The training process
Does this sound familiar? If not, I have a hard time making the case for compensated training. If you have, maybe it's the best reason for compensated training.
The newbie brings his completed pride and joy to the field. He's really proud of the craftsmanship that he has displayed during the building process. Invariably, the THING is virtually unflyable. The control linkages are wrong and binding. The engine is not installed correctly and even if it is, it needs to be broken in. The rudder is crooked, the control surfaces are hanging by a thread and the gaps are way too big, or way too tight, epoxy is everywhere. The landing gear has tow-out and is pointed in a tight circle. Of course the ailerons are reversed.
The club member closest to the newbie takes one look and runs. He looks for the two guys that might help a newbie. They draw
straws and the loser is pushed toward the newbie. He loser can see three hours just to make the plane flyable. Another hour to get the engine to run.The newbie does not have any of the parts or tools to make the repairs, so... the new found best-friend instructor is up and down the pits rounding up the needed items.. and the newbie waits. The new found best friend-instructor then has to chase down a buddy box for the brand of radio the newbie has, then find a trainer cord that will work (there is a rule somewhere that the newbie will never have the same brand radio as his new best friend-instructor owns).
By now the batteries are down. The new best-friend instructor tries to find someone with a field charger with the same leads that the THING has, and the newbie wiats... and waits. Finally, the plane is ready. The new best-friend instructor takes it off. After determining that it has a warp in the wing and putting in huge amounts of trim, he continues with the trim flight. He debates himself as to whether the plane is flyable for a newbie. Finally the instructor lands.
The new best-friend instructor now decides it is time to fly his own plane. The newbie sits and watches, and... waits, and.. waits... and.. waits.
Now it's time to adjust the linkages and the newbie waits. Finally, another flight is attempted. The newbie is on the sticks about 50% of the 10 minute flight.
Now the sun is setting. The newbie is told to come back next week. His new best-friend instructor is making plans to be somewhere else, anywhere else.
You now have two very frustrated people. The newbie thinks no one wants to help, he only got 5 minutes of stick time all day. The new best-friend instructor is talking to himself about taking up golf.
Thus begins the oddessy of learning to fly.
JR