How to find a good CFI?

Ben, what airport are you training at? That would help. Anyone with experience at that field can chime in with their input.

I don't know much about San Diego, but I have seen Gary Wing's instructional videos on Youtube and I wish he was my CFI. He is based somewhere down in your area.

 

Some good ideas on how to find a good CFI in this article by Rod Machado:

http://www.rodmachado.com/?p=170

Some other good info here:

http://www.4vfr.com/?goto=instructor6&section=learn-to-fly
.

 

No matter who you end up with as an Instructor, make friends with the other instructors at your flight school.

Ask one of the other instructors for their tips on each major stage in your training.
Ask questions like:
- What advice do you give in doing a controlled descent in the pattern?
- Do you have any tips on short and soft landings?
- Where else do you check for weather info other than ...
- What's the best way to learn the FAR's for the written and oral tests?
- etc.

You'd be amazed how helpful it is to augment what your one instructor says with just casual conversation with the other instructors.
Buy them a cup of coffee or take one to lunch after your regular lesson.

This will happen automatically when your flight school does stage check rides.
This is where they assign a different instructor to fly with you and observe.
Most flight schools will do this 3 or so times during your months of PPL training.

 

If you're thinking of training at West Valley, see if you can meet up with Rich Acuff. He's a good CFII and I think works mostly with the West Valley Club.

http://www.wvfc.org/instructors/rich-acuff

 

registered flight school is a good place to start... their curriculum is FAA approved, they should have a pool of instructors to choose from, and should have multiple airplanes.
Statistically flight schools graduate students in fewer hours, approved flight schools can graduate students in 40 hours, independant instructors have a minimum of 60 hours ( if I remember correctly )... flight schools operate 24/7 with multiple planes and instructors making scheduling easy while keep up proficiency...

 

Its a tough thing finding good one. I looked at two different airports, and spoke to at least six schools and did 4 "intro" flights before i settled on California flight school in Van Nuys. Personality plays a huge part in it i believe, think back to when you where in high school, you learned the most from the teacher whom you liked the most. Same thing for CFI and flight schools. I could defiantly tell the schools who are only interested in the money.
One school owner/CFI at KVNY couldn't even tell me if he was at the north/south or east/west part of the airport, let alone give me directions how to get to the hanger, I politely suggested i might have trouble learning to navigate with his instruction and hung up the phone.
My primary and back up instructors are equally good, but very different in their techniques, one excels at "procedures" the other is much more of a nuts and bolts flier. What i mean by that is for instance when on base or final one will say, " are we high/low, fast slow" and wait for me to answer and make the right correction where as the other will say " we are to high to fast pull power and full flaps" its subtle differences like that which make the learning curve interesting. So i would recommend shopping for the right for for you as long as it takes.

 

Damian, where are you flying out of at Van Nuys? I'm certified and used to fly mainly out of SMO but Van Nuys is closer to my home and I'm looking for some CFI recommendations. I haven't flown for close to 5 years now and need to get some instructor time before attempting my BFR.

Thanks.

 

airports charge / tax the vendors ( flight schools, FBO, etc ) at the airport for almost every thing they invoice or use which is passed on to the customer in higher rates for all services... a crowded airport generally does not have the best rates, crowding allows the airport to charge a premium for its's facilities for all the lease holders... which may be a reason for higher rates vs a not heavily used airport

Scheduling and availability of insructors and aircraft is a major reason for using a flight school. It's about having training on YOUR schedule, not the instructors...

 

Hey Peter,

http://www.californiaflightschool.com/

Is where i am learning. Uwe Kerner is the owner and my primary instructor, and Mike Haire is the other instructor i have flown with many times.

I could not recommend them more highly. I have had a couple of my pilot friends come with me on ride-a-longs, one of them is a Gold standard CFII from out of state, and all have been impressed with both Mike and Uwe, and said I'm in great hands.

Give them a call you will not be disappointed.