If your instructor is more focused on their logbook than your logbook, you might be their business plan — not their student.
Flight training is a major investment, and your instructor should be just as invested in your success as you are. Unfortunately, not every CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) is truly in it to teach. Some are only there to build hours, using students as a means to a regional airline end. If you’re serious about becoming a pilot, you need someone who’s serious about making you one — not someone just collecting dual time until they hit 1,500 hours.
Here’s how to identify an instructor who’s just in it for the flight time — and not your progress.
🚩 Warning Signs: When It’s About Them, Not You
1. They avoid structure or clear planning.
Every lesson should have a goal. If you’re constantly “just flying around,” and there’s no clear briefing or debriefing, that’s a sign they’re winging it — while you’re footing the bill.
2. They discourage other instructors from working with you.
Flight schools that care about you will encourage occasional flights with other CFIs to expose you to different styles. If your instructor makes you feel guilty or defensive about this, ask yourself why.
3. They constantly delay your solo or checkride.
Some instructors string students along with vague statements like “you’re not quite ready” or “let’s get in a few more hours.” If you’re not being given specific, actionable feedback, this could be about their flight time — not your readiness.
4. They recommend flying when it doesn’t make sense.
Flying in bad weather, when you’re exhausted, or when ground instruction would be more effective isn’t good training — it’s time-building in disguise.
5. They’re distracted, disinterested, or always rushing.
Do they check their phone in flight? Cut your briefings short? Clock-watch during your lesson? These are major red flags that you’re not the priority.
✅ What a Good Instructor Looks Like
- They follow a syllabus and keep you informed of your progress.
- They care about efficiency, not just hours.
- They support your growth, even if it means sending you to someone else for a second opinion or stage check.
- They hold you to a high standard, not a high invoice.
🔗 Want to train where your success actually matters?
Book a demonstration flight with The Pilot Studio and meet instructors who teach because they love aviation — not because they’re trying to escape it.
📘 Also, take a look at FAA’s guidance on instructor professionalism, so you know exactly what standards your CFI should be held to.
Tablet: If you’re paying for progress but only getting hours, your instructor’s priorities may be flying in the wrong direction.
At The Pilot Studio, we don’t just teach flying. We build pilots — with instructors who care about the person in the left seat, not just the numbers in their logbook.
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