and honing that particular skill in a hands on way under supervision. Where's the relevance to flight training here?

It would be nice to have some input from a current PPL instructor, and I don't mean one who was, but who later went on to get a CPL. That sort, if expunging the virtues of PPL instructors are akin to politicians happy to see students saddled with huge debts having received a free education themselves

You're quite correct though, a "perfect instructor" is likely to be one who has vast experience in many spheres of aviation, is professionally qualified, totally committed to teaching and patient ... even if the student is not of the "right stuff" but wants to learn anyway . Yes a CPL FI will have proved him/herself at a professional level and that's great, but they may not actually have much "experience" ... So what's best? An experienced amateur or an inexperienced professional? I suppose that may depend on where the student is planning to take their new found skill, I don't know? Ok I admit that is taking it to the extreme and adding a certain amount of assumption, but I'm simply trying to show that all is not black and white. In fact, it could be argued that a professional teaching qualification would be far more appropriate than a CPL when it comes to teaching people to fly ... how many instructors possess one of those?

Let's get something straight here; I'm not coming from the angle of a PPL wishing to easily become an instructor. I'm a long time PPL who was taught by (mostly) PPL instructors before the rules were changed. I expect some, if not all of those instructors probably do now have CPL's (if they are still teaching). The point is that I don't agree that they were likely to have trained me to a lower standard than CPL instructors teach the students of today. Yes one day I might possibly like to teach, but it won't be for a few years as family and other commitments swallow up any spare cash (spare cash ... what's that~?). When I do, it will probably be at NPPL level as I'm sure the rules will have changed to something more akin to what I've alluded to by then anyway. It's fine gaining a CPL if you have ambitions to go on to fly for airlines or even if you wish to make instructing a career, but I fail (even after these less than eloquent explanations) to see why a basic instructor of PPL's has to spend out so much to prove what a couple of stand alone exams could quite easily show ... that is, an appropriate knowledge to teach basic PPL flying.

SS
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 14:53
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The requirements for an entry level instructor have to be set somewhere.

So would you rather be taught by a low hour PPL or a low hour CPL, thought as much
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 15:33
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The Flying Instructors Rating is a professional teacher's qualification. The aim of the course is to teach the candidate how to teach. I'll grant that it's rather a short course for such a complex skill-set.....It should probably be several hundred hours in length. But then, perhaps the PPL should comprise 100-or-so hours with, maybe a minimum of 50 hours classroom work. You sure don't know much after 45 or, heaven help us, 32 hours.

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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 16:18
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So would you rather be taught by a low hour PPL or a low hour CPL, thought as much
Who said anything about a low hour PPL instructing? Of course an appropriate level of experience should be required. Surely the instructor rating course itself should seperate the grain from the chaff?

The Flying Instructors Rating is a professional teacher's qualification. The aim of the course is to teach the candidate how to teach. I'll grant that it's rather a short course for such a complex skill-set.....It should probably be several hundred hours in length. But then, perhaps the PPL should comprise 100-or-so hours with, maybe a minimum of 50 hours classroom work. You sure don't know much after 45 or, heaven help us, 32 hours.
Yep you're quite right, but then is a 200 hours enough for a CPL? ... Look, all I am trying to suggest is that the old system with PPL instructors worked ok back then ... why not now? This thread started off with someone wondering where instructors of the future might come from as they were worried about the percieved lack of instructors coming along. I merely suggested that PPL instructors could fill a gap if there were more of them. I then said that it was mainly the cost and time involved in passing the CPL exams that put most off. I've nothing against taking the exams (even though I still feel they're OTT) ... but why oh why! can a non CPL aspiring PPL not just take the exams without the need for expensive ground school? If they can pass the exams then they have proven the have knowledge to CPL level. This could also be achieved by bringing in a stand alone test ... costing a lot less, but acheiving the same aim! Even if there were a clause attached saying that if a full CPL was later desired, further groundschool or whatever was required ... where's the problem? I still cannot understand why this is allowed in France but not here? Where's the level playing field that JAR or whatever was supposed to bring about? ... What a joke!

OK ... I'll crawl back under my rock just like a good little PPL should

SS
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 17:42
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SS,

OK ... I'll crawl back under my rock just like a good little PPL should
From some of your comments it seems like you are the one who wants a divide between PPL and CPL pilots. know one has suggested that anyone should crawl anywhere.

I agree with you that a PPLer that wants to become instructor shoudn't need to learn about flight at FL320. Yes there is room for a stand alone exam for PPLers wishing to become instructors. I think though that the manpower to put a course together and overview the exams would mean a very expensive course for those few candidates per year that want to undergo it.

So an experienced PPL isn't likely to have expanded his/her knowledge over the years since passing their PPL? I suppose pilots of 5, 10 ... 20 or more years know little more than was required to pass their original test?
Every good aviator I know strives to learn more about aviation than they need to know. Is doing a CPL course not doing this?
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Old 22nd Oct 2006, 17:54
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Thankyou Sam,

I'm glad to see a more balanced reply. However, I've said from the beginning that I'm not anti CPL or trying to drive any devides. I simply think the present system requires too much in time and money to make becoming an instructor attractive. Indeed, if CPL's didn't need to use it as a stepping stone in terms of hours building, I'm sure we'd be in real dire straits as few would bother!

Every good aviator I know strives to learn more about aviation than they need to know. Is doing a CPL course not doing this?
Of course it is, but you'd don't really need to get the CPL (and spend all that money) to improve your knowledge if you have no desire to make a living from flying. I'm not knocking those that do, it shows commitment, but they are probably hoping to do it for a living. There are amatuer experts in all walks of life ... you don't have to be a professional to excell in anything.

SS
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Old 24th Oct 2006, 21:40
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Why the discussion

I'm sorry to say but this thread appears to be in the same format of several other 'instructor threads'.

Why are there so many who hide behind the arguement that instructors should be paid a better rate for the job - when at the slightest chance of a they describe as a 'real' flying job are happy to offer their service free or for minimal wages just to get started.
(please note I also regard instruction as a real job)

However, the thought of PPL's taking the same enthusiastic attitude to teach is met with hostility about them 'stealing the bread from our mouths'.

Get a life and stop wingeing. PPL's everywhere hear moaning instructors going on about how little they are paid and how much the world owes them - especially in the past 10 years.

For recent 'Commercial Pilots' who have taken the choice to teach (either to keep current, get money, or enjoy flying with someone else paying) - please remember YOU HAVE A CHOICE! If the terms don't suit you walk away - it will be appreciated more than a whinge your way through the days!

It is also worth noting that the 'pitance' you get (in many cases over £20 per hour) is someone elses hard earned cash - probably harder earned than the instructors role.
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Old 25th Oct 2006, 19:14
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Advocate for Devils

I don't share any of your views and can't help wondering why you are posting such nonsense on a forum with the title "Flying Instructors and Examiners" if you think that we are all rubbish

Remember this is.........

A place for instructors to communicate with one another because some of them get a bit tired of the attitude that instructing is the lowest form of aviation, as seems to prevail on some of the other forums!

So if you are already a PPL instructor - best of British


If you are not an instructor and haven't paid your dues because you perceive the hurdles to be too difficult, too expensive, or you just can't be arsed then FOXTROT OSCAR to another area of the PRUNE website and get a life.
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Old 25th Oct 2006, 20:38
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Devil

unfazed,

Apologies if I touched a nerve! If you took the time to read my previous reply you would already know I am in the process of trying to become an instructor (long way to go).

While the financial reward is also important to myself I have my eyes wide open. Having recently completed my PPL. I am no 'natural pilot' and accept the fact I will be spending £10.000's to get where I want to be - MY CHOICE!

If you are not an instructor and haven't paid your dues because you perceive the hurdles to be too difficult, too expensive, or you just can't be arsed then FOXTROT OSCAR to another area of the PRUNE website and get a life.
Your hostile reply (without checking the facts!) is an excellent example of some of the attitudes I have highlighted. THANK YOU FOR PROVING SOME OF MY POINTS AS ACCURATE.

I am aware of MANY excellent instructors- several who have not only helped me get where I am today but also have actively encouraged me to look at the 'career instructor' route.

My point is aimed squarely at the MINORITY who are so protective of themselves and so selfcentred that they will down hearten and scupper the aspirations of others because they cannot cope the the chips on their own shoulders.

MCC I understand to be a requirement for the airlines - including the ability to work with and respect others opinions! I simply think instructors could be helping themselves more by helping each other!
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Old 25th Oct 2006, 21:16
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I don't think there is much of an argument about paid CPL or unpaid PPL FI's.

There are very, very few new PPL FI's now. I haven't met any (apart from the occasional CRI) for quite a while. Infact, I haven't met that many new FI's at all. Certainly nothing like the numbers of a few years ago.

My solution to this is two fold. Firstly make instructing a true career path, rather than the current stop gap. This will improve standards and breed some passion back into instructing. This can only be done with better pay and a long term path for FI's. Pay isn't the only motivator, but not enough can be an even bigger demotivator.
Secondly, make it so that anyone who holds an FI rating, is able to be paid. To ensure sufficient knowledge, the course should be longer and more involved than it currently is. There should be some dispensation for a CPL holder, since they have already demonstrated a greater level of knowledge.

This may not be a panacea, but it can't make things any worse than they currently are and you never know it may even help!

In answer to the inevitable "...but how can we pay FI's more?" The simple answer is that we charge more for the instructor and we as an industry work hard to try and reduce the costs. Fuel tax being a prime example, ridiculous over-priced parts being another area. Moving the UK a few hundred miles south might also help so we can get a few more days in the air aswell!

Last edited by Say again s l o w l y; 26th Oct 2006 at 07:59.
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Old 26th Oct 2006, 04:43
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SAS,

At last! A considered and sensible approach to the problem without the "them and us" attitude that others have mentioned!

SS
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Old 26th Oct 2006, 08:52
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Advocate for devils

I have checked your posts again and although you might well be studying to become an instructor your posts do appear to be negative towards CPL instructors (and not in a minority way either).

These guys are the ones teaching you what you need to know, they might be getting a bit frustrated teaching someone you obviously know it all already.

So why not simply pass the ATPL exams and then put your money safely back in the bank and go straight to the FI course. Then you will be a PPL instructor and you won't need a CPL course, you won't spend thousands of pounds and you can demonstrate what a great PPL instructor you are.
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