My past experience has me a bit jaded about different instructors. Nothing against each instructor (ahem), but.
So yesterday...did the preflight, got aboard, discussed seatbelts and doors, I yelled "CLEAR PROP", started the engine, brought up the avionics, did my brake check and started taxiing, tuned the radio, got my weather, called ground once I was approaching the edge of the movement area ... took off ... did a T&G ... and he sat there with his hands in his lap the whole time.
Good CFI.
He offered some advice of the "you can do it this way too" variety, which I followed, but it wasn't, "you're doing it wrong", but, "here's another trick for your bag."
After three or four T&Gs he said, "let's depart the airport, I want to show you a couple things."
He proceeded to introduce "rolling on a heading" and fishtailing while holding the wings level (not his names), and said (paraphrasing), "when you have a chance, get out and practice those... even most CFIs can't do them very well but they build a lot of feel and skill." They were a challenge, and fun, and new to me - no other CFI has suggested them - a win all around.
I made the calls to get us back into the airport's airspace and we did another couple touch and goes. I kept up the radio (well enough that neither CFI nor Tower took exception) even when tower had us extended my (right) base across the centerline and do a left 270 turn to final to get a bizjet in ahead of us.
There was one time when, as we were climbing out, CFI said "I'm going to have my hand on the stick for the next landing" but he just rode with it as far as I could feel. He did tell me to do a go around on one approach....I had to laugh because once we were climbing he actually said, "You didn't do anything wrong there, you had a great approach going and I hated to wreck it, but I wanted to see a go-around."
He had a few bits of constructive criticism after the flight, which I appreciated. He parted with, "You are a safe pilot...."
I now have 10 hours in the G3/the past 5 years.
Getting there.
