[mini-rant]Dear Student pilot of mine, err, former...

flhrci

flhrci

Final Approach
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David
Please in the future give your new CFI the courtesy of telling him/her when you change CFI's. Cancelling today's and tomorrow's lessons for an unverified (by me) maintenance issue on the airplane via a somewhat murky text message is ok. However, when I ask for clarification that tomorrow's lesson is for sure cancelled via reply text message because you did not delete the reservation and you get back to me 36 hours later and happen to tell me you scheduled a couple lessons with someone else late in June acting like I will still be your CFI, is not ok. Having two CFI's will not work and just letting me know you want to change CFI's because of my work schedule is what I would have preferred. Our CFI/student relationship is now terminated effectively immediately. You will receive an email shortly.

[mini-rant off]

David
 
Not nice, and poor communication on the student's part.

But I'll suggest that perhaps it might not be what you think. Maybe a "second opinion" on something, for instance. Though of course it might have been nice to include you in such a discussion....

Or maybe it's exactly what you think.

Some people really don't get that communication.
 
I've had a CFI do the same thing to me. So far, I've been able to find others more deserving of my cash.
 
I'm a bit confused....
Did he make up a maintenance issue as an excuse to cancel the flight so he could fly with someone else?
 
Life as a CFI. :confused: Just do as you apparently are, move on. ;)
 
korben88 said:
I'm a bit confused....
Did he make up a maintenance issue as an excuse to cancel the flight so he could fly with someone else?
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The maintenance issue he cited is on Flight Schedule Pro but the plane was never taken off schedule. Have not confirmed and not sure he made it up. Just surprised to hear of another CFI in the picture.

David
 
wilkersk said:
I've had a CFI do the same thing to me. So far, I've been able to find others more deserving of my cash.
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Very unprofessional. I treat my students as I would like to be treated. I had to let go of a student in 2008 for what I expected to be a better CFI position in another state and I felt really bad about it. I felt even worse after the job fell through two months later. I am thinking I care too much sometimes.

I have to tell myself sometimes, even these days, I have to take care of myself first, others second.

David
 
flhrci said:
Move on from such a big issue? OH NO! LOL Just kiddin'! Moving on...
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  • Oh I would let him know of my displeasure in the way he did this, don't get me wrong. Then go our own ways, like you are is what I meant. Might even let the new CFI know too.
 
mscard88 said:
  • Oh I would let him know of my displeasure in the way he did this, don't get me wrong. Then go our own ways, like you are is what I meant. Might even let the new CFI know too.
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Already sent a polite email and ended things. No longer my student.

David
 
Would be interesting to hear ,the reason the student ,went elsewhere. You also deserve an explanation .
 
frfly172 said:
Would be interesting to hear ,the reason the student ,went elsewhere. You also deserve an explanation .
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After 3 lessons, I believe it is a scheduling issue. I was a full-time CFI beginning last August and it worked until Dec 20th. I had to get a full-time job in early April to survive and I have to work Sun-Thurs, 2nd shift. I even warned him about it and suggested he may need another CFI. I think he took my suggestion and just didn't say anything.

David
 
flhrci said:
After 3 lessons, I believe it is a scheduling issue. I was a full-time CFI beginning last August and it worked until Dec 20th. I had to get a full-time job in early April to survive and I have to work Sun-Thurs, 2nd shift. I even warned him about it and suggested he may need another CFI. I think he took my suggestion and just didn't say anything.

David
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Good for you for being honest and up front with the student.
 
flhrci said:
Please in the future give your new CFI the courtesy of telling him/her when you change CFI's. Cancelling today's and tomorrow's lessons for an unverified (by me) maintenance issue on the airplane via a somewhat murky text message is ok. However, when I ask for clarification that tomorrow's lesson is for sure cancelled via reply text message because you did not delete the reservation and you get back to me 36 hours later and happen to tell me you scheduled a couple lessons with someone else late in June acting like I will still be your CFI, is not ok. Having two CFI's will not work and just letting me know you want to change CFI's because of my work schedule is what I would have preferred. Our CFI/student relationship is now terminated effectively immediately. You will receive an email shortly.

[mini-rant off]

David
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What did you do do #*$^ him / her off? If that happened to me, I'd not be venting on a public forum, I'd be trying to figure out if there was some other reason he felt he needed to switch instructors and didn't want to tell me. And no, you may feel you deserve an explanation, but sometimes something happens and a student or customer doesn't feel comfortable with you, their teacher anymore and they don't HAVE to give you a reason. I WOULD try and see if they vent to the other instructor.
 
That sucks man.

The student/CFI relationship normally is a pretty good one, it's a shame some folks screw it up.
 
That's too bad David, hopefully you'll find other students soon that can work better around your schedule and have some measureable communication skills.
 
Well, losing one student is nothing compared to losing an actual full time job. Professional people of all sorts lose clients. Happens every day. Most just shrug it off and go out and try to get another/more.
 
flhrci said:
Already sent a polite email and ended things. No longer my student.

David
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Don't lose sleep over this. Ben has done this to multiple instructors before.
 
I had to let go of 9 students one time due to the flight school cutting CFI salaries. I went on to a better and more steady flying job. I felt really bad about it. Instead of email, I called each student individually to let them know. That was a very hard day for me.

As a student, I changed instructors twice before I found a CFI that taught the same as my learning. When I changed, I told each CFI why I was changing, and there were no hard feelings for any of us.

As someone else mentioned, good communication skills are essential to good relationships.
 
That stinks. But it happens unfortunately. I had a guy show up 5 hours late for a lesson a couple weeks ago (claimed he was on at 8 but my guy who flies at 8 books a month in advance so.....) so I talked with him a bit between lessons and did some ground with him (flight review guy) before he said "well if you don't have tiem for me today or tomorrow at [time] I am just gonna go to [competition] down the road."

BYE.
 
Yup, happens. I had students at 3 different airports (all within 30 mins of each other) one day, and a student was late. Waited about 30-45 mins and told the desk to tell the pilot if he shows up that I had another lesson and had to go. Never heard from him again but he had paid in advance so that was nice. :)
 
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