Change of Instructor half-way through PPL

[Tasslehoff]

Hi,

So sadly it's looking like I will have to change my instructor before I can carry on with my PPL training Although I can't discuss all the details here, I can assure you it is not by my choice at all and I am going to miss flying with him dearly.

So my question I suppose is what impact this might have on my training? I might stay with the same club and try to get some slots with one of the other instructors there, or perhaps I'll visit one or two other local clubs and see if it's worth changing clubs too. What would you guys suggest I do? I live just north of London and I know there are a few around to check out.

Any advice would be appreciated,

Tassle

[Angel_1_five]

Hello i would try the other instructors at your club and if you are not happy with them then try another club.

The main thing is not to waste time and money with a poor instructor.
I had 4 different ones in the first 8 hours (because we used to fly from the blackboard ,first come first served ) only 1 was poor.

Good luck

[foxmoth]

I would say a lot depends on the club and why you want to change it. Some clubs have a good set of instructors who the CFI ensures all teach the same things, others have instructors who have maybe not been picked so carefully and each instructor teaches things in their own way (all instructors teach slightly differently in approach, but the content should be much the same in any one school). I would say have a chat with the CFI and see how you feel after that, but unless the club definitely falls in the second cat and you have no real reason to move then have a chat with the instructors where you are and see if you can find one you feel comfortable with, then go with that.

[Cumulogranite]

changing instructors is actually a good thing if handled right. To go through the entire course with one instructor can lead to familiarity, which as we all know breeds contempt!! Seriously, each instructor will teach, although the same syllabus, in a slightly different way as that is human nature and we all have our own pesonality. So to get someone else's perspective of where you are up to helps as they may have a different way of getting you over the learning plateau that we all hit.

For expamle I was struggling in the circuit in the flare, knowing when to and how much was just a guess. My instructor was off one day and I flew with another instructor and after my first arrival (it certainly wasnt a gentle landing) suggested that I tried to cover the end of the runway with the nose but no more. Every landing after that was as smooth as silk.

On that basis whilst you need a good relationship with your indtructor built on some degree of mutual trust and chopping and changing every other lesson will not help at all, it is good to have another idea now and again!!

Good luck

[RTN11]

What point are you at in the course? As above, it can often be a good thing to get a different point of view from a person from a different background. Not to say one opinion is right or wrong, but a different way of looking at something can often develop your understanding and broaden your own opinion.

Changing instructor is very common, at a lot of schools students will end up flying with whoever is free on a particular day and if they're not careful will fly with a different instructor each lesson!

I've only ever taken two students the whole way through the course without them flying with anyone else, most student I have either flown the first half or the second half, sharing the workload with someone else or inheriting them or passing them on due to instructors coming and going.

[riverrock83]

My club allocates students two instructors and as has been said above you will learn different things from different people. It is also good to be confident flying with new people as when it comes to your skills test, you will be less worried about flying with the examiner.
Don't worry about it - embrace it!

[Whopity]

Nothing wrong with changing instructors, in fact it can be a good thing, then you will learn that there is more than one way of doing things. As well as learning all an instructors good points, students can also pick up their bad habits, so seeing a broader spectrum can be an advantage.

[ZuluPapa]

I am in the final third of the PPL and flown with 4 different instructors! I have learnt little tricks from each of them and actually enjoy the change. As long as you are vocal and communicate the differences in what you have been shown, you will keep learning new and different ways of doing things....