Part 2, Finding an instructor

So now you have found a school, lets start working on finding an instructor.

First thing to understand is that your instructor likely just earned his/her flight instructor rating. Here in the United States we tend to do things a little backwards. In order to get a "real" job, you need hours. So most new pilots will teach till they have those hours.

Not everyone can teach. So when choosing an instructor be sure to choose someone who isn't just a time builder (someone looking to burn your money till they have enough hours to go get a "real" job). You want someone easy going. You're going to have some stressful days ahead and you want someone who doesn't fly off the handle at simple mistakes (and you will make a lot of those). You're going to be spending a lot of time with this person in an small enclosed space. You need to be able to get along with them. Keep that in mind as you choose this person. Are they looking out for your best interest or are they just marching time till those hours rack up.

Some questions to ask
What is your flight experience?
Why did you become a pilot?
Why are you teaching?
Do you have a specific flight training syllabus you follow?
What do you charge for ground and flight training?
What is your training availability? What days are you available?
What are your short/long term plans for employment?
Do you expect in the next few months to move out/stop instructing?

This should give you an idea of what to expect from your instructor.

More in part 3....