How much does CFI-ing help you as a pilot?

[spiderweb]

How much value is it to you? I know being in the air and in an airplane is always good, but how much value is it if your hands are not on the controls?

(No matter how much I teach, I still have to do my own practicing. But teaching keeps my mind on pertinent topics.)

 

[wabower]

If you're fortunate to have a good CFI instructor, you'll learn all the stuff you should have learned but didn't about the ratings you already have, how the maneuvers should really be performed and also learn how to talk while you're demonstrating them.

When you don't know what you don't know, it's hard to know how much you'll know after you know what you should have known all along. Capiche?

How much value is it to you? I know being in the air and in an airplane is always good, but how much value is it if your hands are not on the controls?

(No matter how much I teach, I still have to do my own practicing. But teaching keeps my mind on pertinent topics.)

 

[Rigged4Flight]

I'm not a CFI or even a pilot yet, but in my experience any time I have taught something routinely to others, I have learned much more about the subject than I ever would have known otherwise.

 

[j1b3h0]

Experience as a CFI is an information exchange, especially when you're inexperienced. The instructor may think he or she understands something...until they try to explain it to a student. The game usually is one of the instructor first demonstrating a manuever, (might be as simple as straight and level) then assigning the task to the student. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, in addition to the student occaisionally trying to kill you, your ability to assign a task that is most appropriate to the student's continued learning is essential. People learning can easily become overwhelmed. So, after 1000hrs or so of teaching, one not only becomes very skilled at all the flight operations one teaches, but also at reading his or her student. Such an ability will serve anyone who advances to a 2 man cockpit. Contrary to some, I think it takes 1000hrs to get really good at it.

 

[MBDiagMan]

My goal is to have my CFI by the time I retire in a few years. I don't expect to get rich, especially no more students that I will be likely to find in this area. I have two reasons, maybe three now that I've read the first part of this thread.

First reason, I have been in a a number of situations throughout my career where I have trained, mentored and encouraged people and watched them develop. I have enjoyed it quite a lot. I think teaching people to fly would offer lots of satisfaction for me.

Second reason, gives me an excuse to sharpen my flying in a multitude of ways because it will require instrument proficiency, and commercial flying precision.

Third reason pointed out in this thread is an extension of my second reason, one more opportunity to fine tune my flying ability.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Experience as a CFI is an information exchange, especially when you're inexperienced. The instructor may think he or she understands something...until they try to explain it to a student. The game usually is one of the instructor first demonstrating a manuever, (might be as simple as straight and level) then assigning the task to the student. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, in addition to the student occaisionally trying to kill you, your ability to assign a task that is most appropriate to the student's continued learning is essential. People learning can easily become overwhelmed. So, after 1000hrs or so of teaching, one not only becomes very skilled at all the flight operations one teaches, but also at reading his or her student. Such an ability will serve anyone who advances to a 2 man cockpit. Contrary to some, I think it takes 1000hrs to get really good at it.

This is a very good point.

Much of my career has been in various types of electronic and software development and troubleshooting. I learned early on that when I ran into some sort of problem and began articulating the issue to someone else, the act of organizing my thoughts well enough to explain it to someone else would often cause me to see the answer to the problem.

 

[j1b3h0]

The best reason on earth to flight instruct is to make a difference. Don't know how many people are learning to fly, but there can never be too many good CFIs. Best of luck to you!

 

[spiderweb]

The best reason on earth to flight instruct is to make a difference. Don't know how many people are learning to fly, but there can never be too many good CFIs. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, Doug. That's how I feel about flying, in general.

 

[GCA319]

I'm a pretty new CFI with very little teaching experience, so I find that I learn something new every .1 of dual that I give. Instructing also forces me to stay sharp and always update my knowlege.

 

[Bobcat1]

The best pilot that you will ever be is when you have to teach somebody else how to fly. By the third or fourth time that you explain something you'll actually begin to understand what it is you're talking about.

 

[spiderweb]

The best pilot that you will ever be is when you have to teach somebody else how to fly. By the third or fourth time that you explain something you'll actually begin to understand what it is you're talking about.

It is exactly the same with music and music theory!