Trying to stay busy

A quick update.

My primary student and I haven't flown together in a few weeks, although he has been out flying solo a bit. That's fine because he needs to get some solo time in.

My instrument student and I have kept on keeping on and we're hammering away at approaches. We've been doing a lot of work in the Elite, particularly getting him up to speed on the Garmin 430. If I have my way, he'll be proficient as hell with the 430. It's one of the best tools in the airplane, but only if you know how to use it.

I picked up a second instrument student so he and I are working on basic attitude flying. He bought a 172 from a flight school and I was stunned at how nicely it flew, despite having almost 12,000 hours on the airframe.

Teaching instrument flying is challenging but also a lot of fun. And I'm glad I got my CFII as quickly as I did because it's the instructor rating that will probably bring me the most business.

I may have picked up a third instrument student through my club. He's making all the right noises and is a really nice guy so I'm looking forward to flying with him.

From the 'when it rains it pours' department, I think I've picked up another primary student as well. Again, we'll see what happens after the holidays but he was eager and I think he's ready to get going.

Such is the life as an independent flight instructor: The only work you get is the work you hustle to get. Some months there's almost no flying to be had then next thing you know you're looking at potentially having five students going at once.

Of course, 10 students would be better. This job is seriously fun and it's almost a crime to call it a 'job' because I enjoy it so much.

One theme I've picked up from each student is a dissatisfaction with 'normal' flight schools. My instrument students did their training at a flight school. The fact that they're not returning there for their instrument ratings illustrates a fundamental problem: Passing students around to two or three flight instructors isn't the way to get return business.

They all know I'm not the best or most experienced instructor around, but they also know that I'll be here to see them through their rating and that I'll work hard for them.

And that's enough.

Flight instruction is a service business and it pays to give good customer service. It's amazing how many conventional flight schools don't realize that.

Simple as that, really.