Picture on left: Mr Frank DeGroen
Picture on the right: My picture taken of an A220-300 parked at the KSJC/SJC Delta Ramp
Hello again Flying Musicians Association! I hope you are all doing well. As we begin August I have some exciting news to share! I am currently working as a ramp agent for Delta Airlines at San Jose International Airport, so if you ever fly through KSJC/SJC, I may be the one wing walking, loading your bags, or marshalling your flight! If you would like to get an airport job, feel free to contact me at my Flying Musicians Email Address. Also, I have found an amazing flight instructor at AeroDynamic Aviation, Mr. Frank DeGroen. I will complete my written test by mid-late August and begin flight training immediately after.
As the process to select a flight instructor for me was unexpectedly difficult, I would like to share what I learned from this process. In searching for a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), I would categorize but not limit my search to three main categories: price, instructor availability, and instructor compatibility. Take everything with a grain of salt, since these are purely my observations.
Price: Price is paramount. Sometimes the longer tenured schools that have older aircraft but rich roots at the airport and affordable prices are the best flight schools. For example, AeroDynamic Aviation has some of the oldest planes at Reid Hillview Airport, but they also have the cheapest rates by 20-30/hr for the plane and the same margin for instructors (40-60/hr more in total).Not to mention AeroDynamic Aviation has also been in service of my community for 100 plus years. You also do not need to pay premium price for a newer airframe or an aircraft that is equipped with the G1000, so don’t get hung up on that. A 1967 cessna 150 will perform just as well in your private pilot training as a 2020 Cessna 172. Later on if you need to familiarize yourself with more advanced instruments like the G1000, you can do so by renting an aircraft for a few hours with an instructor.
Instructor Availability: In my search for a flight instructor I tended to steer away from part-time instructors, as I wanted an instructor that could meet my scheduling needs as opposed to the other way around. The less frequent you and your instructor fly, the more the cost of your Private Pilot’s License will be, because you will progress much slower. That being said, also ensure that your prospective CFI does not have an overwhelming amount of students so much that your flight training can’t be a personalized experience (I noticed there tended to be a tradeoff between availability and student load, the more they instructed the more students they had). Also keep in mind that you are paying for a service and thus should anything go wrong you can always switch instructors.
Instructor Compatibility: Choosing an instructor you pair well with is essential. During my selection process I interviewed each instructor that I put on my list. Don’t be afraid to ask your flight school of choice for their contact information. They will more than likely provide it to you as this is standard practice. You can ask your instructor anything you want but some general questions would be, what is your aviation story, do you have a syllabus, what do you expect from your students, and how do you approach flight training.
I would like to end my article with a perfect quote from Frank. It is the attitude with which I aim to approach life and flight training with. “Aviation is a whole different set of challenges that most people think they can not overcome. I am living proof that you can. As long as you maintain the dream & have fun while learning, success is emanate.”