TRAVELING INSTRUCTOR,, well Let's See!

[Steve McGowan]

A traveling instructor would be someone that could live on the road and survive..

I have attempted it a few times,, traveling around the country doing instructions,, and lost my shirt

Bill Parsons had tried it and when he got to the destination, most of the students didn't show up. Lost money and time, and had to travel back home with a lot less enthusiam for the sport, because he had been stood up.

Duanne Hunn is in Iowa now working on gyros and instructing.. Is it worth it to him? Maybe, maybe not..

How many potential gyro/ student pilots would be serious to have someone come to them ??

The minimum amount of students would be 5. And that would be a minimum of 10 hours per student. Expenses to be paid for the travel and half the flying time to show good faith..

Can it be done?
Well I for one know it can, at least from where I'm sitting.
I'm a full time instructor here in Macon, have a stable relationship with everyone in the area that knows me.

Easier for the student to come to me,, AND I too have been stood up many times over the last year or so. And it gets very old and boring waiting for someone to honor they're word and show up.

So let's see who's serious !

STEVE

[Master Roda]

I would think a deposit (from the "to be" student) that covered expenses would be a requirement before you hit the road.
Jon

[Earthboundmisft]

Steve, I recon I could come up to Georgia and instruct you,
IF the price is right...

[Mike484]

I believe a student gets a lot more out of his training by traveling to the instructor.

The only way to make it worth while for the instructor to travel to the student is to have a pool of people that will all be getting instruction and make it worth while for the instructor. Personally I would rather go to the instructor and get more one on one time without the distraction of several others all wanting some of his time also.

And, things can happen to the machine. At the instructors facility he is set up for these things and most generally won't have much down time at all if any. On the road it may be difficult to get the $10 part that is keeping you from flying and the downtime may be increased considerably. Also, a lot of he instructors (Steve and Ron Menzie) have more than one trainer and if for some reason one goes down you won't be completely SOL because you can train in the other. They won't be bringing two machines to your local airport.

You have to pay the instructors travel expenses, sure it may be split between a few people but still you have to pay all expenses. Why not spend that money on a mini vacation for yourself so you can get away from the grind for a few days. Besides, if your still at home and probably still going to work between flight times then your getting a lot of distractions that take away from your enjoyment of the instruction.

I would much rather go to the instructor.

[Texasautogyro]

I guess I have been very blessed to have had great luck in going to students. I do love for them to come to my place. But I travel often to Bridgeport Texas and Olney. I am always booked solid for 3 days at a time. Special events and flyins work as well. But say for me to go more then about 300 miles I need a great commitment. With several people willing to cover my fuel, Food, and a place to stay. The rewards for me, and all the wonderful people I have been able to meet, and learn with, and from have been worth trying to be flexible.

[Mike484]

Desmon, you have done very well at making it work for you but it is not always so pleasant for everyone else. I have had more than one instructor tell me that they traveled a great distance just to have students cancel out on them or not fly all of the hours they promised and even though the expenses were paid there was not really enough made to cover all of the time and trouble. I hope it continues to work out for you.

[M._Springer]

we started requiring a deposit.
One guy stood us up and traveled from Ca. to Florida for instruction.
Later on he approached me and asked me to sign him off for solo.
I took pleasure in telling him to go where he got his instruction to get a sign off knowing that Parsons was not a CFI and couldn't sign him off.
And I wouldn't !

Marion

[Texasautogyro]

I am sorry to hear that! I have never been stood up yet. I usually have 2 - 3 people per day where I go. I got totally fogged in once but they were waiting with me to see if it cleared. I did over 175 hours of training traveling to others last year.

[GaryMac]

Desmon...... keep travelling to Bridgeport, please. I won't stand you up.

When are you coming back this direction?

[Jpipe]

As a student, I travel 3 hours plus to my instructor.
We have a good relationship but things do go wrong, I have had to cancel, the instructor cancels or the weather cancels.
I think the important point is consistency at the same location and same aircraft set.

John

[choppergabor]

I had been stood up before as a CFI by a few Embry kids.....they all ended up in the men's room with me for a one on one explanation that just because Daddy or Mommy is a lawyer, doctor, daytrader .....fill in the blank that means nothing in this business.
You party hard that is your business. You show up late instantly earned the right to clean the rest rooms and the class rooms! You didn't show and did not call ahead being charged an hour of ground! After a few incidents all of the sudden the practice of not showing stopped!
Hit them by the pocket. Now to be completely fair the CFI should be the same way!!! This is not a gift nor is it a favor. It is business. One should not beg for instructions. I have seen it before. One should be able to set the time and place and hope for the weather to be merciful....In my humble opinion.
I don't see personally any problem with either having a fix airport or instructing at the local airport closest to the student. Maybe a home base can eliminate the possibility of not being able to fix problems that may arise with the training machine. Sometimes all needs to be done is to throw some stuff on that's on the shelf as a backup part and ready to roll.....

[mark treidel]

In 2007, the one and only time I attended Mentone, I had called and arranged flight time with a certain CFI (two weeks prior) who told me to be there at a specific time.
I was...and he was busy giving a lesson. I checked in and was told to wait on the side line. I did...and as the last student departed, it became my turn. Without even acknowledging my presence, the CFI walked right past me (knowing full well I had been waiting for him) and went off elsewhere at the airport. I waited over an hour for his return. When he came back, he took someone else in the air, again without acknowledging me, and I was first on the list. At that point, I turned away in utter disgust and sought air time from another CFI that was present at the event. That actually turned out to be to my benefit. I had traveled 1200 miles only to be treated like I didn't exist. To this day, I have no respect for this individual, no matter how 'bragged on' his abilities may be. He certainly could use some training himself in the area of people skills. No names....the rest of you are smart enough to figure it out for yourselves.

[Steve McGowan]

That was me Mark,, all I can say is I apologise,didn't do it outta any disrespect.

At the fly- ins you have to get my attention, at the time the lady that was there helping me.. And I get really caught up, so may have missed you.

Again if it were me,, I do apologize, And if you come to Mentone this year,, I'll be sure to make it up to you,,

Steve

[Thechap]

Mark Treidel,

I'm going to ruffle a few feathers here but what the heck. This thing has been eating at me since Bensen Days.

I know exactly how you feel. I traveled over 1000 miles to Bensen Days this year and the same thing happened to me. Won't same any names. I stood near by for the four days that I was there and the CFI acted like I wasn't even there. I also had my 13 year old son with me who wanted so badly to go up in a Gyro that I caught him crying under the large tree near the hanger because no one wanted to take him up. I approached one of the CFI's flying an MTO on our last day there and he agreed to take him up. It was an experience he will never forget. I had money in my pocket that I wanted to spend on flying for myself and my sons but something just didn't click with SOME of the CFI's there.

I had one person tell me that if his prop hadn't broken he would have taken us up without a problem. This same person came to me several times apologizing because none of my family had been taken up even though we were paying customers.

I can tell everyone one thing. If I ever get a tandem, I will be GIVING rides. If someone wants to make a donation for the ride then so be it. I do not want to see people drive hundreds of miles and then have them go home without experiencing a ride in a Gyro. It's our responsibility to make sure this sports grows and continues on. Enough said.

[PW_Plack]

I know there are bad experiences on both sides. That makes me doubly pleased with what happened at Rotors Over The Rockies this month. We had a student travel 800 miles here from Seattle and take training from Desmon, who'd traveled 1500 miles from Texas to be here himself.

I took the opportunity to finish up my Sport Pilot Gyro certificate while we had two instructors available, because I don't know when I'll be able to travel to Arkansas. And if anything ever happens to Ron Menzie, (even retirement,) those of us who don't own our own two-place machines will have nowhere we can go to take a check ride for Private or higher.

The deposit idea could work, but here in Utah it is now illegal to ask for any payment in advance for flight instruction, due to a new law that followed the Silver State Helicopter disaster. We could pay in advance to an instructor traveling here from elsewhere, but not to our own CFI Mike Burton. Kinda messed up, but such are the unintended consequences of laws made with crooks in mind!

The idea of a traveling flight school sounds great to students, but what CFI wants to leave home and live on the road all the time, especially if he's already booked consistently at home? I think the best we can do on a regular basis is arrange instruction around the dates for major fly-ins.