A good day

Hey people.  Today I had a good day.  Two, count 'em, two of my students had their checkrides today, and both of them passed.  I pulled a 'twofer.  All credit and kudos goes to them.

That's happened to me before.  In fact, I once pulled a 'threefer.  But what struck me on my way home tonight was the fact that both of them (a) had worked with me before, (b) have since explored other programs and instructors elsewhere, (c) got significant chunks of their programs done without me, and (d) came back because they didn't think they'd be able to get finished the way they'd been going.

One of these guys felt like he was spinning his wheels.  He didn't have faith that the people he was working with would be able to get him done, and he was frustrated by his perceived lack of progress.  The other guy felt like he was finished, but his instructor wasn't willing to sign him off for the checkride and be done with it.  After his third "you're almost ready, just one more flight" flight, he decided that his wallet was being milked, and he was out of there.

The other thing that gets me is that I get A Lot Of Business like this; it's been at least 25-30% of my work over the years, and I've gained a reputation in this town as a "closer."  Is this normal?  I don't think so.  If it was, other instructors would be "batting cleanup" for me at least as often.  It's happened, but not a lot.  When I lose business, it's usually because I'm expensive or inconvenient, not because my clients aren't getting done.

So, I thought I'd share some of the war stories about how some pilots get stuck in bad programs to the point where they either give up flying, or jump ship and take their business elsewhere:

• There is a flight school out there somewhere that keeps your logbook "on file" with your student records.  A curious pilot, investigating her options, came to me thinking that she did not own a logbook, despite the fact that she'd been charged for one.  The school treated it as if it was theirs, not hers, and she did not have access to it.
• Some schools use their 141 programs the same way.  They create the impression that because you're in their program, what you've done doesn't count (or doesn't count for as much) in any other program, or that you'll have to "start over" if you leave.  In fact, everything you've done under part 141 also counts under part 61, regardless of who starts or finishes your program.  If you're concerned that part 61 takes more hours or is not as well-respected, you're mistaken.
• Lots of schools ask for all the money up front, which they hold "on account" for you.  If you want to pull out of their program and take your money with you, you're pretty much out of luck.  Please do not fall for this old chestnut.  As Admiral Ackbar said, "It's a trap!"

At the start of each lesson, you should know what you'll be doing, and how it will advance your program.  At the end of each lesson, you should know how much progress you've made, and how much closer you are to your checkride.  You should also know, before you leave, what you'll be doing with your next lesson, until your program is done.

If that's not the way you're doing it... come take a flight with me.