Specialty CFIs

Huckster79

Pattern Altitude
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Nov 22, 2018
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Huckster79
I’m curious if I’m missing a source or I’m out in left field... I’d like to look into flight reveiws or just lessons for advancing my piloting abilities... not looking for a new rating but for instance... I would like to do some dedicated training to Power Loss On Take Off...

Sure I could chat with my cfi buddies and do it- but curious if there are folks that focus on extra training? I can find courses on mountain flying but that’s about it...
 
I think word of mouth on your home field is the best for that.

I know the CFI I use most often doesn't advertise.
 
I'd ask the local acro guy. I see this sort of thing in the list of trainings offered by places that do acro, spin training, and upset training.

Failing that, you might try a glider academy. I have no first-hand experience, but I'd expect rope-break training is more familiar to those guys than the local skyhawk bashers.
 
+1 on the acro/spin/upset recovery guys.

I’d avoid any instructors who primarily do certificates and ratings, as they’re typically not very creative...most of the ones I’ve dealt with seem to have “flight instructor-Archer, Seminole” on their certificates. Somebody who’s willing to learn your airplane in order to teach it would probably be good.
 
A CFI who has lost his or her medical, would only* be able to teach someone who could act as PIC for the flight, so might do only “in your own plane” teaching.

*SP excepted of course.
 
Most of what I do these days is specialty tailwheel stuff. Too busy with the aerial photography to do many students.
 
I would say your best bet is going to be independent CFIs, not affiliated with a school, and perhaps even ones that do not have their own airplane to teach in. In other words, like me...

Personal anecdotes follow:

Since I do not have an airplane, all of my teaching is in owner's airplanes. As a result, it's in a wide variety of airplanes, and I get a wide variety of training requests. Virtually none of my training is "let's do turns about a point". Instead, people come to me for exactly the types of things you're talking about - improve existing skills and work on things that are not included in the various checkrides. While I don't specialize in any particular type of training, if someone comes to me with a specific request, I will build a training plan to work on what they want. While this is most often for avionics upgrades, autopilot/GPS training, instrument refresher, etc., I have also done training such as "can I spiral down over a field in IMC, break out at 500 feet and still land?" and "can I land in a 25-knot crosswind?" or "how high do I need to be to make the "impossible turn"?"

There are only a few types of training that a CFI can really specialize in and have a reasonable career at. Upset/recovery/acro is one. Type-specific training (Cirrus, Bonanza, etc.) is another. Specific avionics training is a third. Of course you're not going to find a CFI who specializes in just "engine failure on takeoff" training, that's way too narrow.

If the CFI you've been using for other stuff seems proficient, flexible and willing to prepare lessons outside of a regular flight school curriculum, then try them out. Otherwise I think the suggestions for contacting an upset/recovery/acro CFI are excellent. Maybe even get some spin training while you're there!
 
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