I have been flying for as long as I can remember. In fact, my first memory (fuzzy as it may be) is sitting on my dad’s lap while he let me “fly” the airplane when I was about 3 years old or so.
I got my private pilot certificate in 1999, and graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2000 with a B.S. in Aviation Management, then started working in the industry, first as a Ramp Agent for a major airline, then at a fractional ownership company, working with the flight crews.
While there, I trained at the company’s flight school, a part 141 program to get my instrument rating, which I finally completed in 2009 – life got in the way. Between work, buying (and fixing up) a house, changing jobs, starting graduate school, etc. – and a checkride SNAFU – it took me a long time to get my instrument rating finished.
But I went on from there to get my commercial pilot certificate in 2010, and then in early 2012, I finally completed my certificated flight instructor certificate, and flew my first “student” a week after.
This “student” happened to be a recently rated private pilot (he had passed his checkride about a month before flying with me) who wanted to rent airplanes from the FBO where I am a flight instructor now. He was getting checked out in a Cessna 172, which is the same plane he did all of his primary flight training in, so this was an “easy” way to break myself in as a flight instructor. I don’t know if that was more fortunate for me, or for him!
Either way, he did a great job on all the maneuvers (including – but not limited to power-on and power-off stalls, slow flight, steep turns, slips, emergency procedures, normal takeoffs and landings, short & soft-field takeoffs and landings, etc.). Knowledge-wise, he knew his stuff pretty well, too. I probably under-charged him for the ground time…
And I learned a good lesson as well: pay attention to the time! I ended up getting the plane back about 20 minutes late – which is a no-no on a beautiful, clear, smooth, spring evening when everyone wants to get up in the air!
Ultimately, it was a little strange to finally be the guy in the right seat asking the questions instead of being in the left seat answering them. And it was really strange to put MY signature in someone else’s logbook. But for my first 1.1 hours in the right seat – officially as a flight instructor – it was a good experience.
I think I’m going to really like being a CFI!
Tailwinds,
Andrew
P.S. We’d like to hear about your first time flying as CFI – leave a comment and tell us all about it!
Andrew Hartley is a Certificated Flight Instructor in central Ohio.
Want to fly with Andrew? Send him an email at andrew [at] smartflighttraining [dot] com
for me , I got my student about 4 months after my CFI CFII check rides . my first student was a IR student which gave me a chance to familiarize my self with the local practice are and also start teaching all the approaches which was a strange feeling to ask rather than being asked .
Joe: Nice! It HAS been weird being the one asking the questions and giving feedback instead of the other way around, and I can imagine that learning the approaches and figuring out how to vector your student to the approach course when you’re acting as ATC takes a bit of practice!
Andrew, I too went to EMU and graduated in 1998. I got my ppl, instrument out of ARB, Aviation Center and my CPL out of YIP. I’m then moved to CA got my multi and I’m now in PHX CFII flying Skyvans at a skydive company. Where did you learn to fly?
Shanda: I got my PPL at Aviation center ARB in 1999, my instrument rating at Port Columbus (CMH), and my commercial & CFI out of Bolton (TZR). I now instruct at TZR and OSU, and will be getting my CFII this summer. Were you an Aviation Management major?
My first time to fly as a CFI was with a brand new primary student. I was very honored to have the privilege of getting someone started in aviation – an awesome responsibility. Watching the student’s progression and 1st Solo was a great feeling of mutual accomplishment.
Being a CFI is an awesome and rewarding profession – a very unique way to serve others
I really enjoy all these stories, thanks for sharing! I cannot wait to get my first student. I actually am training to be a CFI right now!