How many times does a gal have to call the new flight school? Am I off-base to think that if multiple instances of people taking my number and telling me an instructor would return my call and then getting no call is rude?
I gotta say it has dampened my initial enthusiasm at hearing that the JGG-based school was opening. I'm still hopeful that it's going to work out, but come on!
What a shame.
ReplyDeleteBut take the hint, gal.
If they don't respect you enough to return your calls, can you trust the professionalism they'll show you while intructing?
Keep lookin'.
Gotta be someone out there with some discipline, wouldn't ya think?
Thanks, Greybeard. Good to know I'm not crazy, and that bit about the professionalism is a concern... But so far, it's only the airport personnel's professionalism (not the instructors) that is in question -- I've only talked to folks at the airport (including the owner, who is the one opening the school), since the school just opened last Friday and doesn't have a phone number yet. I imagine they've had their hands full getting up and running, finishing the instructor recruitment process and acquiring planes, so I expect to give it them one more shot -- in person, no more of this "call me back" junk -- and see how it goes. I don't want to write off the potential instructors without knowing they've had the opportunity to call me back! (Sorry that my original post was incomplete in this regard -- it was an expression of frustration!)
ReplyDeleteTry using the AOPA web site to locate an independent CFI in your area.
ReplyDeleteLink here.
The search engine is horrible, in that you can't include a geogrphic restriction to your search. But at least it's an alternative resource.
You could also do the same thing by searching for CFIs through the Landings.com website.
Link here.
Best of luck in your search.
IFR Pilot
http://ifrpilot.blogspot.com
Try using the AOPA web site to locate an independent CFI in your area.
ReplyDeleteLink here.
The search engine is horrible, in that you can't include a geogrphic restriction to your search. But at least it's an alternative resource.
You could also do the same thing by searching for CFIs through the Landings.com website.
Link here.
Best of luck in your search.
IFR Pilot
http://ifrpilot.blogspot.com
Thanks, IFR Pilot!
ReplyDeleteI did start with the AOPA instructor database and found a gentleman at a farther airport that I quite liked. Unfortunately, though, the distance and infamous traffic between here and there would be cumbersome.
I hadn't seen landings.com yet, so thanks very much for that pointer!
FWIW -- The link at landings.com that IFR Pilot supplied is great! I initially entered the site just through "landings.com" and had a bitch of a time finding anything useful or relevant for looking up CFIs in the area. The link he provided, however, is what all search interfaces ought to be (BTW, professionally I'm a software developer who finds most web site's interfaces frustratingly unusable, much like the landings.com main page!); the results navigation could be better, but alas, that's a discussion for a different blog... ;)
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the AOPA database returned a handful of hits (6-8 maybe), several of which were obsolete. The landings result set has 44 listings with some overlap with the AOPA listing.
Thanks again, IFR Pilot.
Also, Greybeard -- I didn't realize you were the PitchPull guy... I love the chicken-glider story :) I make Husband (vectorstofinal) tell it whenever we're in social settings and it always gets a lot of laughs.