Scudrunners

As usual the blame is likely not rewarded to one group or individual and really who really cares. There is a lot more to life than worrying about how people progress in this world. Shit happens and life is not fair so most of us just deal with it, shake our heads and move on. What should concern us is the larger picture. Is this system turning out unsafe pilots, remembering there is no perfect system. If it is indeed dangerous then the big question is "how do we change it". I'm certain for every bad instructor out there must be more who are actually trying to do a good job, but they need the tools. For me I think down what I am getting from the colonel. There is no way should a new commercial license be able to .lay a bunch more cash down and with in a very short time be teaching someone how to fly when he/she has no skills to do so. It should be a matter of going back to school for about 2 years to learn the teaching skills. They need to learn the art of teaching. This kind of system would certainly separate the chaff from the straw since a guy could conceivably go on the the right seat of a light twin or PC12 and have the atpl in about the same time. Sure it would add cost to getting a licenses but that should not be the issue. The impact would increase salaries and improve working conditions and allow people to choose a career as professional flight instructor and not an airline weenie want-a-be -- now the question, how do we go about lobbying for this. Typically canadian law makers are just limp dicks afraid to go against the business lobby. Just look at the time lag in FDT legislation. On our side who do we have COPA ??? another limp dick association unfortunately. Maybe ACPA and ALPA since it would go a long way to improve their position as well.

How do we go from pissing and moaning to action. Vote for Trump -- lmfaoooooo -- my bad Clinton is more open to a cause like this. Trudeau is too busy looking pretty. Seriously what is the answer. We know where it should be but how does one get there without the government setting required standards. It is all about money and profit at the end of the day. Owners will alway do the minimum to maximize bottom lines.

I feel like I just flunked the vision portion of my medical

-- cut -- Shiny said -- cut --

This is one of those moments where I have a disconnect with this forum. On one hand we have the Colonel railing about all the useless stuff that is taught, and on another we have an insistence that an instructor would be negligent if he didn't dedicate some of that training time towards ITCZ. What do you guys want?

The ITCZ like a variety of other things probably comes up as a consequence of need. That's not a defense of flight schools, or instructors, just a factor of limited time on this earth. I knew what it was, but as of yet it hasn't been of consequence since its along with lots of those other bits of knowledge which I haven't had to put to use outside of internet discussion. I actually have some notes on it should the topic be of relevance in ground school, but when you're teaching mostly Canadian pilots who are unlikely to leave the country it doesn't become a priority.

Now that said, if one taught the basics of meteorology well, one should be able to figure out the possibility of the ITCZ, and the associated weather, if not its specific acroynym. Weather, contrary to popular belief, isn't of a magical nature, its just physics. And a bit of chemistry.


On the subject of 0/0 landings I'd have to say its like any of the other emergency procedures. Personally I also try to get across the importance of calling for help if you're in trouble, damn the paper, but I suppose its possible I'm alone. If its something you're going to train for, then like many things it deserves to be practiced, consistently and constantly, which like a lot of things like 180 turn backs and other manuvers, I don't feel it does a lot of good to do once and say good to go. That's the thing to remember about the ticket, and I'd still be of the opinion of what causes a majority of accidents is pilots that don't fly, and pilots that don't fly often. As opposed to were trained poorly. Not to say that they aren't. I 100% agree on the Colonel's issues with priorities.


I'm not sure what you're talking about aside from exposing your inexperience in customer service. I don't think its entitled to say its not a fun aspect of the job. In my experience this is what gets to all instructors, even the ones who love it the most will talk about limiting this exposure to it. Ask the Colonel why he doesn't do more ab initio, I'm sure its not just because he's "entitled". Maybe you've failed to realize that those entitled people you're talking about also form the same group as the customer base. In reality, while you'd like to paint every instructor and FTU employee as a bad person, they're just human beings and as such are across the spread. There are some as you describe, and maybe its been your misfortune to encounter them. I strongly doubt that you've had as much wide of an experience in said pool, and your opinion on the matter has the coloration of a learned opinion, and I'm going to take a stab and say that your mentors have also shared the opinion. Or maybe you feel taking that stance puts you in high regard here.

PS I don't do [i]any[/i] ab initio any more!

My rationalization was that my time was probably
better spent giving dual on stuff that no one
else will fly - let alone give dual on.

Teaching new instructors - and teaching new
class 1's to teach new instructors - was also
probably a better use of my time.  Like dual
on weird types, not something that was done
very well.

Customer service: 


Well I had my first real job at 15, and I was continously in sales jobs -- all straight commission --  from age 18 to when I started my company at 30, which I moved across the country to do. 


I was good at customer service because I enjoy eating, and I was out of the house for good, paying all my own rent -- and ratholes at that --- and expenses, -- before age 19.  Not a dime of family money for any of it, Shiny. 


Just hustle, and more hustle. And I'm leaving a lot out. I'm a college dropout because I couldn't afford to stay in, and live, and survive. My family said, "youre 19, time to get out and get on with your life".


That's it.


It was hard, so when I talk about hard work and entitlement I see, I think I'm qualified. Now maybe my story is the mainstream among beginning pilots too these days, but I seriously doubt it. Now those principles have made me successful in my business. But no way I'll kick my kid out 5 years from now. Inconceivable.

[quote]you're an entitled prick[/quote]

Most people think so, so they must be right  ;D

When I quit instructing, I think I had around
3,000 hours of dual given, one hour at a time.

3,000 dual-given flights over 25 years, or an
average of 2.5 instructional flights per week
for a quarter of a century.

I'm cool with that.  I'm done with ab initio,
and I'm done teaching new instructors - I'm
really getting tired of the fight with TC.  The
dirty tricks are getting old, like having my
very expensive phone and laptop seized at
the border, and never returned.

Thanks for the memories, TC.