F
Flying in a foreign land
Guest
Posting anonymously because I do not want to cause ripples at my club.
I'm really unsure what I can expect from the flying club here..
I am an american living in a foreign country starting flying lessons. Have gone through a good deal of ground school but misunderstood the rules regarding when I could start flying. Turns out I could start already (just no solo flying) because I have passed the actual prerequisite courses on aerodynamics, aircraft instrument theory, etc. so I was VERY happy I asked again for correction.
So I started. I was assigned a CFI and it was clear to me he was very good. He was thorough and pre-flight we went through what we would be doing, he took off, I handled the flying and learned some straight and level flying, some banking, trimming. It was great. That was the middle of April.
I was very impressed with his landing also in a pretty good crosswind. He's around 30 and been flying since he was 15.
Since then he found out his work (he is professionally flying as well) was taking much more time than he had thought so he had to stop teaching for a while (honest, it wasn't my fault! I didn't do that badly!) but he found another CFI in the club and told me he was good too.
But it's been VERY hard to arrange flight number two, and honestly I feel like communication is not that great. My situation is I work full time, but have mondays free. So Monday is a great day to have a lesson (morning, day, or evening). I've asked him what his "normal" schedule is but am still honestly not sure. It may be he works different hours each week. I understand that there things come up, and instructors can't be expected to always be available even in the "normal window" of availability.
In summer here we have light until quite late too! But other than that weekends are really the only viable time I most often can use. My first flight was after work on a friday, but I don't get dinner, it goes quite late (home by 10:30 p.m.) and most important I'm worn out from job stress at end of day. We have a lot going on at work.
So my new CFI seems to be saying he can't ever know if he can fly on the weekends until like a day or two before. The problem is I am learning on a type of aircraft they have only two of, and are desired by many so they are booked pretty quickly. I'm still not sure if he can do evening flights most of the time or not.
Last monday we couldn't fly because of weather, which happens. And it isn't as if I expect an instructor always on weekends, but his not knowing until just before any weekend seems to be a show stopper.
I just sent an email to the flight school leader, mentioning it is nothing personal, but my CFI schedule seems to not be a good match with my own. Am waiting to hear back. They have a number of CFI's listed, but one of them is my first instructor who really is not available for the time being so I don't know how many of them are actualy active.
Is this normal? I know here the CFI's don't get paid all that much and certainly some of them may want to have weekends free, but how is it normally or was it in your club?
I'm thinking I ought to aim at least for two flights a week. I sure don't know, but it seems like that would be minimum to keep making progress. I mean, I feel like I can't even get the wheels going. Loved that first flight, am really looking forward to more.
I had just seen that there were a few hours on the planes I will be flying, and asked if it was possible sat. or sun. but he has to work both days. I get the idea also that many of the other students are flying in the daytime during the week. Either they don't have regular jobs or work off hours, not sure.
Any thoughts, or advice?
I'm really unsure what I can expect from the flying club here..
I am an american living in a foreign country starting flying lessons. Have gone through a good deal of ground school but misunderstood the rules regarding when I could start flying. Turns out I could start already (just no solo flying) because I have passed the actual prerequisite courses on aerodynamics, aircraft instrument theory, etc. so I was VERY happy I asked again for correction.
So I started. I was assigned a CFI and it was clear to me he was very good. He was thorough and pre-flight we went through what we would be doing, he took off, I handled the flying and learned some straight and level flying, some banking, trimming. It was great. That was the middle of April.
I was very impressed with his landing also in a pretty good crosswind. He's around 30 and been flying since he was 15.
Since then he found out his work (he is professionally flying as well) was taking much more time than he had thought so he had to stop teaching for a while (honest, it wasn't my fault! I didn't do that badly!) but he found another CFI in the club and told me he was good too.
But it's been VERY hard to arrange flight number two, and honestly I feel like communication is not that great. My situation is I work full time, but have mondays free. So Monday is a great day to have a lesson (morning, day, or evening). I've asked him what his "normal" schedule is but am still honestly not sure. It may be he works different hours each week. I understand that there things come up, and instructors can't be expected to always be available even in the "normal window" of availability.
In summer here we have light until quite late too! But other than that weekends are really the only viable time I most often can use. My first flight was after work on a friday, but I don't get dinner, it goes quite late (home by 10:30 p.m.) and most important I'm worn out from job stress at end of day. We have a lot going on at work.
So my new CFI seems to be saying he can't ever know if he can fly on the weekends until like a day or two before. The problem is I am learning on a type of aircraft they have only two of, and are desired by many so they are booked pretty quickly. I'm still not sure if he can do evening flights most of the time or not.
Last monday we couldn't fly because of weather, which happens. And it isn't as if I expect an instructor always on weekends, but his not knowing until just before any weekend seems to be a show stopper.
I just sent an email to the flight school leader, mentioning it is nothing personal, but my CFI schedule seems to not be a good match with my own. Am waiting to hear back. They have a number of CFI's listed, but one of them is my first instructor who really is not available for the time being so I don't know how many of them are actualy active.
Is this normal? I know here the CFI's don't get paid all that much and certainly some of them may want to have weekends free, but how is it normally or was it in your club?
I'm thinking I ought to aim at least for two flights a week. I sure don't know, but it seems like that would be minimum to keep making progress. I mean, I feel like I can't even get the wheels going. Loved that first flight, am really looking forward to more.
I had just seen that there were a few hours on the planes I will be flying, and asked if it was possible sat. or sun. but he has to work both days. I get the idea also that many of the other students are flying in the daytime during the week. Either they don't have regular jobs or work off hours, not sure.
Any thoughts, or advice?