Discussion How to find an Instructor

[fhhuber506771]

There is no official AMA instructor certification.

Some clubs have instructor qualification tests, and they will usually have an excellent training program when they do this.

The general rule though is... when someone feels they can help someone else learn, they can be an instructor. (not exactly the best system, but its what we've got)

Your best bet is to find someone who recently gotr help and ask how it went. If the discussion indicates the instructor was good, use that one. However... there are differences in how any 2 people communicate and an instructor that gets the lesson across quickly to one person may be incomprehensible to the next student!

In our local club we have SEVERAL people on the instructor list.

I tend to be the ground school guy and aircraft inspector. I have had 2 students solo in under 5 flights each. One was essentially ready to solo the first flight due to sim practice....) I have also had a student that I had to "pass off" to a different instructor becasue he wasn't getting the lessons. The person I sent him to was able to communicate with him much better and got him soloed in just a couple more weeks.

Your learning DOES NOT stop at solo... keep asking questions and have the instructor come out and give pointers. Many clubs consider you on your own at solo, but that does not mean you can't get more help to improve your flying. It just means you have the CHOICE and RESPONSIBILITY to ask for help or turn it down. (and you have to learn when each is appropriate...)

[Dragon 2]

I got a pm from a AMA member who said . Go to the AMA web site, then members services then AMA documents then to document 535E and then to document 917 to get a intro instructors certificate.It gives all the details there.

[fhhuber506771]

The intro pilot program is an OPTIONAL system.... There is no requirement for anyone to even look at the instructor qualifications listing. Its a list of RECOMMENDED qualifications.

any club can just list the names of the guys they want to be thier instructors in the program... pay the $5 per instructor and... they are "Intro Pilot Program Instructors"

There's a new program the AMA is starting that has more detailed instructor qualifications and has a set of lesson plans.... "Take Off and Grow" This looks like a well thought out set of lessons and good instructor qualifications... but there is again no requirement for any club to ever even look at it.

[james081234]

SLC Utah,fly electric I usually do not fly at the model airports cause the gassers rule
th erunway, so thats why I like the park flying , or out by Salt Air .
Simple flying and landing, Parkflyers and Sailplanes

[tic]

I'm with you James... I enjoy some company when flying but the club (at least ours) still has the glow crowd that somehow seem to think they have more "rights". .. Not to beat a dead horse, but the noise is also really annoying. I did some teaching at our club. Nothing official but I helped some people out with electrics. Our "official" club instructor practically demands new students start with a high wing .40 glow trainer.

[Lt Crunch]

Originally Posted by tic

Our "official" club instructor practically demands new students start with a high wing .40 glow trainer.

Hi Tic, that's a shame but it sounds like you're helping folks anyway.

This electric "thing" is so new that it's taking <some of> the longtime builder glow guys a bit to catch up. It's really only in the last 5-7 years or so that quality ARF's, lipos, and brushless have even made electric <equal or better than> fuel possible.

Keep helping, and rest assured Mr. Official will either change or go the way of the dinosaurs. No Club can afford to ignore electrics, that's where the biggest part of the next generation of flyers is being incubated right now. And don't say "No to Glow" too offhandedly, as someday a sweet little Saito four-popper might just worm its way into your heart <LOL>

In passing, our Club used to be 2 fields divided and now we're mixing electrons and alcohol freely. We've even added some electrics to the training program so the new folks can taste both worlds. For me there's always a foamy in the car for an early morning tuneup flight, but come Sunday there's something alluring about a 6' span pattern plane pulled unlimited by a 1.20 Webra...not that I'm not watching prices on big honker Hackers and enough lipo and ESC to do the same thing

cheers,

Frank D

[socalsharky]

Any instructors for electrics in Orange County, CA (preferable South OC)?

[fliers1]

http://www.abchobbyshop.com

[Chatenever]

That's a hobby shop in Olcott, NY

[JWilliams2]

Trueth to be told, many of us spent alot of time fine tuning, repair and building plane.

For most people, certainly. I think it's like drag racing: spend hundreds of hours working for a few seconds, but the pleasure is not necessarily in the race but the prep and anticipation (like so many things in life).

I would imagine this hobby would get boring if it only entailed constant RTF planes and never building something or customizing it at all.

[BatterysIncluded]

Hi,
I live in the East Islip, NY area and would like to find an instructor to help me through my first flight. I just purchased a HZ Super Cub. If there are no instructors in the area I will go it alone... any suggestions?

[Chatenever]

Originally Posted by BatterysIncluded

Hi,
I live in the East Islip, NY area and would like to find an instructor to help me through my first flight. I just purchased a HZ Super Cub. If there are no instructors in the area I will go it alone... any suggestions?

Yes. Go to your local hobby shop and ask where people fly. Then go there and find somebody to help you. It's a lot more fun to learn when you're not crashing. With an instructor, there's a far higher liklihood that you will master flying without sacrificing a plane or two.

[TheDustyPagan]

Although I don't have all that much flying experience, as opposed to the seasoned pro's of this hobby... I know enough to help out someone who's getting started in the hobby, and teach them the basics to get them in the air with minimal problems.

That being said... Anyone in a reasonable distance of Dartmouth/New Bedford, MA area, can feel free to contact me at any time, to do some flying. Besides, it's alot more fun to fly with someone, than to stand there all by yourself, staring up at the sky while people driving by wonder what it is your looking at, lol.

My e-mail address is.... timcouto@earthlink.net

I'm going flying tomorrow morning.. (2/25/07).. around 8:30am if anyone's interested in tagging along. It's just going to be me, my wife and her friend and boyfriend.. (who i'll be teaching how to fly my slowstick). Meanwhile, i'll most likely be flying my Magpie AP, and taking pictures of the whole thing.

Anyhow.... if you live in the area... send me a PM through here.. or e-mail me with the address I provided above.





Fun and safe flying
~Tim~ (TheDustyPagan)

[mjespiritu]

Hope somebody in the Philippines reads this. I really need somebody to teach me fly my plane.

[Kevin Murray]

Originally Posted by mjespiritu

Hope somebody in the Philippines reads this. I really need somebody to teach me fly my plane.

Try clicking on thr "Members" part, at the top of this page.
Put a number in the "Maximum distance from you:" .

Try 30 ... and enter.

It will give you the members that are 30 miles/km from you.
Try PMing them and ask if they instruct or know of one near you.