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paying for instruction - 12/30/2001 7:22:22 PM   
Mariner



Posts: 22
Joined: 12/7/2001
From: MO
Status: offline 		I started flying a year ago with the help of total strangers I showed up at the field with a plane and basic flight gear I introduced myself and asked them if they could give me some pointers. Somewhat sceptecilly ( excuse spelling) tthey checked my plane and one of them told me he thought it would fly and he would take it up with the understanding if something went wrong he would be sorry but that is how it goes. to make a long story short it went fine and he gave me lessons

I was told by one hobby shop that they would give me lessons for a fee after i bought all the equip plane AMA joined club etc.

I feel if you are going to charge for lessons you should furnish plane radio buddy box everything that goes into it also if you are teaching on someone elses plane if it crashes you should have to replace it

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 26

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 12/30/2001 9:16:42 PM   
fourstar40



Posts: 79
Joined: 12/11/2001
From: Ft. Wayne, IN, USA
Status: offline 		In the area I live there is a club that is only about 10 minutes from my house. The people who are members of that club have worked up a reputation of being stuck up and perfer to look down their nose at you.
I,therefore,join a club that takes me about 35-40 minutes to get too.The people there are great. In fact,the instructors practically knock each other over to show a new guy how to fly. That's what the hobby really is,friendly people and good times.

_____________________________

Self-taught pilots are rare,so are their planes.

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 27

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 12/30/2001 9:31:05 PM   
magnum



Posts: 314
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Mariner,

Let me share a experience with you. When I was learning to fly, I had a very nice plane, extremly good flyer. Even though it was a trainer, everyone at the club stopped by to see it. I was ready to solo, but still on the buddy box with my instructor. Coming in for a landing I made my final turn to align with the runway, no wind, done it tons of times. But, the plane headed straight into the ground, totalled! There was nothing I could do, and nothing the instructor could do to save it. It was close to the ground. The problem was suspected as radio problems, and was comfirmed by Futaba. I did not, and would not have expected the instructor to pay for my plane. I knew the risk and accepted them. On landing there is very little an instructor can do to save it should that happen.

Fourstar40,

After my crash I had to order a new trainer (I wanted another like the one that went in). Another club was having a field day and I decided to drop by. After they learned mytrainer had crashed they let me fly thier trainer on a buddy box. That was the kind of spirit, all of the guys there did not want me loose any flying time waiting, but non of them actually knew me. I plan on going back at thier next field day. They made a long distance friend

Randy
P.S. Sorry the spell check was not working

< Message edited by magnum -- Dec 30 2001 4:37PM >

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 28

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 12/30/2001 11:27:21 PM   
bolar-RCU



Posts: 114
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: Indiana
Status: offline 		OK, there is a lot of talk about getting paid to instruct, but where is this going on? There are several clubs around me and I have never heard of anyone charging to instruct. Good for you if you can get someone to pay, but around here instruction is free.

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 29

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 5:14:19 AM   
ifly2



Posts: 72
Joined: 12/30/2001
From: Panama City, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Miniair is right on, this is a hobby, not a business. If you were to have a hobby shop, your own field, go for it. If you are using a club field, and getting paid, then you owe the club for use of the field.

I would never consider charging for services that are my hobby. I have been a ham radio operator for 31 years, and have repaired many other peoples radios, climbed their towers, put up/take down antennas etc, and never thought of charging, even tho there is a very real danger when climbing towers. I do it for them, and in return I know if I ever need their help/expertise, all I have to do is ask.

I am in the computer business, and also look at fellow Ham's, Rc pilots computers if asked, no charge. This is friendship, and that is much more important than the $$ I could make. I do however make sure that I am not taken advantage of. I know some will say if I do not charge, I am being taken advantage of. You find out for sure when you need help, and I can say 99% of the time, if I need help, it is there.

It quits being fun when you have to fork over $$ for every little thing.

I am also a private pilot, and like the earlier post, I did not mind paying for instruction, because of the liability, and cost of achieving instructor rating. SAme thing with Scuba diving. It costs a lot to get to the point you can instruct. PLUS you have a very high insurance bill every year to cover the liability...

Enough rambling.... Thanks for letting me voice my feelings...

Have a great flight, and keep en flying

Les

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 30

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 5:47:30 AM   
magnum



Posts: 314
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Les,

I have a 50' tower with 6mtr quad I need taken down can you help me?


'73's


Randy
KD4VCU

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 31

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 6:41:55 AM   
Elwood



Posts: 1512
Joined: 12/11/2001
From: Wayne, NJ,
Status: offline 		Well I for one do not have a lot of free time. Does anybody know of an instructor in North Jersey?

_____________________________

Born in the U.S.A.......Not quite as long ago as Art!!!!!!!

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 32

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 7:45:09 AM   
depfife



Posts: 5038
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: St. Louis, MO, USA
Status: offline 		I had lots of friends that taught me to fly at no charge. I was lucky enough that I knew all of them before I got into R/C. One of the benefits of living in a rural area. I have been the instructor for a few, and would be happy to do it again for free, if anyone asks.

Having said that, I do not see anything wrong with charging for flight instruction. If the local club provides good instruction for free, then it will be hard for a paid instructor to get any business. On the other hand, i f there are paid instructors doing a good business at your field, you might want to look into the services provided by the club's free instructors.

Eric

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 33

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 8:50:54 AM   
ifly2



Posts: 72
Joined: 12/30/2001
From: Panama City, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Magnum,

If it is safe to climb, I would be glad to, next time I am in Huntsville. Unfortunatly, that is almost like being in a foreign country to me..... I do make it to Anniston every once in a while tho.

Did a 50 footer, and 60 footer last weekend, for an older ham here. Only problem is, it cut into my flying time.

Les

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 34

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 9:22:59 AM   
magnum



Posts: 314
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Hehe,


Can't have anthing interfering with the flying time can we.

Actually mine is a tilt base, so rather easy to lower..

Next time you get a visa to come to Huntsville, give me a shout by email, gotta nice flying site here so bring a plane(AMA required).


Randy

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 35

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 10:21:37 AM   
depfife



Posts: 5038
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: St. Louis, MO, USA
Status: offline 		ifly2,

Yell at me when you are in Anniston. I have a field about six miles north of town. Nothing is required but my permission.

Eric

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 36

RC Training - 1/1/2002 12:35:21 PM   
boyd63



Posts: 39
Joined: 12/31/2001
From: LA
Status: offline 		I am a firm believer in giving what you have been given. I myself am self taught. I also have taught many many fellow aeromodelers to fly R/C.
Some students are quick to learn and some take a long time. Either way, you can't put a price on sharing what what you love as a pastime.

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 37

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 4:51:10 PM   
fliers1



Posts: 534
Joined: 11/30/2001
From: Lockport, NY, USA
Status: offline 		One must understand that there are more than likely many beginners who can't find clubs that offer such great free service, if beginners can find a club at all, in many cases because they don't exist in his area. I've talked to many who don't like the idea of having to join any club, but they still wish to learn how to fly, perhaps on their own property. Like one poster said, he doesn't have the time to wait for a once a week 15 minute free session.

It is a very noble gesture to offer help for free, but there are probably many beginners who would gladly pay almost any amount to learn ASAP. But according to most, that is not the correct way to do things. Many consider that if a beginner can't spend the time waiting for free instruction, he shouldn't be in the hobby. I'm sure that is not the general consensus though.

The volunteer imposes quite a few strings for the beginner.
If an instructor gets paid by the hour, that means that he is obligated to stay with his "customer" for an hour. I've had several volunteer instructors tell me that their nerves couldn't take teaching for an hour straight hence one good reason not to take any money to teach.

No one should have a problem with a commercial instructor who has his own flying field, using his own equipment, paying extra for his own business insurance and offering quality service, at the beginner's convenience. Now the beginner does not have to worry about crashing and he will learn ASAP.

Most likely many clubs offer a great free service, but it cannot match what a competent professional instructor offers. It's a win-win situation for everyone. The club and the AMA gets a new now safe flying member who they don't have to teach. The industry gets a new most likely lifetime customer. At least the beginner is smart enough to make a choice and at least he now has a choice. Now if the free instructor could match the service of a professional, the free proponents have a case.

I mentioned this before, but it was apparently missed. With all the volunteer instructors out there, they should add their names on AMA's instructor page they have on their website, if they really want to help the beginner...it's free. You have to let the public know that you exist, which is the difference between what a free and paid instructor does. The free instructor is usually only talking about teaching in his club only, unlike that of the commercial instructor who is available at the beginner's convenience on a 7 day a week basis. Then again, with enough volunteer instructors out there, you would put all paid instructors out of business.

As far as hobby shop owners paying for pro help, if the pro is an independent contractor, he has no legal connections with the hobby shop owner. All and all, some simply have a religiously held problem with paid instruction...period, much to the detriment of the beginner and RC aeromodeling industry.

Take care,
CCR
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors

< Message edited by fliers1 -- Jan 1 2002 11:57AM >

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 38

Paying for Flight insrucrtion - 1/1/2002 9:43:15 PM   
boyd63



Posts: 39
Joined: 12/31/2001
From: LA
Status: offline 		Good point. There's always more than meets the eye.
Best regards,
Damon

(in reply to Jackjet)
       Post #: 39