If you have read any of the AOPA magazines, you have seen the word "mentor" thrown around quite a bit. So what does it have to do with you?
The idea in a nutshell, is to keep you motivated in your flight training and to have a constant in case your instructor, in so many cases, leaves your flight school.
Most student pilots, I would guess, do not have a mentor. In most of the cases, the instructor attempts to fill the double role as the mentor as well. This works in many cases, and I hope I am fulfilling that capacity at some level with those of you who are taking your instruction from me.
I try to leave time, weather at the beginning of the lesson, or after we are finished, to just talk about fun stuff when I am not "on the clock." There is so much more to flying than just taking lessons and checking off boxes and filling out logbooks. These are the elements that the mentor is supposed to accomplish.
For those who are not learning to fly as a profession, flying is supposed to be mostly about fun. In my opinion, that includes the training as well. I try very hard to make each lesson fun, especially when it comes time to do the cross countries.
So, if you do not have a "mentor" and feel that your instructor is not doing well at that aspect, bring it up. Together, figure out how to make the most of your flight instruction.
On the flip side, don't feel pressure when your instructor calls you up if you haven't flown in awhile. Yes, it is true that he is making his living of teaching you to fly, but he is also trying to keep you encouraged on sticking with it and finishing what you have started.
The idea in a nutshell, is to keep you motivated in your flight training and to have a constant in case your instructor, in so many cases, leaves your flight school.
Most student pilots, I would guess, do not have a mentor. In most of the cases, the instructor attempts to fill the double role as the mentor as well. This works in many cases, and I hope I am fulfilling that capacity at some level with those of you who are taking your instruction from me.
I try to leave time, weather at the beginning of the lesson, or after we are finished, to just talk about fun stuff when I am not "on the clock." There is so much more to flying than just taking lessons and checking off boxes and filling out logbooks. These are the elements that the mentor is supposed to accomplish.
For those who are not learning to fly as a profession, flying is supposed to be mostly about fun. In my opinion, that includes the training as well. I try very hard to make each lesson fun, especially when it comes time to do the cross countries.
So, if you do not have a "mentor" and feel that your instructor is not doing well at that aspect, bring it up. Together, figure out how to make the most of your flight instruction.
On the flip side, don't feel pressure when your instructor calls you up if you haven't flown in awhile. Yes, it is true that he is making his living of teaching you to fly, but he is also trying to keep you encouraged on sticking with it and finishing what you have started.
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