Posted by RG @ 04:43 PM, January 13    
I have been watching your blog with great anticipation almost since the begining. I too am now at 12 hours (fly once a week barring bad weather)and I have flown with 3 instructors and fly 2 different LSA aircraft in my training.

I am not sure if it will make me a better pilot in the long run, but for now it's a challenge.

I think your doing it the best way. One instructor who knows your progress and can move you along (saving you money and minimizes the likely hood of giving up).

Also transitioning from one aircraft to another over such long absences makes me feel like I am not excelling as fast as I should. Your ready to solo, I can barely land the airplane.

If I was to start over again, I would have all the money up front. Fly several times a week, one instructor and one type of aircraft.

Posted by Douglas @ 08:01 PM, January 13    
Hi Brady-
My instructor was a retired school teacher, and has been a CFI for about 40 years. He was also the Northeast Flight Instructor of the Year several years ago, so I knew he was good. I only flew with another instructor once as a "stage check" after about 8 hours of flying, to have another pair of eyes check on my skills. Even in that one flight I had a couple of things explained to me differently, in a way that was easier to understand.
That he also told me I was doing great and he saw no problems with my piloting gave me even more confidence in my skills.
Definitely a good idea to fly with a second, and maybe even a third instructor at least once.

Posted by Joel Beyer @ 08:54 AM, January 14    
I will add a couple of things. I always have my students fly with another instructor at least once during training for those reasons. One thing I caution is that both instructors know or at least talk to each other. I get a student every once in a while that comes to me and says "I flew with this guy and he told me to do it this way." There is nothing more frustrating to an instructor than that. Unfortunately as you have seen Im sure, not all pilots who hold flight instructor ratings are good teachers. Make sure both you and your instructor are comfortable with the other instructor.

On another note, I just thought I would let you know your blog is working. I have had two new students come to start flying because they say the link to your blog on my site and watched it. You are infecting people with the flying Bug. Good job!!

Posted by Scott K @ 09:02 AM, January 14    
Brady - I flew with 2 different instructors and 3 different aircraft, including the transition to taildragger, and each instructor taught valuable lessons that inforced the original teachings. Definately fly with a second instructor if you have the opportunity.

Posted by Brett Campany @ 09:05 AM, January 14    
Mate I've been really hesitant to fly with another instructor because I'll be going from one extreme to the other. My instructor is 26, we get along well and we're on the same wavelength whereas the other instructors are in there 50's (not that it's a bad thing) and I feel like I won't relate to them as much but since seeing what you've put here, I might give it a go next week.

Posted by Ron H @ 10:03 AM, January 14    
Absolutely you should fly with another instructor. We do it at as a matter of routine. Our students go through a segment of training and before moving on to the next one, they take a progress check flight with the chief instructor.

I recommend it from personal experience too. Every instructor does things differently and I can learn something from each of them. You'll pick up techniques, tips and memory aids. This is especially helpful if you're struggling with something but also works well to tweak your own procedures.

Posted by Ben @ 08:48 AM, January 15    
First, Thank you for the time and effort maintaining this blog, it gives a great perspective of flight lessons.

Second, I am in the process of taking lessons in pursuit of a PPL. I have problems mainting altitude, I tried the different methods your instructor gave you on the subject and it allowed me to improve a 100%! Thus I did learn from another instructor, yours! My instructor is amazing and has much more confidence in me than I have in myself, but it never hurts to get a second opinion.

Thanks again for your efforts! BTW, I woulod like to video my flights just to show my wife and children, is there a "for Dummies" version available that will instruct a novice on how to go about doing this??

Thanks
Ben

Posted by Walt W @ 09:20 PM, January 16    
I went thru 6 instructors before I finally earned my private license. I learned something from each of them. Even how to handle the plane doing manuevers. I was having trouble with steep turns until the one instructor gave me a hint that made it so easy I couldn't believe it. I think having different instructors is good for you, getting different propectives makes you think, lets you pick which way is best for you.

Posted by Ayush @ 08:47 PM, January 26    
your coworker i think was really coorect.I completed 40 hrs of flying with 3 instructors and i am about to get my PPL.Every instructor has different areas of interests and that's what makes people flying with different instructors learn more and to become a better pilot.

Posted by Heath J @ 01:10 PM, January 31    
Having been checked out in at least 15 aircraft in almost a dozen FBOs in my 5 short years as a pilot, I can say that flying with different instructors is a GOOD thing!

I know pilots who hesitate to fly with new instructors, as they feel more comfortable with guys they already know - and who wouldn't? But where is the challenge in that?

Hearing and learning from many different points of view and experience levels just makes us more educated. And frankly, your instructor isn't necessarily supposed to be your buddy - he's your teacher. So get out there and fly with someone you've never seen before. You'll probably learn something, and you just might make a new aviation friend.

Posted by pat mcree @ 09:05 AM, February 06    
A different view point is always good but what I found was everyone has a different idea of how things are done. Details such as rate of decent and speed over the fence seem to be very much up for debate. Also you have instructor personality trats that can be either encouraging or a real confidence killer.

Posted by Joe E. Lane @ 08:52 PM, February 16    
Prior to getting my license, I flew with only one instructor. He was good, but, I realized how much more I needed to learn after flying with other seasoned pilots. I like what you have done because it will encourage others to become a pilot. How you perform while filming this too is amazing. You are very calm and confident. I feel as though I was flying while watching this film. Filming the throtle movements while landing was really not clear. When landing be very easy on the controls. Like having an egg shell in your hand and don't over do it. Man, I wish that I had a plane like yours while training. I learned in an old Areonica 7AC. What you are doing will be helpful to many for years to come. Keep it up Brady.








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Posted by Joe E. Lane @ 08:52 PM, February 16    
Prior to getting my license, I flew with only one instructor. He was good, but, I realized how much more I needed to learn after flying with other seasoned pilots. I like what you have done because it will encourage others to become a pilot. How you perform while filming this too is amazing. You are very calm and confident. I feel as though I was flying while watching this film. Filming the throtle movements while landing was really not clear. When landing be very easy on the controls. Like having an egg shell in your hand and don't over do it. Man, I wish that I had a plane like yours while training. I learned in an old Areonica 7AC. What you are doing will be helpful to many for years to come. Keep it up Brady.








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Posted by John Moravec @ 09:00 PM, February 16    
Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to put this together. Extremely well done! I think having another intructor is a great idea. In my case, I learned just how good my first one was!