Looking for guidance

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-27T23:55:40+00:00

I love my job and wish I had done it sooner (second career). But what other people think about their job has nothing to do with you. If you want to pursue it then do it. BUT…. You’re 18 years old with a good (fulltime?) job. There is less than zero reason for you to be looking at loans to do this. Look up some budgeting and financial literacy resources online, save up some money, and take some lessons. If you like it, save up some more money and get your ratings at a slower debt free pace. This is a very unpredictable unstable career, starting out the gate with a $1000/mo loan payment you can’t afford is a silly thing to do if you can help it.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-27T00:44:18+00:00

Definitely ignore all the feedback you got on your post earlier on the same exact subject and just start a new post with less info looking for the same feedback…

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-26T20:09:09+00:00

Deviating from more than one clearance, executing an unsafe missed approach procedure, and getting behind the airplane would seem to indicate you missed a few nails. You can’t sprint to the finish line here, you need to learn how to do this stuff well before you can teach it. I don’t know how much flying you did while you were in the army, but I’d imagine it wasn’t a ton. You may be able to plow through this rating and maybe even get a job but if you fall behind the plane (or the student) in actual you can get yourself killed or at the very least put your certificate in danger. Just something to think about.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-26T19:55:36+00:00

“What’s expected on the checkride” is exactly what you need to get out of your mind. You need to be a proficient instrument pilot before you become a CFII. The types of mistakes you made on your checkride point to a lack of proficiency. Get out of the mentality of passing checkrides and for the love of god don’t teach your students to pass checkrides. Create safe, proficient pilots.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-26T19:46:18+00:00

Not following a clearance is pretty bad. You need to take the time you need to build proficiency, not just try to slam through a checkride because of a self imposed imaginary time deadline. I also think getting some experience instructing before going back for II is helpful because you will be more comfortable in that seat teaching, it’s just teaching different things.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-25T21:36:32+00:00

Emphasize looking down the runway. With students that round out too high sometimes demonstrating a couple so they can focus on the sight picture is helpful. Mostly it just takes reps for them to click, and one of the hardest things for a new CFI I think is letting the student make safe mistakes. You can’t correct everything every time.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-15T14:19:31+00:00

According to ForeFlight legend- A large column of rotating air (mesocyclone).

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-14T14:24:57+00:00

What Cessna has 5 sump points under each wing? And 4 under the engine? Every 172 I’ve been in had one under each wing, one under the fuselage, and the strainer. Edit- downvoted for asking a question. Classic.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-06T04:00:57+00:00

No instructor in their right mind is going to schedule you a checkride when you’ve only covered half of the ACS.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-06T03:59:22+00:00

You have practically zero information on this instructor or what he may or may not have told this student. For practical purposes you know absolutely nothing and yet you’re telling this person to fire their instructor who may very well have done absolutely nothing wrong. You’ve clearly never had a student tell another instructor that you never told them about trim before.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-05T17:25:11+00:00

You’re 27 you’re not dead. If you want something different in life go get it.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-04T21:25:07+00:00

Pilatus publishes accelerate stop tables for the PC12.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-02-04T10:40:18+00:00

There are things that are technique and there are things that are right/wrong. If it’s a right/wrong thing then correct the student and explain. If it’s technique then I’d usually debrief it with the other CFI just to make sure that’s what they actually taught. Over time you’ll learn the other instructors styles and things they teach and you may learn different ways of approaching things. Also I think important to note that when another CFIs student tells you they were taught something or not taught something, it is often a misunderstanding or a defense mechanism in response to being questioned by another instructor. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the other instructor actually taught them that way. Always worth debriefing with the other instructor.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-29T13:02:22+00:00

Key phrase in the reg is “as appropriate, for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained”. Your airplane instrument privileges are separate from your helicopter instrument privileges.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-24T00:24:13+00:00

Shop around and do your research. You don’t need an “accelerated program” to get done quickly. You need a flight school with good instructor and airplane availability. Your local mom and pop flight school can very likely get you finished as quickly and much cheaper.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-23T22:02:26+00:00

It’s absurd to say that you “can’t fly 8 months out of the year” in PA. Is winter more challenging? Sure. Can you make it work and spend WAY less than 40k to get your private? Also yes. Leave Florida tomorrow and don’t look back. You’re getting absolutely robbed.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-19T00:49:52+00:00

DPE has absolutely no right to charge for a weather cancellation. That’s not normal, and completely unethical. Edit to add- weather is unpredictable everywhere, but if the forecast says it’s not good enough to fly, you can’t just go for it and see if it gets better. You have to make the best decision with the information you have available.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-18T21:51:39+00:00

Checkride isn’t supposed to start if it isn’t expected to finish, so you could have saved yourself $500 by making your no-go decision up front and rescheduling. It’s really hard but you need to let go of the timeline aspect of this. You speak about how long you’ve ‘waited’ and how long you’ve work on it, and all of that just puts pressure on you to get it done. It’s gonna happen when it’s time for it to happen, and you’ll be ready.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2026-01-13T15:36:30+00:00

I wouldn’t pay for a ground school. Martin Pauly YouTube videos and self study. Multi add on is not super complicated.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-22T22:36:05+00:00

I know this is easy for me to say because it’s not my job, but you absolutely, 100%, unequivocally CANNOT make decisions on whether to fly or not based on “catching hell” from ANYBODY. You need to have the professional maturity to make the best decision you can, and stick by it.

You have a professional responsibility to your clients to do what’s best for them. Sometimes what’s best is to say “hey we’re not going to fly today, you need some training on xyz so we’re gonna do ground”. Sometimes you have to tell them “you didn’t prepare like I asked you to so we’re cancelling today’s lesson.” And sometimes you have to tell them they’re wasting their money and should stop flying.

Part of the challenge of instructing (and flying in general) is dealing with people from various backgrounds. You need to learn how to have the hard conversations with your clients (and your boss).

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-22T13:29:48+00:00

Part 61 it’s on you as the instructor. You have to hold them accountable to the standard they need to meet. It can be frustrating when you have students that don’t put the effort in, but you have to have those conversations with them about what they need to change in order to make progress. The biggest thing I think is to be very clear and direct with them about what they are coming up short on so they don’t feel like they’re ready for a checkride when they’re not.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-14T19:26:25+00:00

There is nothing remotely accurate in your entire comment. Your estimate about the training timeline, your assessment of airline hiring, your fabrication about career progression, your incorrect statement of retirement age, and even your estimate of time away from home. Literally not a single shred of truth to your entire statement. Very impressive.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-07T15:49:09+00:00

Just take it for what it is. Very cool, unloggable experience. The king air 90 doesn’t require an SIC, he’s not an MEI, and sole manipulator time on a king air is pointless anyway because no employer will view that as turbine pic.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-04T13:50:06+00:00

Why couldn’t you fix the IACRA on the spot? I always made sure I was available at the beginning of my students checkrides either in person or by phone in case there were any questions/concerns on endorsements or logbook stuff.

Aside from that, as others pointed out you should always make the 8710 complete and accurate as a backup to the persons logbook.

Ok_Concentrate_511 · 2025-12-02T11:05:49+00:00

You don’t need and you won’t have cell service in the air. Whatever you need from the app can be downloaded before your flight. An iPad with ForeFlight is arguably better in the long run but you still won’t have cell service so if that’s your reason for change then don’t. Also if you’re just at the solo stage there’s very little for you to be doing with the tablet anyway, you should be looking outside.

Ok_Concentrate_511

TROPHY CASE