Re: Look For The Gray Hair

Older may be better is some cases, but I wouldn't assume someone is a better instructor just because he has 3 or 4 logbooks full of hours. 10 years ago when I was getting my PPL, my instructor was old and very experienced. Now that I'm an instructor looking back, I realize he was an excellent pilot, but not necessarily a good instructor. He was not very adept at communication, and he was not very enthusiastic about instructing. In the years since earning my private ticket, I've had the opportunity to fly with many instructors... some young, some old, some with the ink still wet on their CFI certificates, some who had been instructing for decades, some military-trained, some civilians, some crusty and cantankerous, some mild-mannered. In the end, the ones that I felt were the best instructors were the ones who understood the concepts and could convey them clearly. Learning is a change in behavior as a result of experience. In my opinion, whoever is best at facilitating learning makes the best instructor. That is not always the oldest and most experienced instructor.

skyraider    Dec 16, 2008 14:55:50