Originally Posted by Deez340

I found my 1000+ hours as a flight instructor to be the most formative in my career. Light bulbs were constantly coming on as learning reached the correlation level watching others make mistakes as I analyzed how to correct them. I will say however that there is much more to be gained from CFII instruction than sitting in the pattern with private pilot students. (although that has tremendous value as well) The things you do teaching instruments are the same things you will do for the rest of your career as professional pilot so you might as well master them. Just the other day in the maddog sim I had to hand fly a raw data full NDB approach. I hadn't done that in a little over a decade yet it went great. I'm willing to bet that it had something to do with the hundreds of hours I spent teaching someone else to do it. Like anything in life however, you get out what you put in. So if you are going to spend 1000 hrs in the pattern, hating every minute of it, pouting, and wishing you were somewhere else then do us all a favor and don't become a CFI.

Lots of people argue that they don't have time to instruct, but for the young guys who are stuck in college for 4 years anyway, do yourself a favor and get your CFI/CFII/MEI as soon as possible and graduate with 1500+ hours and 200+ multi. It will serve you well. As I've said before your goal should be to get hired s soon as possible not with as little experience as possible.

Originally Posted by ExperimentalAB

I more than made up for not instructing in my first three months of 121. I am a CFI/II/MEI, and I had instructed for a few weeks (even signed off 4 students) exclusively in the Seminole in the soup, but if you are any bit sharp, you will pick up what you need to very quickly, not burdening your Captains for years on end like some on APC say. Was CFI'ing a good experience for me? Absolutely, but so was getting thrown in a Jet with 500 hours.

Originally Posted by texaspilot76

I was a CFII as well. Yes, it kept me fresh with my intrument knowledge, but flying in day VFR with your student under the hood does not give you instrument operating experience.

Originally Posted by PCNUTT

lern 2 spel

Originally Posted by spartanpilot

I know American Eagle was looking at the school, I worked at, to pay for someones school if they signed a 5 yr. contract with them or something. It is getting to that time where airlines are looking to pay for training for day one as long as they can own their soul for as long as they want to in the regionals.

Originally Posted by texaspilot76

That was not my intention. I am just trying to make a point with de727ups. He feels that if you spend 1500 hours instructing before going to a regional, you will be safer and more skilled, and are OK in his book. I totally disagree. I spent two years instructing prior to my regional job. Spending all the time in the traffic pattern in a C172 and on short cross country hops in VFR did nothing to prepare me for flying a jet in all sorts of conditions. I can say it may have helped with my knowledge and getting through ground school, but as far as operating and learning flight profiles and operations, it was a very difficult transition and was not in any way like any type of flying I had done before.

DAL4EVER couldn't have said it better. We had guys that instructed for 1500 hours not make it through training, while some of the 300 hour wonder boys aced the training. I rode the jumpseat on company and there was a guy that was in my class that had about 1700 hours prior to hire. Even after a month on the line, he had trouble handling high workloads. Our lower hour guys seem to be having an easier time. Not every case is that way, but it goes to show that flight hours are not a sole measure of skill or what makes a pilot. When I instructed, the old farts that had thousands of hours and years of experience are the ones that scared me the most!