|
Francisco,
In my opinion, a good instructor should realize that if you are uncomfortable enough to speak up about a situation, it does not make any difference if the situation was actually safe, you would not have learned anything due to the stress you would create for yourself. He should have just cheerfully helped you get the airplane back home, and your lesson could continue another day.
I can't say what the case is with this particular instructor, but I can say that I have several times in my life found that an instructor I was to fly with, or (worse) was flying with, had a much higher risk tolorance than I (that is the most polite way I can put it), and I have had to take command of the situation (as you did) and return to base. A very important rule (to me) is that it is better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than flying wishing you were on the ground.
(The most extreme example of this happened during my helicopter training. The instructor got so wrapped up in teaching me that I had to physically overpower him to push the collective down during an autorotation, because the rotor RPM was getting dangerously low. After I did it, he got very quiet all of sudden, and let me finish the auto to without a word. Later he made it clear that he was grateful to me for saving our everlovin' lives, and that he had not scared himself that badly in some time. He was a great instructor, and I finished my training with him. Everybody has brain lock once in a while.)
I think you did exactly the right thing. Beside, you are paying him, so if you are not getting what you expect, you would be a fool to keep paying.
It is true that one of the functions of an instructor is to take you outside of your comfort zone (teaching you stalls if you are afraid of them, or to fly in truly crappy IFR weather, might be a couple of examples). But you have to have a relationship with the instructor which has inspired you to be confident in their skills and judgement. It sounds like you were not confident in your instructor's judgement, and you may well have been right. Whether you were or not, the relationship is clearly not there, and not developing. Find another instructor.
By the way, you mentioned how difficult it is to find a center line thrust experienced instructor. While CLT experience is quite desirable, an instructor with a good amount of multi-engine instruction time, and a fair amount of time in a C182 or C210 would probably be able to teach you 90% of what you need to know. There are systems tricks to learn (like the fuel system information on Ernie Martin's web site), but you could consider flying in an experienced 337 instructor from further away to polish your skills after you get the basics done with a non-337 instructor.
A 337 guy would be best, but unfortunately the best one I know is here in Oregon, not much help to you...
Hang in there and find someone to teach you that you enjoy your time with. The whole thing is too expensive to be anything other than nearly all fun...
My two cents.
Kevin
|