This is the third installment in a series of stories about why 80% of the people who start quit flight training. Part One covered the #1 reason: Money. Part Two delved into health concerns.
By JAMAIL LARKINS
Would you choose to spend more than 50 hours in a 40-inch enclosed space with someone you don’t mesh with while they quiz you continuously on a complex subject that you are just learning?
I also forgot to mention you get the privilege of paying them around $5 a minute for the experience.
Given that is the width of a Cessna 172’s cabin, we are asking a lot of prospective pilots to do just that.
Unfortunately, a large portion of student pilots will quit flight training versus finding a new instructor if their teaching and learning personalities don’t mesh.
This is the reason why a negative overall flight training experience was ranked as the third biggest reason why 80% of all student pilots quit before they obtain their private pilot’s certificate according to my informal social media poll.
This reason actually makes a lot of sense to me.
Learning how to fly is an extremely complicated, stressful, and overwhelming experience. Couple that scenario with a negative experience, and it’s easy to understand why many people quit.
I was very fortunate that I loved every single instructor I have had in the cockpit.
From Bruce Gunter who signed me off for my US solo in a Cirrus SR20, to Buck Roetman who trained me for my Aerobatic Competency Evaluation (required to fly air shows in the US), they were all patient, extremely knowledgeable, and had the ability to impart the skills needed to obtain whichever certificate or rating I was seeking. It also didn’t hurt that our personalities matched.
I’m a self-proclaimed aviation nerd, so even if I didn’t enjoy my instructors, I still would have continued with my flight training. But, everyone isn’t that passionate and aviation obsessed. As such, the aviation community risks losing potential pilots by having too much bravado.
One message that I would like to stress to any prospective pilot — or current pilot seeking an additional rating — is if you are not enjoying your flight training experience, it is 100% OK to switch certified flight instructors (CFI) or even entire flight schools. You’re paying for the experience, so you might as well enjoy the experience!
John and Martha King of King Schools have helped trained 52% of all pilots in the United States. King Schools just celebrated 50 years of teaching pilots required knowledge to pass their ground school courses, and have a 99.8% pass rate. This leads me to believe they know the pilot training business.
Not long ago, I had the chance to ask the Kings about their recommendations to prospective pilots on how to be successful in their flight training.
Having a passion for what you are learning was a big theme, but they specifically said: “Keep it fun. You’re going to learn faster.”
To flight instructors, the Kings had this to say: “Your students will retain what you are saying if you use humor. The human brain has a better way of implanting knowledge with humor.”
The veteran instructors understand the subject matter of learning how to fly is dense, but the Kings try their best to “simplify, clarify, and make it fun.”
This approach to flight instruction is something more instructors should try to incorporate into their own flight instruction.
As in any industry — as in most aspects of life — there’s going to be a few bad actors. Fortunately, most flight schools and flight instructors have a passion for aviation and typically want to help their students become better pilots. However, if you do find one of the bad apples, switch sooner than later.
The positive news is that there are a lot of flight instructors available. At last check, there were 122,577 in the United States, so you have options.
I would love to hear from more pilots on their flight training journeys, so if you are willing to share, please let me know. You can search Jamail Larkins on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Or feel free to share your feedback at JamailLarkinsAviation.com.
To read the first part of this series, click here. To read the second part, click here.
I started USAF undergraduate pilot training (UPT) at 27 ½; the maximum age allowed at the time. I was already a CFI with 1,000 hours TT and a few years’ experience instructing.
In UPT Phase II, during which everyone still flew the supersonic T-38 Talon, my instructor pilot (IP) was a 1st Lieutenant “FAIP” (First Assignment Instructor Pilot). He was also younger than me and had about 350 hours TT when we started flying together.
We got along, personally, as well as you could given the rank differences and formal student/IP relationship “protocols” we needed to follow.
Our pre-flight briefs were “efficient”, assuming I was sufficiently prepared. I made sure THAT was never an issue!
I flew the jet well enough, as evidenced by my overall class ranking, and the assignment I got upon graduation; an F-15C to Kadena Air Base.
The problem was…it was mostly in spite of him, not because of him.
Turns out, he was a ‘screamer’ in the jet. He screamed at me so much, I usually couldn’t tell what I had done “wrong” in the first place.
It got so bad, that on our later sorties, especially during formation flights, I’d turn down the intercom volume so I could concentrate…
Our post-flight debriefs were brutally objective, but usually cordial, assuming I had performed adequately. Regardless, I was certain that I had failed pretty much every flight; but then in the debrief, he’d morph from Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jekyll.
Finally, on our last dual flight together, he started yelling about something …after we had already landed and were just opening our canopies… and I’d had enough.
I ‘pumped’ the stick momentarily, keyed the intercom and directed “You got the Jet!”, then threw my hands up so he could see them from the back seat. As briefed, he ‘shook’ the stick in the back and responded with “I got the Jet!” and continued to taxi back to the ramp.
After several awkward seconds, he asked “What’s the problem…?”
I responded, “I have no idea, but I figured whatever it is, it must be so bad, I’d probably need both hands to pull my head out of my A-S!”
He was silent. But I could see him in the mirror as he nodded and slowly let his head slump down towards his chest.
He never mentioned it in our debrief.
I must reply to help me out of guilt for my action. On a training flight with a new, too me, CFI and an other trainee, in a 172 unknown to us trainees when I became ill and had an intense headache.
After landing, the instructor started to critique my sloppy flying. I flew off the handle and didn’t even hear what she was saying. I made a totally inappropriate remark and insult.
It took a long time to figure out that I and them, were affected by exhaust in the cockpit. I almost quit but my desire to fly was too great to allow that. I went on to buy a plane and enjoying the pride of the best time of my life and the view.
FAA-H-8083-9* Aviation Instructor’s Handbook
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Teaching is an art form that is different between each teacher and each student.”-ME
Flying is easy; people are hard.” -me
“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” –John Cotton Dana
“A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering cold iron.” –Horace Mann
No one learns as much about a subject as the one who is forced to teach it.” — Peter Drucker
To teach is to learn twice.” — Joseph Joubert
Back in 1970, I signed up for flight school. I was assigned to an instructor who needed an attitude adjustment as he literally screamed at me in my first few minutes of dual instruction for no reason in a J-3 Cub. Come to find out his mannerisms gave him the designation of being called “Mean Gene” by everyone at the airport. All he cared about was building hours to qualify for the airlines and could care less about teaching.
At the end of the flight, he asked when we would schedule for the next lesson. I said “Next week but you need not be concerned because you’re fired as I’m finding a new instructor.”
He arrogantly laughed and said, “You can’t fire me. I’m the instructor.” I said, “Since I’m the person that pays you, that makes me YOUR boss which means I CAN fire you due to poor teaching skills and lack of performance on YOUR part.” He left with a huff after which time a gentleman after having heard the conversation came up to me and congratulated me on my assertiveness. He also said he was a CFI who taught flying part time on the weekends as he was a high school math teacher during the week (aka, a guy who loves to teach). I asked if he would take me on, he agreed and I hired him on the spot. As a result, the learning experience was friendly, professional and complete. I still hear his voice when I fly these days during certain decision making situations. The memories are good while they motivate me to make better decisions during flight. I was merely a kid of 19 years old with no friends or family having ever flown in their lives, but I knew the difference between right & wrong, arrogance and dedication. In a nutshell, remember that YOU are paying for a service which makes YOU the boss and gives YOU the right to cancel out of ANY poor service or purchase in life including flight instructors.
I had the exact situation, but I was the CFI that ended up with a new student due to an old crusty CFI named Sid, long since deceased, who was the screamer/ace of the base. What a -$$
My explanation for not flying anymore.
Years ago discovered that my life insurance policy wouldn’t cover private aircraft flight and suspended future flying due needing coverage for my family needs.
This after acquiring commercial single/multi land, single engine seaplane, rotor/helicopter, and instrument before marrying
PIC life is made for guys like us. Life insurance for pilots
No, I do not work for them.
Second this. Sometimes it just takes some research to find a policy that is pilot-friendly. I had to pay slightly more than my spouse but I was still covered.