need advice - finishing up

[killbilly]

This last thursday was SUPPOSED to be my final flight with my CFI before he gave me the signoff to take my PPL checkride with the DPE, but this move to Austin sprang up on me so fast and with so much to do, I had to cancel. Soon as I finish this, I'm off to keep packing boxes.

Now I'm trying to figure out what I should do. I figure these are my options:

1) Come up to Dallas on the next couple weekends, finish up with him. Go back to Austin. Then come BACK up to Dallas to take the exam with the DPE.

2) Get set up with CFI in Austin, do a few checkouts and brush-up with them, earn the signoff, fly with a DPE down there.

My CFI would prefer I go to the DPE he knows so that I'll have a better idea what to expect on the ride - not that she's an easy pass, but that every DPE is a little different and he wants me well-prepped.

I'm just worried that since the sessions are going to be spread a week apart each, I'll get a little rusty and potentially set myself up for failure due to not being proficient. Also, I'm not familiar with the airspace around AUS at all. That shouldn't matter, really, but it would do a lot to help me not be nervous.

I like my CFI. A lot. I'd like him to have the completion in his logbook, and I'd like the feeling of satisfaction that would come through with us doing it together - I feel like he's my mentor/teammate and I don't want to let him down, but time and money are both factors, too.

Finally, I'm afraid I'd have to take a 5-7 hour step backwards with a new CFI in AUS to earn that signoff to take the test - that's just a guess on my part, but I figure that's how long it would take for a "new" CFI to evaluate me and decide to sign me off. That might not be a bad thing, though - different instructor, new things to learn, better overall skillset.

I just don't know what the best/right thing to do is.

What would you guys do?

[KLB]

I'd stick with your current CFI. You'd have to learn a new CFI's way of doing things, likes, dislikes, and etc... I switched through many CFI's during my primary and it sucked. It was like starting over again each time.

While I was a CFI, I'd taken over students who were supposedly ready for their checkride. It usually took them a minimum of 10hrs of flight training and some ground training until I was comfortable with signing them off. The reason for that is because my certificates are on the line. It's a no harm no foul situation from the old CFI at that point. For all I know the old CFI could have feared that the student wasn't going to do well and pawned their problem off on me.

The new CFI will need a few flights to evaluate you. So it's going to end up costing you more dough. IMHO

I would also stick with the DPE that your current CFI is preparing you to go with.

[Maurus]

If you go with the new CFI and DPE and you passed you should be much happier with the overall experience, that is if your current CFI is currently just training you for the DPE he wants you to take the test with. If that is the case I would go with the new CFI to see if you are actually ready for a check ride.

I have been to flight schools where they have papers on what the local DPEs do in their check rides and just following that will allow you to pass although you could be weak in another area that would cause a failure.

If that isn't the case, then stick with your normal CFI.

[SeanD]

I did the CFI swapping thing. It sucks. Some love to teach and some just want to log the time and move on. Its hard to find a good CFI who can adapt to your learning curve. I would stay with the current CFI.

[LoadMasterC141]

If you are pretty much there, definitely stay with your current CFI.
Do it all over a weekend...Fly on a Friday night, do some ground on a Saturday followed by a final mock checkride. Then take the checkride on a Sunday. Substitue whatever three days fits your CFI, DPE, and personal schedule.

When you get settled in in Austin, find a good place to rent from and fly some before jumping into the IFR. Becoming a self-sufficient PPL really helped me out.

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

When you get settled in in Austin, find a good place to rent from and fly some before jumping into the IFR. Becoming a self sufficent PPL really helped me out.

Yeah, the UFC looks pretty good down there. And my place is going to be just about 15 minutes from KAUS on highway 71, so it will be convenient.

[PatrickCPS]

Absolutely stay with your current CFI.

[charlie1017]

Unless you want to fly with another CFI just for the sake of getting input from someone else before the checkride, I'd say stay with your current CFI...

[Seggy]

Originally Posted by PatrickCPS

Absolutely stay with your current CFI.

[wayway8]

You're getting good advice from a lot of experienced pilots. I also recommend sticking with your current CFI.

[killbilly]

Yeah, wayway, I think you're right. Consensus wins.

I'll finish up with my existing CFI.

Thanks for the advice, folks. I appreciate it.

[P&H]

Need advice on finishing?

My mind is in the gutter. I thought this thread was about something else.

[Nihon_Ni]

I'll take a stance opposite of most of those above.

I have had students complete PPL training who got an invite by Uncle Sam to move before they could take a checkride. (long story -- details aren't important.) In both cases, it required 2 flights in the local area for them to feel comfortable and demonstrate their proficiency before they were ready for their checkride.

The 5-7 hrs you are afraid of spending if you switch instructors is a bit too much in my experience. Another thing to consider is that you will eventually have to get some sort of check out from a CFI at your new airport if you intend to fly locally. Granted, it won't take as long as getting an endorsement for your private check ride, but it will probably take one long flight and very little ground.

[Lee D]

From a standpoint of cost I'd lean on sticking it out with your current CFI too. If you are sure it won't cost you 5 to 7 hours of flight and instructor time PLUS ground, maybe thats OK. However that seems hard to guarantee. Its been awhile since I instructed, but I'm sure I would have needed AT LEAST 3 hours flight with ground on top of that, before I would have signed off a complete stranger.

A drive from Austin to Dallas takes 3 hours one way? (Just shootin from the hip.) So maybe 60 bucks in gas round trip, plus your time spent. (Yeah, yeah I know, time is $$) That route sounds like it could be substantially cheaper to me, though somewhat of a hassle with regards to the travel and time spent to do it.
Good luck with the ride!!

[tonyw]

I'm going to disagree with the advice given by previous posters here.

I figure if you can fly, you can fly. I went through a bunch of different instructors and it didn't affect me one bit. Each one will have a different style of instructing but the bottom line is the same -- they are teaching you how to fly.

If you're ready for the ride, any instructor should do the trick. They'll give you a mock checkride and then they'll sign off on you if you do it correctly.