Christmas Gift for CFI

FlylikeaGirl

FlylikeaGirl

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Tiffany
Have you ever given your CFI a Christmas gift? The hubs and I like our TW instructor very much and thought about getting him a gift certificate to a local Folk/Bluegrass music restaraunt.

In general, just wanted to strike up a conversation around the topic-- I'm pretty sure this is not considered additional payment of some kind, is it?

Tiffany
 
I say go for it. I have given a gift to my instructor before and he seemed grateful. I rewarded his friendship, not necessarily his CFI service though.
 
FlylikeaGirl said:
Have you ever given your CFI a Christmas gift? The hubs and I like our TW instructor very much and thought about getting him a gift certificate to a local Folk/Bluegrass music restaraunt.

In general, just wanted to strike up a conversation around the topic-- I'm pretty sure this is not considered additional payment of some kind, is it?

Tiffany
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I can confirm such things are very much appreciated.....the thought is as valuable as the actual gift.
 
A gift is always appropriate,especially if you know what the instructors likes are.
 
FlylikeaGirl said:
Have you ever given your CFI a Christmas gift? The hubs and I like our TW instructor very much and thought about getting him a gift certificate to a local Folk/Bluegrass music restaraunt.

In general, just wanted to strike up a conversation around the topic-- I'm pretty sure this is not considered additional payment of some kind, is it?

Tiffany
Click to expand...

I didn't know you referred to me as "hubs".
 
Glad you brought up this question. I was debating this as well. We decided if we ever bake cookies or such, we'll make some extra for my CFI and his wife.

On Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, the hubby and I baked some holiday cookies. On Wednesday, I gave a dozen to my CFI to share with his wife. My next flight was Friday, two days later. He said that his wife bakes a lot and he said "she appreciates quality baked goods". He said they both loved the cookies. I'm glad they enjoyed them. I also bake sourdough bread a lot and gave them a loaf two weeks back - they loved it too. It was a fairly large loaf, so they froze half. They ended up eating the entire thing in 4 days.

I like that these gifts have been well received and maybe as much value as a gift certificate. I feel it doesn't cross the line of being too much, but still lets my CFI know I appreciate his quality training time. Every since the loaf of bread, he seems much more attentive/patient to me and my questions. :) I think they are looking forward to our Christmas baking sessions.

You haven't had sourdough bread until you've had it made at home with long bulk fermentation times (30+ hours).
 
TazzyTazzy said:
Glad you brought up this question. I was debating this as well. We decided if we ever bake cookies or such, we'll make some extra for my CFI and his wife.

On Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, the hubby and I baked some holiday cookies. On Wednesday, I gave a dozen to my CFI to share with his wife. My next flight was Friday, two days later. He said that his wife bakes a lot and he said "she appreciates quality baked goods". He said they both loved the cookies. I'm glad they enjoyed them. I also bake sourdough bread a lot and gave them a loaf two weeks back - they loved it too. It was a fairly large loaf, so they froze half. They ended up eating the entire thing in 4 days.

I like that these gifts have been well received and maybe as much value as a gift certificate. I feel it doesn't cross the line of being too much, but still lets my CFI know I appreciate his quality training time. Every since the loaf of bread, he seems much more attentive/patient to me and my questions. :) I think they are looking forward to our Christmas baking sessions.

You haven't had sourdough bread until you've had it made at home with long bulk fermentation times (30+ hours).
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Hi, Mitch.

If I could make anything that didn't turn out burnt, I'd be all for that. lol As it is, I know he is also a musician and he has expressed an interest in checking the place out, so I think it would at least be a thoughtful gift, though I see your point about how sometimes a gc is not always very personal.

The sourdough bread sounds awesome.
 
Hey Tiffany,

Talking about gifts for you CFI, one of our female customers took it upon herself to purchase a custom ARCUS (anr) headset from us just because he was awesome....Her words.

Now can anybody top that one.....lol


Paul
 
Acepdr said:
Talking about gifts for you CFI, one of our female customers took it upon herself to purchase a custom ARCUS (anr) headset from us just because he was awesome....Her words.

Now can anybody top that one.....lol
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The winning ticket to a fund raiser for a 172 (or whatever your preferred spam can is). :)
 
You give gifts to your college professors?
I don't like the idea of giving anything to an instructor. It smacks too much of bribery or the expectation of some quid pro quo. Pay them an appropriate fee and call it even.
 
jnmeade said:
You give gifts to your college professors?
I don't like the idea of giving anything to an instructor. It smacks too much of bribery or the expectation of some quid pro quo. Pay them an appropriate fee and call it even.
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I think that depends. Personally, my CFI is a friend and co-worker so I'm getting both he AND his wife something for Christmas. The way I see it, his family loses out on his time when he and I are up in the air or at the hanger - so his wife deserves to be in on the gift as well. LOL
 
If you want to gift, do so b/c the person is a friend not b/c the person is CFI. I for one don't feel obligated at all. However, I will give my CFI a (generous) gift upon my successful completion of PPL for his hard work, but not before and certainly not b/c it's the holidays.

Quite frankly, let's not forget who's the client and who's paying whom. I for one, never had my business clients "gift" me over the holiday; they are paying my bills and I'm usually doing the gifting and rightfully so.
 
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jnmeade said:
You give gifts to your college professors?
I don't like the idea of giving anything to an instructor. It smacks too much of bribery or the expectation of some quid pro quo. Pay them an appropriate fee and call it even.
Click to expand...

I already received my TW endorsement, so he is no longer my CFI, though I hope to learn more from him.

What you said re: quid pro quo and spdracer's comment about me being the client is mostly why I asked. Sometimes something we think is completely innocuous is perceived by others in a totally different way.

It just seemed like a nice gesture for someone we genuinely like.

And if I liked him or her well enough and felt like the professor was going above and beyond, I might give a college professor a gift.

Thanks for your input. :)
 
jnmeade said:
You give gifts to your college professors?
I don't like the idea of giving anything to an instructor. It smacks too much of bribery or the expectation of some quid pro quo. Pay them an appropriate fee and call it even.
Click to expand...

I think it's completely different.

A student-professor relationship is much less "intimate" than a student-CFI relationship, at least until you're doing PhD work. And at that level it's common for professors and their students to have a personal relationship where gifts are appropriate.

ALL my CFIs for my ratings became friends. I gave holiday or birthday or wedding gifts at times. They gave me gifts as well.

It's about the friendship, not the student-teacher relationship.
 
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