Re: What happens in a checkout with the chief pilot of a flight school
- From: "Dudley Henriques" <dhenriques@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 01:08:56 GMT
It shouldn't be a big deal at all CC. Standardization mostly. They want to
be sure their instructors aren't contradicting each other as to the way they
want things done. If its a good school, the chief instructor will make an
attempt to bring you into his/her line of thinking but allow you enough
latitude to decide for yourself how best to deal with your students.
Be careful on this check ride. When I gave them I didn't push the applicant
all that hard and let them demonstrate freely without interruption. I'd
throw them a few curve balls; mainly muffed maneuvers simulating students
putting the airplane where it shouldn't be, especially on landings. They'll
want to see just how far you are willing to let an error go before
correction.
On this single issue CC, remember what I'm telling you now and don't ever
forget it as long as you're instructing.
One single thing that sets the superb flight instructor apart from the
ordinary flight instructor is in the superb CFI knowing how far into in
flight error a student can be allowed to go without physical correction and
ideally, being able to verbally correct the student in time for the student
to correct the error without the instructor having physically to take
control of the airplane.
Watch out for this when taking your check flight, and watch out for this
when GIVING a check flight and you'll do just fine as a CFI.
Dudley
I think the main thing they will be interested in at this stage isn't so
much that you can fly. A good chief check pilot will know that by how you
preflight the airplane :-) What they will be watching for now is how you
will be handling their students.
"Cecil Chapman" <bayareapilot@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:GIryg.138719$H71.7280@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As with most FBO's (I'm presuming, since I'm new to this being a CFI, now
<grin>) there is usually (largely for insurance purposes, I understand) a
checkout with the Chief Pilot at the FBO for a potential new-hire CFI at
an FBO.
When I dropped by my flight school with a large celebratory chocolate
layer cake for everyone (it has become a 'tradition' for me, doing this
after passing checkrides), the FBO owner saw me and asked me if I was
still willing to join them as a CFI (like we had talked about, when he
approached me, before I got my certificate). Of course, I told him 'yes!'
and only had a few caveats with days I could be scheduled (still 5 days a
week, but since I have a business ((I.T. services/consulting)), I had a
couple of time slots in the evening and on one day of the week and weekend
set aside for clients and (one day weekend) for family . This was all
perfectly fine with the owner; he just seemed genuinely glad to have me
coming 'aboard'. Which really makes sense, in that I've been at his flight
school, either as a student or a renter pilot for over six years. So I'm
certainly not an 'unknown quantity'.
So he went to their accounting person and got the employee paperwork (W-4,
Proof of Citizenship Papers and Health benefits information) and asked
that I fill this out and get it back to them so that I could be set-up in
the system. I'm bringing by the paperwork today (I had to check a few
things with the accountant that I have for my business and pick up my
passport at home, for one of the citizenship documents).
Back to one of my questions (actually, come to think of it,,, I have
several):
Although my CFI told me that I should chat with him before taking the
checkout, for tips and what is involved (and I WILL be talking to him as
well, but I just wanted a thumbnail sketch from the other experienced
CFI's out there). What is usually done in these checkouts? I assume it
must be more comprehensive than a regular airplane checkout, but not as
involved as the 'gauntlet' that I just ran through during my checkride.
Thanks in advance for your feedback on this one! :)
You know, it is interesting that so much of my study for my CFI
certificate is focused on the theory, etc. It's occurred to me that
there is almost no training in the regular day-to-day management
activities involved in being a CFI. Since I have a breather, I am now
going to go cover to cover on the Flight Instructor Handbook by Kirshner
(I bought it a while back, but generally just skimmed through parts of it,
'cause there was too much other stuff I had to study 'just to pass the
checkride'). I'm wondering things like if it will be better for me to
keep folders on the students I have (like the ones I saw in my local
airport shop that have places marked for all sorts of information) of if a
notebook is less cumbersome and a more efficient way to keep notes about
my future students and their progress? So, I'm going to read as much as I
can, books about the 'practical end' of being a flight instructor. My
accountant is setting up most of the stuff for tax and accounting
purposes - thankfully, I'll be an 'employee' of the FBO and not operating
as an independent (which would require me to set up another account for my
CFI income - to better manage it as a separate business to make it easier
on my accountant and for taxes).
So, many questions,,, but jeez guys/ladies - I can't possibly tell you how
very excited I am to have this opportunity. I've been looking forward to
it for a long-time and will make the very best effort to be the best
flight instructor I can be; both for the benefit of my future students
(they deserve nothing less than the best efforts at thorough instruction)
and my continued 'growth' as a pilot.
I have to head off to work (the non-flying job <grin>) but you will all,,
no doubt hear a lot from me later.
Kind of cool thing: As I was getting ready to leave my FBO after seeing
that everyone got some of the cake I was leaving, one of the younger CFI's
came up to me and told me that they were pleased that I was coming aboard
and to be sure to get onboard soon, 'cause he had a future roster of new
students that he was only too happy to pass along to me (i.e., my FBO
seems to always do quite well with it's influx of students,,, they always
could use more CFIs).
I've made calls to my dad and wife the past couple of days, just to call
laughing (very happy) and tell 'em "Guess what?? I am a CFI!" Yeah, I
gotta stop it soon <grin> but I'm still looking in the mirror and saying
it to myself, hoping that the fact that this all hasn't been some
wonderful dream 'sinks in' and I begin to 'know' this is all happening.
Of course, getting my first student will likely drive that fact home! :)
Gotta go! Thank you again for all your great reply posts to my
announcement (which I've printed and saved - they mean a lot to me!).
--
--
=-----
Good Flights!
Cecil E. Chapman
CFI, CP-ASEL-IA
Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com
"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -
"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
.
- References:
- What happens in a checkout with the chief pilot of a flight school
- From: Cecil Chapman
- What happens in a checkout with the chief pilot of a flight school
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