My early Flight Instructor training

[astroguy]

My early Flight Instructor Training on a windy day!
I'm in my early stages of flight instructor training and I'm finding it quite a surprise.... it is harder than it looks!!!
This video is a bit long and more to give someone an idea of early flight instructor training rather than entertainment value. vg
I am enjoying the experience and look forward to a few famiiiarization flights.
Firstly I need more hours in the right seat and have to write another exam in Ottawa... then I have to co-ordinate with a Flight Instructor Examiner in another city to complete my check flight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGzjdatLTVk&t=47s

[digits_]

Not trying to be a sour puss, but you are learning to land in a crosswind during your instructor training?

Don't you think that is a skill you'd want to have before you start your FI training?

Anyway, it's good you are learning it at some point. Just a wee bit surprised. The FI course should focus on how to teach your students, not on learning to fly the basic manoeuvres (yes, crosswind landings are a basic skill) in an airplane yourself.

[AvconsultantON]

Looks fun,

I remember having moments through my instructor rating when I questioned whether or not I'd make it as an instructor. It is certainly a humbling experience for a new freshly minted CPL to learn all of the ins and outs of teaching the 'basics'. Instructors are becoming rare in today's hiring climate, but it is a great way to become a more confident and educated Commercial pilot.

I work for a major Canadian airline now, but I often look back and miss the days of teaching and inspiring students. I truly enjoyed it. Use instructing as a stepping stone, but don't use your students as a stepping stone. Remember, the whole instructing thing is about gaining experience and not 'building hours'. You will come to learn what that means.

Best of luck, enjoy the ride.

[photofly]

The FI course should focus on how to teach your students, not on learning to fly the basic manoeuvres (yes, crosswind landings are a basic skill) in an airplane yourself.

You're hilarious!

[7507]

Looks fun,

I remember having moments through my instructor rating when I questioned whether or not I'd make it as an instructor. It is certainly a humbling experience for a new freshly minted CPL to learn all of the ins and outs of teaching the 'basics'. Instructors are becoming rare in today's hiring climate, but it is a great way to become a more confident and educated Commercial pilot.

I work for a major Canadian airline now, but I often look back and miss the days of teaching and inspiring students. I truly enjoyed it. Use instructing as a stepping stone, but don't use your students as a stepping stone. Remember, the whole instructing thing is about gaining experience and not 'building hours'. You will come to learn what that means.

Best of luck, enjoy the ride.

Is there a shortage of instructors ? Cat Driver keeps saying that it's the most rewarding pilot job there is because of the inspiration you instill to the students.

[digits_]

Looks fun,

I remember having moments through my instructor rating when I questioned whether or not I'd make it as an instructor. It is certainly a humbling experience for a new freshly minted CPL to learn all of the ins and outs of teaching the 'basics'. Instructors are becoming rare in today's hiring climate, but it is a great way to become a more confident and educated Commercial pilot.

I work for a major Canadian airline now, but I often look back and miss the days of teaching and inspiring students. I truly enjoyed it. Use instructing as a stepping stone, but don't use your students as a stepping stone. Remember, the whole instructing thing is about gaining experience and not 'building hours'. You will come to learn what that means.

Best of luck, enjoy the ride.

Is there a shortage of instructors ? Cat Driver keeps saying that it's the most rewarding pilot job there is because of the inspiration you instill to the students.

It is, but you still have to be able to make a living yourself.

[C.W.E.]

Is there a shortage of instructors ? Cat Driver keeps saying that it's the most rewarding pilot job there is because of the inspiration you instill to the students.

It in my opinion is the most personally rewarding for me as a pilot.

Unfortunately it is the less monetary rewarding job in commercial aviation therefore few stay in it as their lifetime occupation.

However outside of the flight school side of aviation teaching flying can be very rewarding money wise, during the last period of my teaching / flying I charger $250.00 USD per flight hour.

[AvconsultantON]

Looks fun,

I remember having moments through my instructor rating when I questioned whether or not I'd make it as an instructor. It is certainly a humbling experience for a new freshly minted CPL to learn all of the ins and outs of teaching the 'basics'. Instructors are becoming rare in today's hiring climate, but it is a great way to become a more confident and educated Commercial pilot.

I work for a major Canadian airline now, but I often look back and miss the days of teaching and inspiring students. I truly enjoyed it. Use instructing as a stepping stone, but don't use your students as a stepping stone. Remember, the whole instructing thing is about gaining experience and not 'building hours'. You will come to learn what that means.

Best of luck, enjoy the ride.

Is there a shortage of instructors ? Cat Driver keeps saying that it's the most rewarding pilot job there is because of the inspiration you instill to the students.

It is, but you still have to be able to make a living yourself.

There is a shortage of good instructors, that’s for sure. They don’t last long because they are driven and want to advance their careers. It’s absolutely discouraging, some of the pay rates for Class IV instructors. I can only advocate instruction for the experience you gain and the many skills you hone along the way, not for the financial success.

[astroguy]

Well.... lots of great thoughtful responses....
I will be working my way into flight instructor slowly.... I am not going to be an instructor tomorrow.
A big thing will for sure be developing weather sense and I don't have enough time in the air to be proficient yet in that either.... but it will come over the hours.
Yes I have landed many a cross wind landing in my training.
I am following Canadian regulations for flight training and I will only start once enough experience is aquired. I have over 60 hours now and am a long ways from instructor...BUT .... I am starting to think that way so why not.... I'm getting in the hours either way.
One of my flight instructors was teaching at 54 hours but I"m not going to do this... I'm just building slowly to flight instructor...
for instance I had to fly right seat today as prospective instructor and the throttle and the stick are reversed hands!!! my oh my!!
Anyways my other Flight instructor started instructing at 135 hours and he has over 1,000 in LSA now....
I will likely be pushing it past that.
Thanks folks...

[astroguy]

The FI course should focus on how to teach your students, not on learning to fly the basic manoeuvres (yes, crosswind landings are a basic skill) in an airplane yourself.

You're hilarious!

Yes I've done many a cross wind landing but we were at max crosswind for this day.... the instructor took me up just to show that I can be done but he did take control for this landing.

[digits_]

The FI course should focus on how to teach your students, not on learning to fly the basic manoeuvres (yes, crosswind landings are a basic skill) in an airplane yourself.

You're hilarious!

Yes I've done many a cross wind landing but we were at max crosswind for this day.... the instructor took me up just to show that I can be done but he did take control for this landing.

Not to be putting you down, and obviously very good that you are both aware of your limitations and you let the instructor land, ... but.... doing and instructor rating course and not being able to handle a 21 kt crosswind? That worries me a lot. I have the impression you find that normal and acceptable. I'd like to point out that it might be normal nowadays, but definitely not acceptable for an instructor. Please proceed with caution. As mentioned by other people, not just for your sake, but for the sake of your paying students who are expecting a competent instructor to teach them how to fly safely.

With the -granted, limited- information you've shared in this topic, it sounds like an extremely bad idea to be instructing once you hit 100 hours. The fact that you are taking the course now, with 60 hours, indicates that you are thinking about instructing in the short term, otherwise you wouldn't be taking the course...

[jschnurr]

One of my flight instructors was teaching at 54 hours but I"m not going to do this... I'm just building slowly to flight instructor...
...
Anyways my other Flight instructor started instructing at 135 hours and he has over 1,000 in LSA now....

In Canada, a pilot needs to have their CPL or ATPL, among other things, before they can start the flight training portion of the flight instructor rating.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/r ... htm#421_69

[KAG]

Well.... lots of great thoughtful responses....
I will be working my way into flight instructor slowly.... I am not going to be an instructor tomorrow.
A big thing will for sure be developing weather sense and I don't have enough time in the air to be proficient yet in that either.... but it will come over the hours.
Yes I have landed many a cross wind landing in my training.
I am following Canadian regulations for flight training and I will only start once enough experience is aquired. I have over 60 hours now and am a long ways from instructor...BUT .... I am starting to think that way so why not.... I'm getting in the hours either way.
One of my flight instructors was teaching at 54 hours but I"m not going to do this... I'm just building slowly to flight instructor...
for instance I had to fly right seat today as prospective instructor and the throttle and the stick are reversed hands!!! my oh my!!
Anyways my other Flight instructor started instructing at 135 hours and he has over 1,000 in LSA now....
I will likely be pushing it past that.
Thanks folks...

Please explain how someone is doing the instructor rating at 54 hours? Am I missing somthing ? There is ZERO point of starting your instructor groundschool without at least the cpl exam and ride done. If I am understanding you correctly which I truly hope I'm not.

[KAG]

As a side note, if you can't exceed the 21 kt crosswind limit of your training AC you shouldn't be thinking at all about instructing and focus on mastering the basics.

[Bede]

I'm confused too. Is this ultralight flight instructor training?

It's not unusual to fly really poorly during flight instructor training because you now have to focus on teaching instead of flying, but you should be able to handle a max crosswind if you concentrate on that.

[astroguy]

You're hilarious!

Yes I've done many a cross wind landing but we were at max crosswind for this day.... the instructor took me up just to show that I can be done but he did take control for this landing.

Not to be putting you down, and obviously very good that you are both aware of your limitations and you let the instructor land, ... but.... doing and instructor rating course and not being able to handle a 21 kt crosswind? That worries me a lot. I have the impression you find that normal and acceptable. I'd like to point out that it might be normal nowadays, but definitely not acceptable for an instructor. Please proceed with caution. As mentioned by other people, not just for your sake, but for the sake of your paying students who are expecting a competent instructor to teach them how to fly safely.
With the -granted, limited- information you've shared in this topic, it sounds like an extremely bad idea to be instructing once you hit 100 hours. The fact that you are taking the course now, with 60 hours, indicates that you are thinking about instructing in the short term, otherwise you wouldn't be taking the course...

Hi.... the max crosswind component of the C42 Ikarus ultralight is 15 knots. The Cessna 150 max demonstrated cross wind component is between 12 and 15 knots.
I have personal minumums that I will not fly in according to my skill level.
I would have simply chosen to not fly.
Thanks for the contact
DaveP

[astroguy]

I'm confused too. Is this ultralight flight instructor training?

It's not unusual to fly really poorly during flight instructor training because you now have to focus on teaching instead of flying, but you should be able to handle a max crosswind if you concentrate on that.

Hello... I suppose not many pilots would be able to land this Ikarus ultralight in a 21 knot crosswind....especially not myself....although I have landed in 17 knot max crosswinds.... the Ikarus c 42 ultralight POH states 15 knots max demonstrated crosswind allowance so I would have simply elected to not fly that day if it were simply myself. Stall Vso full flaps is 35 knots and the vehicle dry weight is 600 lbs.... not many pilots could land that craft in that but my flight instructor has over 1,000 hours between his PPL and ultralight flying and he is well past my personal minimum.
Thanks for the interest
Dave P

[astroguy]

As a side note, if you can't exceed the 21 kt crosswind limit of your training AC you shouldn't be thinking at all about instructing and focus on mastering the basics.

Hello... thanks for the contact.
The Ikarus c 42 ultralight manufactured in Germany has a 600 lb dry weight and the POH states a max demonstrated crosswind component of 15 knots.... very close to a Cessna 150 max demo xwind.
Also the Vso is 35 knots ... these are considerable large winds for this airplane.
I am not a high hour pilot and I know my personal min/max and I would not have flown that day myself for sure and alot of pilots would not have however my instructor wanted to show me what the airplane was capable of plus when we took of the max crosswind component was only 17 knots.
I have landed in max crosswind of 17 knots in this airplane reasonably well but I choose to keep such a light craft out of the gusts.

[astroguy]

One of my flight instructors was teaching at 54 hours but I"m not going to do this... I'm just building slowly to flight instructor...
...
Anyways my other Flight instructor started instructing at 135 hours and he has over 1,000 in LSA now....

In Canada, a pilot needs to have their CPL or ATPL, among other things, before they can start the flight training portion of the flight instructor rating.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/r ... htm#421_69

Hello...
well I guess I should have stated that I"m flying a 600 lb dry wt ultralight ikarus c 42. The POH max demo crosswind component is 15 knots for this airplane plus the Vso is only 35 knots and this low speed and vehicle weight would definitely have trouble handling this crosswind in anyones hands.... When I state max crosswind I am refering to 90 degrees to the runway....and a much larger airplane like a Cessna 150 max demo crosswind is 17 knot again this is at 90 degrees to the runway.
I would not fly in this myself as I know my max/min personal limits but my flight instructor was just showing me what the airplane could do and the winds picked up in the one hour flight we made so we ended up landing well past the POH max demo xwind allowance.
In canada you can become passenger rated on ULPP at 35 hours and start instructor training at 50hrs but I will not instruct for likely another 100 hours or so.

[astroguy]

As a side note, if you can't exceed the 21 kt crosswind limit of your training AC you shouldn't be thinking at all about instructing and focus on mastering the basics.

Hi thanks for the response...
I should state that we are flying an Ikarus c42 ultralight that is dry weight of 600 lbs and a Vso of 35 knots with a POH max demo crosswind of 15knots.
The cessna 150 max demo xwind is 17 knots so this ultralight is quite respectable to something that weights nearly twice as much.
We took off in lower winds but an hour later the picked up.... CYGK is right on lake Ontario and is prone to weather changes.... this large lake weather is a real thing for me to contend with and learn I'll tell you.
I am a long way from flight instructor , I know.... but in Canada a ULPP can be passenger rated at 35 hours and flight instructor rated at 50 hours... crazy low I know .
I will be doing many hours till I feel comfortable... especially since this is a single stick aircraft and right seat instructor operation requires a switch over of rt hand left hand. I am doing this now... it is like started all over again. I know that I"m a long ways out but I had a particular opportunity to do this now so now it is.
Thanks for the feedback
DaveP