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Interesting experience at a Shepparton Flight School...


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Flying an aeroplane was something I definitely wanted to learn how to do. It isn't my greatest passion. But I still wanted to do it, so I enrolled at Secure Air Flight Training in Shepparton. It was perfect, the airport is less than a 10 minute walk away and I had hoped to have regular lessons. I had three flights, basically teaching me the basics of the controls, turns, and climbs and descends. I had booked in for my fourth lesson.

This is where it got a bit strange. The instructor, Susan informed me that she would advise me on the weather before she'd inform me on the date, but I never received a text message. I called her, and we had a conversation on the phone where she basically informed me that I lacked commitment and suffered too badly from nervousness in the sky. The foundations of these beliefs, in my opinion, were faulty, and she just wanted to drop me as a student. That's fine, everyone has their quirks. However, the follow up I had in person despite having a similar tone, had a dishonest vibrato with me. I felt treated worse than a dog, when she informed me she would practically prohibit her other employees in training me for the RAAus certificate.

This has disturbed me. I do not take lightly to people hurting my dreams, and I have enquired with a different school at the Shepparton airport. Could someone give me insight what I could have done wrong for her to react in such a manner?

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Just now, spacesailor said:

You don,t have to do, or say anything, people take Dislikes for No apparent reason !.

Just move on somewhere else.

You could end up Happy.

It happened to me also.

spacesailor

 

Thanks for your advice. The saddest part of it all is that this school offered the most economical price in terms of RAAus instructors, the proximity to the school, the need not to get an ASIC clearance and medical. Now I have to go through the hoops of doing these, plus probably pay an extra $100 dollars for a different training aircraft as the new one doesn't offer the Tecnam I started in. These things add up.

It's also the depression of not knowing. Most persons I have had difficulties in life had the maturity to tell me what I've done wrong, at very least, and if they're kind enough to - to offer to remedy my behaviour. None of these were extended to me. It occupies some of my thinking, also, that maybe I'm a victim of a rumour.

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13 minutes ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

Some people should never fly, just enjoy going for rides with people and life the dream from the other seat !

Thanks for your "assessment". I am certainly capable of flying. 

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There's definitely something strange going on with her. To say you lack commitment and are too nervous in the air, after just three flights, seems to me, to be a too-quick evaluation.

I'll wager plenty of trainee pilots are still very nervous after just three flights.

Be aware that a percentage of people you deal with, are quite intransigent in their dealings, can take a dislike to you immediately (with no good reason) that means they simply don't want to work with you, and they can also be quite vindictive and mercurial.

Even though this training school ticks all the boxes for you, her attitude says this school is off your list for all time.

Show your commitment by going to another school, even though this may mean some additional cost and inconvenience. You need to find an instructor you can "click" with, and who has a attitude towards trainees that encourages and nurtures.

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Gee! Isn't that strange? A person being taken into a strange new environment and at the same time having to take in great chunks of new theory and practical tasks and that person shows nervousness?

 

She ought to have to deal with people who are not nervous about the flying bit, but suffer from the fear of getting airsick. 

 

Perhaps you should get used to light aircraft flying by seeing if you can get some owners to take you for a few flights. Don't forget to bring along some jerry cans of fuel as a gift to the owner. 

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I reckon you are lucky to be rid of her. If that is her attitude I doubt she would have any ability to teach you to fly. Always steer clear of anyone who cannot or will not give you reasons for their decisions.

My experience with instructors showed me there were good and bad.

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Is she the CFI  or just an instructor? Is the flying school owned by someone else. If she is not the CFI or the owner go above her head and complain and get the truth plus they have lost money and reputation.  If she is the god of the flying school  - walk away.

Sorry for your bad experience.

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3 minutes ago, SSCBD said:

Is she the CFI  or just an instructor? Is the flying school owned by someone else. If she is not the CFI or the owner go above her head and complain and get the truth plus they have lost money and reputation.  If she is the god of the flying school  - walk away.

Sorry for your bad experience.

She isn't the CFI. Her de-facto is though. So I didn't bother trying to reason with him because you know, I figured he'd side with her anyway. I think there were only 3-4 instructors including them both there anyway, so if she didn't want to, presumably her husband is a no, and if she didn't the other two to train me - it's gonna roll like that.

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You could consider contacting a board member and asking their advice about the situation you found yourself in with one of Raa’s approved training schools, and also request feed back of your instructional flights as the instructor has not provided you with such detail.  They are to record your progress and have flight notes etc.  This way you have an independent person involved that could ascertain an outcome, just an option and they may recommend a suitable instructor that they know of. Cheers and keep at it.

Edited by Blueadventures
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Part of the challenge of teaching anything is to develop the student and bring them along. Sometimes that won't work out but I would have thought it would have had taken more than 4 flights. When I learnt fixed wing I went solo in 8 hours, 35 years later it took me 21 hours to solo in a gyro! Thankfully my gyro instructor persevered for more than 4 flights!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

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4 hours ago, New2flying said:

She isn't the CFI. Her de-facto is though. So I didn't bother trying to reason with him because you know, I figured he'd side with her anyway. I think there were only 3-4 instructors including them both there anyway, so if she didn't want to, presumably her husband is a no, and if she didn't the other two to train me - it's gonna roll like that.

You need that flying school like a hole in your head,  I would even go so far as to suggest to even go to another town and start afresh.  New environment, new airstrip and different people not associated will see you feel better about learning to fly.

That in itself will help you grasp the vagaries of flying!  Good luck 🙂

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Dust yourself off and each time you drive past give her the bird.

Just go and find another place for at least a few flights and test the water. Truth be known your probably better off...dont let that experience leave a bad taste in your mouth...find somewhere and give them a go

 

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Susan sounds like a bit of a Covid Karen.

Bet you got more chance of getting a 4 lane freeway built from Australia to the USA across the Pacific from the Genie you found in a bottle on the beach than asking him to figure out how her mind works.

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On 16/01/2021 at 12:44 PM, FlyBoy1960 said:

Some people should never fly, just enjoy going for rides with people and life the dream from the other seat !

While I agree with you (& extend that sentiment to road vehicles) I would never say this to someone I have not met in person and had the chance to evaluate their performance. In short, unnecessarily abrupt and unhelpful - suggest an apology .

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On 16/01/2021 at 12:17 PM, New2flying said:

 I felt treated worse than a dog, when she informed me she would practically prohibit her other employees in training me for the RAAus certificate.

 

Hi, New2flying! I held an Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF) CFI rating and ran my own CAA/AUF approved flying school for 12 years before retiring from instructing, several years ago...When anyone came to me for advice on learning to fly, I would tell them to find a good instructor who they could communicate effectively with.

 

If for whatever reason you can`t communicate effectively with the instructor, regardless of who the instructor might be, it is going to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get the best out of your lessons! if you truly want to learn to fly, don`t take the easier, cheaper, alternative! it may be the dearest, in the end. 

 

Franco.

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1 hour ago, farri said:

Hi, New2flying! I held an Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF) CFI rating and ran my own CAA/AUF approved flying school for 12 years before retiring from instructing, several years ago...When anyone came to me for advice on learning to fly, I would tell them to find a good instructor who they could communicate effectively with.

 

If for whatever reason you can`t communicate effectively with the instructor, regardless of who the instructor might be, it is going to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get the best out of your lessons! if you truly want to learn to fly, don`t take the easier, cheaper, alternative! it may be the dearest, in the end. 

 

Franco.

Thanks Franco. I am somewhat relieved in a way, that I don't have to travel large distances. I think Susan's instruction was sufficient but it wasn't the greatest, and I realise just like with my teeth, I need to spend that extra to find someone who I'm comfortable with. This may be easier to say in retrospect, but I wasn't sure about my life being in her hands in all honesty. I do need a male teacher, and having said that, I want someone who is going to be 100% honest with me. I'm glad I've had this experience.

Thank you for your insight, and many others on here. It's been such a mental uncoupling.

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21 hours ago, Blueadventures said:

You could consider contacting a board member and asking their advice about the situation you found yourself in with one of Raa’s approved training schools, and also request feed back of your instructional flights as the instructor has not provided you with such detail.  They are to record your progress and have flight notes etc.  This way you have an independent person involved that could ascertain an outcome, just an option and they may recommend a suitable instructor that they know of. Cheers and keep at it.

 

I'd suggest the RAAus Operations Manager or Assistant Ops Manager for a chat.   You might also send a written request, (email), for your file from that flying school - it is yours, and they must provide it within a reasonable time.  If it doesn't turn up, then the RAAus Ops Mgr would be very interested.

 

Keep at it.

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Hey !, I might do that email, to my old flying club !, as I did Not get my logbook filled, after that disaster flight.

AS a matter of fact, the same thing happened for my first entry,  every one to busy to SIGN my log book.

So the first entry is not signed.

spacesailor

 

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On 16/01/2021 at 12:44 PM, FlyBoy1960 said:

Some people should never fly, just enjoy going for rides with people and life the dream from the other seat !

deleted...mod

 

@  the OP,

Mate, just find another school. Yep, may not be as convenient, but carry on regardless, and you will be the better for it. Perhaps, as I think some others have said, ask for your records, and some reasonings. When you get your RPC, go rub their collective faces in it.

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2 hours ago, Hongie said:

deleted...mod

 

@  the OP,

Mate, just find another school. Yep, may not be as convenient, but carry on regardless, and you will be the better for it. Perhaps, as I think some others have said, ask for your records, and some reasonings. When you get your RPC, go rub their collective faces in it.

deleted...mod

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