Originally posted by esanger
Just want to add a few things in here - as I am a newbie
My club offers free instruction- Which has worked out pretty good so far. But, I offered to pay at first. At my first free lesson, the instructor told me to NEVER pay for lessons. If I pay for lessons, (in the area I am in) I am just getting taken advantage of. What I have learned from the people in my group is that the repayment back to the club for the time and help they all provide, is for yourself to do the same in the future for someone else that is starting out.
But, what Lenny says kind of strikes a chord with me. Sometimes, when I go to my field, I feel bad asking these guys to help me out. They never say no, or show any signs of NOT wanting to help, but in the nack of my mind I think "This guy is thinking 'oh god,, and all I wanted to do is come out a fly for a while'"
What gets me is that for some reason the anti pay group continues to try to equate the mandatory good customer service that a paid instructor provides and the at-the-volunteer's descrection limited and the whatever few minutes he has to so graciously give to the beginner. The paid instructor most likely teaches by the HOUR, when was the last time that a volunteer had a mandatory obligation to GUARANTEE instruction an hour at a time?
Just explaining the huge difference between for-favor from paid instruction. As opposed to for-favor instruction, with paid instruction, all obligations are over and done with after the service is over. Once more, this is presented as an OPTION to for-favor instruction. Wonder how the newbie and hobby shop owner (me on both counts) who may be ready, willing and able to pay for help feels about those who already know how to fly have been trying their best to eliminate the possibilities of paid instruction altogether? It's like we (beginners) are little kids and require the adult protection from the evil and greedy paid instructor. Believe it or not, we are intelligent enough to make up our own minds one way or the other.
BTW, I too have asked for "free" help and felt bad by asking someone to take time away from their day to give me some stick time. I've also noticed one thing...although I only asked once and was promptly turned down, for-favor instruction never seem to hand out their phone numbers to beginners.
nascarjoe