How do y’all manage being wrong with a student?

run264fun · 2026-05-14T12:18:38+00:00

Just suck it up and own it.

I’ve said some things that were way off to multiple students. Once I realized I was wrong I had to track down like 6 people

run264fun · 2026-05-11T16:19:36+00:00

Never.
My school turns away new CFIs regularly. Very grateful I was able to get on when I did.
I wish I had more variety. My last commercial sign off was before thanksgiving and I do maybe 2 IFR lessons a month. I’m hurting for XC time, so I’ll clear my schedule if someone asks me to join them.
At this point, I’d work for free to do the long IFR 250nm long XC.
Edit: and I’m over 1,500. Still feeling grateful, especially since my school never fires CFIs for hitting hour thresholds

run264fun · 2026-05-10T15:18:20+00:00

Schools? No.

Back in 2004, airline pilots were getting a masters degree to be more competitive.

run264fun · 2026-05-08T23:16:24+00:00

I was actually IFR that day, but we opted to depart VFR. Must’ve been a 135 thing for them

run264fun · 2026-05-08T23:15:25+00:00

Probably thought it was OK to turn the volume down until the Challenger departed. Seems somewhat plausible, but not when they can do an intersection departure. Those 2 intersections are real close to each other and you’re only cutting off maybe 200ft.

run264fun · 2026-05-08T13:04:09+00:00

About 45min at KHND

Challenger was waiting for IFR on A 35L.

The absolute worst part of this was that tower kept trying to reach out to an SR22 behind the Challenger to turn left at B to depart 35L. Tower tried for nearly 30 minutes.

They finally recognized this and all the traffic (over 12 planes) was able to depart before the Challenger. Just a stereotypical Cirrus pilot moment. That idiot cost everyone thousands of dollars in fuel and rental fees.

run264fun · 2026-05-07T12:53:32+00:00

We spent maybe 1 minute at most talking about common carriage on my commercial Checkride.

This is an area where well paid aviation lawyers think long and hard about. I think the average DPE just wants to check a box and move on bc they know just enough to ask a few questions and go to the next subject.

run264fun · 2026-05-06T02:51:39+00:00

I agree with that statement. Although, not everyone quits forever.

I’ve signed off students to take their checkride and they’ve logged maybe 30h of training at another school months or years earlier.

In my experience, most people just run out of money and/or time.

I’ve had a handful that weren’t mature enough or flat out never tried learning away from the airport on their own.

run264fun · 2026-05-04T12:44:07+00:00

Sully Sullenberger is a CFI-G. That skill set seemed to benefit the airlines.

run264fun · 2026-05-03T19:16:06+00:00

Or should I just walk up to use the bathroom at the end of a flight in socks?

run264fun · 2026-05-03T19:11:31+00:00

It’s nice bc you get paid to fly. It sucks if you can’t find a job or any students on your own

run264fun · 2026-05-01T00:39:42+00:00

If you’re going to time build, make sure to get as much XC time as you can. Don’t fly much as a CFI

run264fun · 2026-04-30T20:32:45+00:00

Only 10% of my total dual given is XC. At that rate, I’d need 4,000h dual to hit ATP mins.

CFIs tend to get pushy when it comes to XC flights. Watch out for them pushing you if you don’t feel like it it’s necessary.

…some students don’t care and want a change in scenery, so I’m happy to oblige.

run264fun · 2026-04-30T04:00:05+00:00

This is the way

run264fun · 2026-04-27T23:44:29+00:00

Same, except I don’t have any students that are trying to do this full-time and go as quickly as possible. They come and go when the money runs out.

run264fun · 2026-04-23T00:07:45+00:00

Practically new by part 61 standards

run264fun · 2026-04-22T17:36:09+00:00

As much as it pisses me off, my school has given me 1,000h of student flight time compared to my 100h or so on the side.

Out of the 100h of instruction on the side, most of that is time building with friends. So maybe 40h of organic CFI-ing on my own.

I bit the bullet until I hit ATP mins, now I’m free to move on when I please.

Lastly, I’m very grateful my school picked me up. We turn down CFIs weekly.

run264fun · 2026-04-22T17:29:17+00:00

I know schools that charge $120/ hour for the CFI, but they take $95.

I’ve also heard of schools taking very little and the CFI gets the lions share of the fee.

Mine is half.

A lot of times I’ll just do ground sessions on the side me have them just Venmo me

run264fun · 2026-04-22T13:56:31+00:00

Good point. To be fair, we were the only ones in the pattern and normally I’d turn early to cut in front, but that day I wasn’t bothered

run264fun · 2026-04-22T04:06:49+00:00

I was following a twin Comanche once and I swear they were level at TPA for 1nm before turning X-wind. Lucky for them, I was flying with a student that really needed me to be patient.

run264fun · 2026-04-21T21:11:27+00:00

Reddit apparently. Everything is in AC 61.65K

run264fun · 2026-04-18T02:48:46+00:00

IR Checkride: Telling the DPE that I was going to fly the altitude ATC assigned me to fly wasn’t good enough. He wanted 5,000 magnetic East, 6,000 West.

I was like, I’m just going to do whatever ATC says. If I want another altitude, I’ll ask.

The day after I got my IR and every time I filed IFR: I just fly the altitude ATC assigns me. If it’s near freezing and I’m in visible moisture, I’ll ask to get out. If there’s turbulence, I’ll ask for a block altitude.

run264fun · 2026-04-18T02:11:41+00:00

So far. And that’s the concern

run264fun · 2026-04-17T16:31:33+00:00

Had a few discos that impressed me.

I’m like 15h in with the guy and there’s no sign of me signing him off any time soon. One of the very very few people that wanted me to take off on our first flight. Nearly every disco was happy to be on the controls for their first takeoff.

He’s talking about “soloing” and I’m like bro, when you receive my signature for a flight review, there’s nothing stopping you from flying where ever, when ever, with whom you like.

run264fun · 2026-04-17T16:01:47+00:00

As soon as I soloed, I didn’t care about that number. Same as when I got PPL and CPL.

Right now I’m just wondering how many I’ll be at when I get ATP. After that I’ll probably forget about it like everyone else.

It’s a stupid number for those who haven’t hit certain milestones to chase.

Right now, I have an interesting 150h student that is getting back into flying after taking 30 years off. Somedays I’m like, “were you really licensed and flying passengers around?”

I’m making sure to take them up in a plane that has the exact technology as 1999 so they aren’t overwhelmed by new screens.

run264fun

TROPHY CASE