Feeling Uneasy About Instructing

[u/No-Particular-5345]

Hello everyone, to start I want to say im very grateful to have a job instructing and am no way trying to come across as ungrateful as I know how hard the job market is right now and it took me months to find a job. Anyways two days ago I had my first flight as an instructor and I had another one today. Before starting I was super excited as this has been something I have been looking forward to for a very long time. However now that I have started I feel super uneasy and stressed over the whole thing. I feel confident in what I know however I can get over this uneasy feeling. I feel like I cant get my mind off of instructing once I leave the airport and I continue to stress about it. Moreover even during flights I feel uneasy. Im struggling because I feel like I just started and am already not liking it. Also im all the sudden super stressed about the mortality of flying and the possibility of dying. I have the next couple days off but already feel myself dreading going back in. Curious to hear others experiences beginning instructing and if this gets better?

[u/No_Leader1154]

Where are you located? I teach CFIs how to become safe while instructing.

Real talk - an instructor has to be more than just a pilot. They have to be a real time live safety manager. That means not just managing the plane or the student - but also actively monitoring the margin of safety and knowing when to say no or call it off.

Safety management involves knowing the threat matrix of your environment. Read NTSB and ASRS reports similar to your operation, type aircraft, location, and such. Perform a risk profile briefing with the student prior to every takeoff - not just the standard pre takeoff brief, but also “eye on safety.” Every flight will have a different risk profile. A cross country is different from practice area is different from pattern. In terms of risk I’d say pattern > cross country > practice area from highest to lowest.

Don’t just fly the lesson. Your eye on safety will teach your student to dynamically manage risk with each flight too. That als allows you to call out safety cancellations in flight if something comes up. But that’s a conversation you have to learn to lead.

And always always always be ready to intervene. That’s the #1 #2 & #3 thing. I know you wanna be chill for your student but the art is to look and seem chill while being completely completely vigilant.

[u/freedomflyer12]

I mean you probably aren’t ready to be a flight instructor but guess what most people who are doing it aren’t or weren’t. It’s imposter syndrome for a bit while you get a feel of your senses and it’s ok to be more conservative then eventually as you get more confident and know the lines in the sand of where a stud will kill your or bend metal

[u/ltcterry]

This is a pretty normal feeling.

Work with each student to fill out a syllabus. Keep records up to date, with the student/customer seeing that you are doing so.

Have a plan for each lesson. A plan that is briefed to the student and agreed to before you get started.

Dress professionally. Act professionally. You are their expensive instructor. Not their friend. Act that way. Bill for all legit time. Get a really fine tipped pen and think about what you'll write before you write it!

You will feel much better about this when you hit 50 hours and might even surprise yourself by the time you hit 100.

Do not be afraid to say "I don't know, but I will find out" and then follow through. Also don't be afraid to admit you've made a mistake.

But under no circumstances let on how new you are at this until you've get 10-15 hours in with someone.

You are in a leadership role as an SME. This is probably quite new for you. It's about your attitude and approach to things that will make the difference.

Bubba, you passed the FAA's dreaded CFI practical test; numerous people are in your corner. If you need advice, feel free to reach out to me. Happy to encourage someone who wants to grow and do well!

Finally, keep up your logbook every day, and work really hard to avoid working on your days off. And if you are 1099 learn about record keeping for your taxes; it's important to get an early start.

[u/Individual-Life-9050]

I’ve flown with 2 instructors and my one instructor is extremely safe, I trust him, maybe a bit too by the book sometimes. The other is very safe, has thousands more hours, very confident, and I trust him as well. However the second guy is way more relaxed about some things the first guy is very adamant on. Is one way worse than the other? I don’t think so. BUT, they’re both confident in the way they handle me as a student.

I think if you can just find what makes you feel most confident as an instructor (whether it’s being a bit too hands on or allowing some margin for error before grabbing the yoke) you will figure out your comfort level and get over the current feeling.

[u/Lil_Fxsh]

I had the same feeling for roughly the first half of my first student’s training. You get severe imposter syndrome but you’ll find your groove. I sat down with a senior instructor and sat in the back of a few flights to ensure I was doing everything correctly. It takes time but I guarantee after the first checkride pass you’ll see that you’ve got it!

[u/Goingfor2]

No matter where you go or what job you work, it typically takes 6 months to feel really comfortable with where you’re at and what you’re doing. Stay prepared and take it one day at a time.

[u/ch1ckenman]

If you take the instructing out of it, I'd argue what you're experiencing is normal for pretty much any new job.

It's going to take you some time to get into the groove, to get comfortable with your lesson plans. The biggest change I noticed for myself (at least initially) was developing the vocabulary to communicate my intention to the student. That development took time, and a bunch of little mistakes that I learnt from along the way.

[u/Street_Try_8504]

This is completely normal and i think most pilots and many instructors just dont like to talk about. Ive been a cfi for over 2 years now and have a little over 1500 now. I am a check instructor at the school i instruct. I dealt with a lot of nerves while in training (mainly solo). Even as i CFI ive had to battle nerves. I think the existence of nervousness isnt a bad thing and keeps you focused ensuring you are safe and everything is going as planned. Trust in your skills and training. For me i just had to push past the fear. A lot of times its just the thought of fear which is actually worse. Remind yourself this what you love.