Moving to a new instructor that likes the 141 syllabus

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NovaBandit

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NovaBandit
I am a fairly new student pilot. I've been very happy with my current instructor, but he is unavailable for a few months due to surgery.

I'm a pretty fast learner, solo'd at 7 hours, and I'm at about 11 hours now.

But now I need to find a new instructor.

The one that was recommended to me is a CFII from a 141 school who would teach me on the side. (My school is a very informal 61). I met with her, and she seems competent enough. But she is from an educational background, and got her PPL and CFII around 2006-2007, where my first instructor was an old school flyer in his 60's with thousands of hours in everything with wings on it.

I'm a little nervous that she's going to stick me on a program that we'll do what the book says I should do, and not be doing what I necessarily need. She's said that she likes to teach from the Jeppessen 141 syllabus.

There is another instructor available who I know is good, and teaches more along the part 61 lines, but scheduling will be tough with her.

Any thoughts?
 
I felt very comfortable with the instructor I had, bur he's not an option for the next 2 months. Like I said, he's very old school, and teaches based on his experience. I have my first lesson with the 141 CFI this afternoon, so I'm sure I'll have a better feel for her after the lesson.

Unfortunately, money is a factor for me, so I am trying hard to find instruction that is very to the point.
 
Fly with this 141 style instructor. Do your next lesson with the other instructor you mentioned and then decide whose teaching style you like better.

People learn in different styles and what works for one may not work for another. I don't think anyone here could give you an answer of who to pick, just guidelines on how you may chose to pick on over the other.
 
Good advice. That's what I'll do.

When the new instructor started going on about how she has a masters in education, and she really likes how part 141 is done, it threw up red flags from what I've read about here (and other places) and how 141 can end up costing substantially more.

It may well be a non-issue... hopefully!
 
NovaBandit said:
Good advice. That's what I'll do.

When the new instructor started going on about how she has a masters in education, and she really likes how part 141 is done, it threw up red flags from what I've read about here (and other places) and how 141 can end up costing substantially more.

It may well be a non-issue... hopefully!
Click to expand...
Spidey senses are important to listen to when looking into the purchase of training services. Remember you are BUYING a service. You have every right to shop around until you find the best solution that fits your needs.
 
she could be a great teacher. it is nice to have a little structure in your training. it keeps you on track. not so much "what did we do last time?" and "what are we going to do next time"

I did my private training Pt 141 and took my checkride at 38 hrs. Pt 141 style does not guarantee a long expensive path to your certificate, on the other hand it can end up being faster and cheaper.
 
Any instructor should work from a syllabus. A Part 141 syllabus differs from a Part 61 syllabus only in that it dictates how many hours/lessons are to be devoted to each subject. This is because most at most 141 schools some entity is paying for the training (GI Bill, university, etc). In this case, you are paying the bills and she is free to take as much time as necessary to insure complete learning.

My number one hate as a 141 instructor was being strait-jacketed by the hour limitations in the syllabus.

Bob Gardner
 
I personally like the Jepp syllabus. I used it as a model for mine.

You've gotten good advice from everyone so far.

My vote on how to spend YOUR money is to take a lesson with both potential instructors. See which one works best with you. You'll save much more money than you spend on the lesson with the other one, and that is not money wasted you'll learn something.
 
FWIW, most 141 PP syllabi are 35 hours, compared to the minimum 40 required under part 61. Also, if the program is better organized, with clear goals and objectives for each flight, that should improve, not reduce, training efficiency. As for "what [you] necessarily need," the 141 syllabus should be better focused -- given the 35-hour length of most of them, they tend to weed out anything but the absolutely necessary. OTOH, under Part 61, where no syllabus is required by the regs, it's easy to either miss something important or arbitrarily throw in something not necessary.
 
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