So I'll be starting flight training in Brampton soon (once I have my medical in hand essentially). I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a flight instructor in the Brampton area?

I only have one requirement: I don't want a time builder. I want to be taught by someone who wants to teach - not someone who is instructing as a way to build hours while waiting for something better. Surely, they must exist.

To be fair, I take no issue with people instructing while they build hours, it's a tried and true entry path to aviation in Canada, it's just not for me. But I have no desire to instruct, and I'd like to learn from someone who does have a desire to instruct.

Sorry if this has been covered before, but instructors come and go - I'm hoping someone can provide some recent experience with instructors in the Brampton area. It doesn't specifically need to be with BFC, although every other flight school is 4 or 5 times further from me. I'm quite happy to deal and rent privately if I can find the right instructor.

So, I'm in Brampton, and willing to travel let's say 60 to 90 minutes for a good instructor while I complete my PPL requirements. If anyone here knows someone, please drop me a line. Feel free to PM. If there's any instructors who need a student, then too, drop me a line. As I said, my only requirement is that I don't want to learn from a time builder. I don't require a 20k (or whatever) pilot - just one that wants to teach, and not one that sees instructing as a means to an end. A junior instructor would work for me too, with that caveat - they must want to teach.

What primed you to look for an instructor this way?

Through my entire training I never had a bad instructor. I put most of the onus on my self to show up on time and prepared. I explained my schedule and circumstances and expectations on day one, and understood my instructor will always have a schedule and circumstances and expectations in and out of our training.

I remember booking a plane in kitchener and I showed up an hour before my flight to prepare and the dispatchers commented on how I was early. I questioned doesn't everyone show up early? Apparently not, some people book a plane and then shown up at the booking time and the plane sits 30 to 45 minutes before they are ready to go. I thought that is stupid to rent a plane and expect that if should sit and wait for you when you could have done your weight and balance etc beforehand, and made a more efficient operation when the schedule is booked solid and you can't even find a plane to rent without booking weeks in advance.

So just as you feel there's lots of bad instructors, you can bet there's many bad students. Students who don't give a shit about their instructors time. Students who don't come prepared and expect to be spoon fed, then blame the instructor for slow progression.

My advice is just give someone the benefit of the doubt. Show you are an excellent student. If you do this and things don't work out, then move on to another instructor. An instructor that's going to work best for you, won't necessarily be the same instructor as what worked for someone else. And if you are an excellent student, you will probably work well with most instructors any ways. You know if you are trying to make a career of this you don't get to choose your captain on a pairing. It not like you post on the company message board and say who's the best captain so I can bid with them. You learn to work with everyone, even if you don't really like them, you be polite and understand and get the job done.

You know if you are trying to make a career of this you don't get to choose your captain on a pairing. It not like you post on the company message board and say who's the best captain so I can bid with them.

That's a good point. Never thought of it that way.

But on the other hand - I'm looking for one or two instructors to see me to the completion of my PPL. I don't think I'll get much of a chance to change (or at least, it would be painful if I did), so careful consideration is warranted.

I will show up prepared and on time, and I'm sure that any instructor with any reputable flight school will also. The plane sitting for half an hour prior to flight will not be an issue. For lack of a better description - I intend to be a professional student.

So just as you feel there's lots of bad instructors

I don't - really, I don't. Aviation doesn't tend to attract lazybodies, at least not in my limited experience. Or at least, they don't last long. I just want to be taught by someone who wants to teach, not someone who sees instructing as a means to an end.

then move on to another instructor

But how difficult is that, and how much does it set back training? I'd rather find the right person from the get-go, which is why I'm asking for a recommendation or two here.

You learn to work with everyone, even if you don't really like them, you be polite and understand and get the job done.

I'm middle aged. Trust me, I've been there and done that.

Students who don't give a shit about their instructors time.

I do.

Yeah looking back, it does look like I'm sh1tting on instructors. I'm really not. I only want to be taught by someone who wants to instruct, not someone who'll be gone as soon as Jazz calls. I do think this is a real risk with flight training.

Just to keep the thread on track here - I'm looking for instructors in the Brampton area, or anywhere within a 60 minute drive.

montado wrote: You know if you are trying to make a career of this you don't get to choose your captain on a pairing. It not like you post on the company message board and say who's the best captain so I can bid with them.

It’s also not like you’re paying the airline you work for either. I have no idea why this should be remotely relevant to flight training. You’re buying something that costs four time what the average car costs, and almost as much as a house. You have every right to be selective about what you buy.

Hi RaWB,

PM sent.

RedAndWhiteBaron wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:59 pm So I'll be starting flight training in Brampton soon (once I have my medical in hand essentially). I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a flight instructor in the Brampton area?

I only have one requirement: I don't want a time builder. I want to be taught by someone who wants to teach - not someone who is instructing as a way to build hours while waiting for something better. Surely, they must exist.

To be fair, I take no issue with people instructing while they build hours, it's a tried and true entry path to aviation in Canada, it's just not for me. But I have no desire to instruct, and I'd like to learn from someone who does have a desire to instruct.

Sorry if this has been covered before, but instructors come and go - I'm hoping someone can provide some recent experience with instructors in the Brampton area. It doesn't specifically need to be with BFC, although every other flight school is 4 or 5 times further from me. I'm quite happy to deal and rent privately if I can find the right instructor.

So, I'm in Brampton, and willing to travel let's say 60 to 90 minutes for a good instructor while I complete my PPL requirements. If anyone here knows someone, please drop me a line. Feel free to PM. If there's any instructors who need a student, then too, drop me a line. As I said, my only requirement is that I don't want to learn from a time builder. I don't require a 20k (or whatever) pilot - just one that wants to teach, and not one that sees instructing as a means to an end. A junior instructor would work for me too, with that caveat - they must want to teach.

You'll have a difficult time finding an instructor who is not time building. Those instructors are just as good as the guys/gals who are in it for a career.

The onus is not only on the instructor for excellent training but the student as well. You should be showing up prepared for every lesson and questions ready. I've had students expecting me to hold their hand and teach them every single thing. In aviation that's not how it goes. When you get to the airline world, there's no hand holding.

In my experience - find an instructor you'll "jive" with. My old instructor for CPL was a Class 1 and 705 pilot. He knew his stuff, was highly qualified but was not a great teacher. Just a complete asshole in the airplane and I hated flying with him. In fact, I took a break from flying because I was turned off. That being said you may have a new instructor who is new to the game and will make teaching mistakes - I was one of them. I recently had a sim instructor at the 705 level who was new to his role as a sim instructor and made mistakes. The best part was he admitted he was new and was still learning. I liked that and gave him the patience he needed. I recognized this right off the bat but did not complain. He was still learning himself but as a Captain he knew his stuff and I had much to learn from him. We worked together well and the learning was excellent.

Wrapping this up, give an instructor a chance but stay on top of your responsibilities as a student. You'll be fine.

photofly wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:00 am

montado wrote: You know if you are trying to make a career of this you don't get to choose your captain on a pairing. It not like you post on the company message board and say who's the best captain so I can bid with them.

It’s also not like you’re paying the airline you work for either. I have no idea why this should be remotely relevant to flight training. You’re buying something that costs four time what the average car costs, and almost as much as a house. You have every right to be selective about what you buy.

That's a great counter point.

Sometimes in life perspective can go a long way to produce a positive outcome. While you are absolutely correct in your thoughts, if all I focus on is the business financial relationship of our transaction, and focus on how much value I am getting in my training I see it as a huge distraction.

I feel like stepping back and just looking at the big picture can help. Think of it like buying a home, you can fight over the pennies and not budge when you make an offer. Or you can realize the big picture is a few bucks here or there won't make much difference on the mortgage and at the end of the day you just want to be happy in the home you buy.

I feel like if you come into your flight training so concerned about being with a better instructor you have already built yourself a wall and are setting yourself up for failure. I am sure their will be terrible instructors, but I think if the start of the focus of your training is to avoid them you are really distracted from what your goals are.

"My advice is just give someone the benefit of the doubt."
Yup.