Instructor or not????

[brandonduley]

Just trying to get others thoughts on this.

A certain person at the club i belong to is a club instructor( who will remain nameless!) I dont have a problem with that, but i do have a problem that being an instructor he was unable to put the first flight on his own Aeroworks 50cc Yak. He had to have another more experienced pilot take the sticks.

It wouldn't be bad if the guy didnt go around all the time bragging that he's an instructor and trying to help others with their planes. Which 9 times out of 10 its wrong anyway. To top it off, monday evening at the field he threw is yak together, the engine quit during flight trying to bring it in and stalled the plane at about 9', then wing rolled the thing, plane could have easily been landed if he wouldn't have held up elevator in it

anyone else have the same thing where they fly, guys that think they are all that, but really lack in the flying dept.??

[sweetpea]

Just because you instruct doesn't mean you're the best. Also a trainer (what most instructors use) is far different than a Yak.

Do his students succeed? That is the real question.

[Dan767]

If his students do well, and the hobby grows that's a good thing.

Regarding the first flight on his Yak, If he never flew anything of that size, I could see having someone else maiden his plane for him.

As far as the bragging goes, if he's just proud of what he does, no big deal. When you really are "all that, and a bag of chips", you don't have to say anything.

[Rolling Thunder]

There is nothing wrong with having an experienced flyer maiden your plane. Some people get nervous when that investment breaks ground for the first time.

Two weeks ago I maidened a 100cc Extra 260 for a club member. He is a consistant Nats finalist in Masters pattern.

[xtremeRCpilot]

I think you should be able to take off and land 25 times by yourself before you can begin instructing!!!

[exeter_acres]

who says he can't??

and with which airframe??

[RCBOZO]

I instruct at my club and I defiantly am no were near the best pilot. I think that I may be the most available person who doesn't mind, and enjoys helping others.

[Dan_nO]

Hey Brandon, I understand what your trying to say, but just as some of the other guys have said, what do people your training normally learn to fly with, a trainer of some sort.

I have been flying for 20 years, mostly sport type planes but nothing of the magnitude of a plane like your talking about. When my son wanted to start flying IMAC I got him a QQ Yak 50cc, and yea, even though I had been an instructor myself for years, I was hesitant in putting the maiden on it, not that I would have had any problem with it but one never knows, its something that I hadnt had any experience with myself, and yea there are a lot of things to think about not knowing anything about a plane like this, I myself waited and went early to the first contest and let Mike McConville put the maiden on it Friday night and fly with Brendan.

Who else better to get with to check a plane out other than some guys who are familiar with them where I am not, so we all need help sometimes whether we want to admit it or not, just some are to proud to let others know or ask...and now with what you explained as to what happened happens.

We all step and move up in things we do sometimes, and that at times means that we ourselves need help if we arent sure and we ourselves have to learn something new again. Ya just cant be so proud or big headed that you dont ask for it, none of us ever stop learning.

The bragging part you spoke of, understand the dislike for that.

My question is, if this guy as you said is wrong 9 times out of 10 in most of what he does as to helping others and instructing, then who in the club gave him the authority to be an instructor to begin with if he has no business being one ? Isnt that a liability and a safety issue in itself ?

[yakwrecker]

I do a lot of instructing and I maiden a lot of planes every year but we have one guy that thinks he knows everything but believe me he just likes to think he knows everything. I'm not bashing him but he doesnt fly his own planes very well (funtana 40 flies it like a pylon racer) and he tells everyone to let him maiden there new bird. Most of the time they either walk from the field holding landing gear or and up putting some boots on and going hunting. Like i said not bashing but it is kinda funny to listen to his rants about an airplane and then go pick it out of a tree.

[yakwrecker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Dan_nO
	Isnt that a liability and a safety issue in itself ?

yes

[gareth.ky]

...And so it is with full scale aviation. I have friends that are instructors that have just recently been issues their pilots licenses. I.e. they are not all 747 pilots with experience landing a jet fighter on a carrier deck. They fly small single engine airplanes and they wouldn't know what to do with anything bigger. They train others to build flight hours. Teaching others is part of the learning process.

This is just my opinion but it may actually be a good thing that the instructor is not too highly skilled. That means that, hopefully, they remember what it was like to be learning to fly and can relate that experience to the student. Finding people with the patience and empathy to teach others is pretty hard. A good instructor does not need to have a lot of experience.

I understand wanting a hand with a new airplane from someone who has flown something similar. I also totally understand wanting to do it yourself because you want to prove to yourself that you CAN do it.

For whatever its worth I fall into that latter category. I taught myself to fly with FMS and a Mountain Models Magpie. I had to find out if I could do it myself.

[FLYNYAK]

I fly at a small club and and do most of the training with over 20 years experience. I welcome all the help training I can get but .On the other hand if a instructor failes to save a airplane from crashing or cant handle a dead stick very well it can get a new guy out of this hobby with bad feelings.I was training last summer, when a student of mine brought a new 40 size space walker and wanted to try it out on the buddy box instead of his trainer. I gave it a checkout and test flew it and it was a gentle flyer so then we hooked up the buddy box.He was doing good untill he roled inverted and panicked and pulled up. I took over and knowing the role rate is slow like a trainer tryed to recover inverted and just as I thought I have saved it, it snaped one way and I tryed to recover and then it snaped the other way and went in. I have saved many trainers from certain death like this but this one got me. This space walker just didnt like inverted pullouts.I felt like I failed him buy not saving his plane and hope I havent scared him off.I think a instructor is a very important person that can make or brake this hobby for a new student !Some clubs make you land and take off 5 times in a row to solo.I think a instructor needs to pass a test of skill too ! He should at least show the ability to do a dead stick landing. I have a 50cc yak and it is a floater, a instructor should have no problem landing it. I have seen exactly what you are saying. A guy will have a dead stick and start pulling up and stall the plane, Im not saying all dead sticks can make it back to the runway but they dont need to stall 9 feet off the ground either.I have been teaching many times when my students plane went dead stick and there like on cr** and I land it right to there feet so they dont even need to walk to get it. they end the day with good feelings and hope to be able to do that too.Just my 2 centsMike