wangmyers said:
We're all in love with flying, but how do you feel about training?
I enjoy my self inflicted training flights. I hold myself to really tight standards which really helps my flying in general. I try to go through all the main points of the PP-PTS about once a year.
I try for a BFR once a year just to keep myself in the loop and keep myself from developing bad behavior patterns and to learn something new. Usually they're a lot of fun.
IMHO: Instructor attitude and interest in what he's doing will really make or break a training or currency flight.
I've flown with many that I learn lots and lots from because they like teaching and push me to the edges of my comfort envelope and beyond. (I'm non-IR but one flight comes to mind: Being under the hood from the practice area and being talked down (CFI playing ATC) to short final then lifting the hood to see the runway right where it should be is so cool!! Especially since I already figured out he was doing something like that around 1500AGL inbound and the 3D map in my head clicked full on as clear as if I had the hood off and looking out the window)
Others I learn from but it wasn't not overly constructive in the big picture of things. (turn left, silence, turn right, silence, descend, silence, land 3 times, silence, silence, silence, yep, you can fly a plane, you're good to go let me sign you off now, that's another hour in my obligatory instruction grinder toward the airlines). -- it's not really that bad usually but I think you get my point.
If your brain doesn't hurt and you're not tired afterward, you haven't learned anything.
...my two marbles worth...