- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,363
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
Thank you for the thoughtful post Desmon.
Thank you for the thoughtful post Desmon.
That is more than a couple of questions. I will do my best to answer them all.
I have tried to answer the questions in the order you asked them. If I missed one you feel is important please ask again.
I am in the hanger and typing this sporadically as we repair The Predator.
A remarkable number of people have stopped by.
Endorsements are all that is left to cover in the oral.
We already covered the teaching tasks in great detail over eleven hours.
The eleven and a half hours were over two days so I did not find it fatiguing.
Terry was very complimentary about my preparation.
Brandon’s instructor oral with Terry took nine hours and Brandon is a lot quicker than I and has a much better memory.
I look a lot up, often in several sources and carefully compose my answers. I am slow to create a lesson plan and Terry didn’t want to use any of them I had.
My friend who used to give initial CFI practical tests for the FAA feels that instructor is the PHD of aviation and it should be more difficult than all other ratings. He gave me a mock practical test and could understand why Terry took so long with me.
I feel Terry was fair and thorough.
He had his tasks to check off and endorsements was the last one.
Assuming things fall into place after the hopefully short oral we will fly.
Yes I have thought about these things a length.
At this time I am not planning to instruct in The Predator. She is a one of a kind and flies differently than any other gyroplane I have flown. I found The Predator is easier to fly from the back seat. I have not decided if I will get a LODA for the Predator. I would have 100 hour inspections done just as we did them with Puff. Puff has a LODA.
I don’t feel a student would be any harder on The Predator than I have been.
The Predator has required less work per flight hour than Puff.
I had more than 26 practice students in Puff and only one scared me and I have a low fear threshold. If I had him today I would handle it better. I have to admit that several surprised me.
I don’t know what my future relationship with Air Gyro will be; if I am training in their aircraft Air Gyro will set the hourly rate.
I don’t know what I would charge for a Sport Pilot CFI check ride. The aircraft will depend on the situation.
I feel the criteria for Sport Pilot is the same as private with some exceptions so an abbreviated PTS for private seems to me a good place to start. I don’t expect it to be cookie cutter simple.
I will be very cautious about test flying a student’s gyroplane and would expect it to be time consuming and expensive. I would not test fly a student’s aircraft without an A&P I am familiar with spending considerable time with it. I take flight testing very seriously and have a low fear threshold. I have several friends who want me to train them in their aircraft.
I have not yet set my ground school rates.
Both The Predator and the Cavalon (Puff) are night legal. I am not a night enthusiast and will find a night cross country of at least 50 miles I am comfortable flying. I have a couple in mind. KSMX is a great place to practice night takeoffs and landings. I could land anywhere on the down wind and the airport is well lit.
I will not train in a gyroplane I am unfamiliar with and I will not transition someone into a gyroplane I am unfamiliar with.
I will not train people who demonstrate hazardous attitudes.
For me it is all about sharing the joy I have found flying gyroplanes and trying to keep people from getting hurt.
Thank you for the thoughtful post Desmon.
I just have a couple of questions Vance.
If you are able to get things done correctly and in a timely manner what portions of the oral do you need to retest. Is it just endorsements? I have done many orals. Some with Feds and some without. Most often it is also includes teaching moments. I have had grueling 4-5 hour ones but cannot imagine one ever going so long to fatigue someone like that. Even by air flight standards it is far beyond the " legal flight limit " they were totally out of line to do that and not call a continuance if needed.
As for a training gyro. Do you plan to use your aircraft? If so you have flown yours and been I am sure as careful as could be expected. But even then have had repair issues. How do you feel it will hold up to the many stressful situations that a student might put you and the aircraft into?
Have you a plan to get a LODA? While training I treat my gyro just like a school fixed wing does. Meaning I have 100 hr inspections done faithfully. How will this play into your plan? What will you charge for instruction in your machine "wet"? Will you test fly the students gyro, or train them in it? What will be your ground school rates? When you are asked to do a sports CFI Checkride what will be your cost, gyro you will use, and criteria to test by?
Is your gyro night prepaired? How will you give night training required for private and commercial students. Have you flown your Gyro from the back seat for the hours day and night to handle it proficiently.
I promise Vance this is not meant to pick on you. I am just giving food for thought.
I know you probably have considered many if not all of these points. Please forgive me if you have already answered them.
Of course as a CFI it's possible to advise any student that you will only train in certain machines or day only. Or only to a certain level.
For instance I can train in a SparrowHawk but normally refer people to Mike in Provo or Steve in Georgia if that's what they really want to fly.
That is more than a couple of questions. I will do my best to answer them all.
I have tried to answer the questions in the order you asked them. If I missed one you feel is important please ask again.
I am in the hanger and typing this sporadically as we repair The Predator.
A remarkable number of people have stopped by.
Endorsements are all that is left to cover in the oral.
We already covered the teaching tasks in great detail over eleven hours.
The eleven and a half hours were over two days so I did not find it fatiguing.
Terry was very complimentary about my preparation.
Brandon’s instructor oral with Terry took nine hours and Brandon is a lot quicker than I and has a much better memory.
I look a lot up, often in several sources and carefully compose my answers. I am slow to create a lesson plan and Terry didn’t want to use any of them I had.
My friend who used to give initial CFI practical tests for the FAA feels that instructor is the PHD of aviation and it should be more difficult than all other ratings. He gave me a mock practical test and could understand why Terry took so long with me.
I feel Terry was fair and thorough.
He had his tasks to check off and endorsements was the last one.
Assuming things fall into place after the hopefully short oral we will fly.
Yes I have thought about these things a length.
At this time I am not planning to instruct in The Predator. She is a one of a kind and flies differently than any other gyroplane I have flown. I found The Predator is easier to fly from the back seat. I have not decided if I will get a LODA for the Predator. I would have 100 hour inspections done just as we did them with Puff. Puff has a LODA.
I don’t feel a student would be any harder on The Predator than I have been.
The Predator has required less work per flight hour than Puff.
I had more than 26 practice students in Puff and only one scared me and I have a low fear threshold. If I had him today I would handle it better. I have to admit that several surprised me.
I don’t know what my future relationship with Air Gyro will be; if I am training in their aircraft Air Gyro will set the hourly rate.
I don’t know what I would charge for a Sport Pilot CFI check ride. The aircraft will depend on the situation.
I feel the criteria for Sport Pilot is the same as private with some exceptions so an abbreviated PTS for private seems to me a good place to start. I don’t expect it to be cookie cutter simple.
I will be very cautious about test flying a student’s gyroplane and would expect it to be time consuming and expensive. I would not test fly a student’s aircraft without an A&P I am familiar with spending considerable time with it. I take flight testing very seriously and have a low fear threshold. I have several friends who want me to train them in their aircraft.
I have not yet set my ground school rates.
Both The Predator and the Cavalon (Puff) are night legal. I am not a night enthusiast and will find a night cross country of at least 50 miles I am comfortable flying. I have a couple in mind. KSMX is a great place to practice night takeoffs and landings. I could land anywhere on the down wind and the airport is well lit.
I will not train in a gyroplane I am unfamiliar with and I will not transition someone into a gyroplane I am unfamiliar with.
I will not train people who demonstrate hazardous attitudes.
For me it is all about sharing the joy I have found flying gyroplanes and trying to keep people from getting hurt.