If you’ve decided you want to get your private pilots license, one of the first things you need to do, before anything else, is find the perfect flight instructor. If you think that's a simple matter of going to the airport and taking the first one who approaches you, think again.  This could be the most important decision you make about your flying lessons. This may determine your eventual success or failure.

The cold reality of flight training is that most CFI’s are just looking to build hours so they can move to the regional airlines. They need over 1000 hours before they’re even close. Every hour they fly with you is 1 hour of Pilot in Command time. If you don’t mind having 3 or 4 different CFI’s before your checkride, this won’t matter. Otherwise, I recommend finding a CFI who isn’t planning on being anything other than a CFI. My CFI had recently retired from the US Air Force, moved to a smaller city and just wanted to supplement his retirement income and enjoy his love of flying. It was a perfect situation. I know of a CFI in Florida who is young and aspires to be the best CFI in the country. No plans to go on to the airlines.

One of the most important traits to look for is someone who teaches the way you learn. We’re all different, but fortunately so are the CFI’s out there. If you learn best by doing, find a flight instructor who teaches by taking his hands off and letting you learn. If you like to have all your ducks in a row before actually doing something, make sure you instructor isn’t going to push you too hard. Find one who will give you buckets of information on the ground before jumping in the plane.

Try a Different Flight Instructor

It’s often a good idea to book some extra hours with a different CFI who can give you a whole new perspective on some aspects of your training. It’s not because your current flight instructor isn’t good, but sometimes it takes looking at a box from a different angle to really understand it. I would even consider investing in some extra time at a different airport. If you’re family is taking a vacation somewhere, take one morning at a local flight school and get some time in the air with a different CFI, in a different aircraft, flying inside of new airspace. I wouldn’t do this in the first 20 hours of your training, but it will make you a better-rounded pilot in the long run.

Become Friends with Your Flight Instructor

Take your CFI out to lunch or maybe a post flight drink so you can get to know each other. They don’t make that much money, so it’s a nice way to give back to them beyond what the flight schools give. This also gives you a chance to get to know them on a social level outside of the cockpit. You may find you have some other common areas of interest outside of aviation.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to take your time and find the right flight instructor.  Not only will you enjoy your flight training more, you’ll most likely save a considerable sum of money.  If you’re typical rental aircraft costs $100 an hour and the average CFI time is $45 an hour, you’re looking at saving over $1000 just by cutting 7 hours off of your training time. That’s a big chunk of money and could buy you enough hours in a rental to take your family or friends out for a nice trip after you pass your checkride.