Bad Instructors: How They Behave and Why You Should Know
In this article, Rod Machado stitches together unedited, first-hand accounts from pilots and students to surface patterns: what “bad-fit” instruction looks like, how it derails progress, and the simple moves that get training back on track. It’s a candid mosaic that both honors the many outstanding CFIs out there and spotlights behaviors students should challenge or walk away from.
Updated: September 27, 2025
Skyfarer Editor’s Note
Rod Machado pulled together dozens of unfiltered, first-hand accounts from pilots and students and wove them into a narrative that shows both the harm caused by poor instruction and the impact of finding the right instructor.
It’s a powerful reminder that the student experience is fragile and that choosing the right guide early can save time, money, and confidence.
We share work like this because Skyfarer's mission is to make training outcomes better, not just more hours logged. If you’re currently training and something feels “off,” trust that instinct — and know there are great flight instructors out there who can reignite your progress. If you’d like help finding one, our team is here to support you.
Disclaimer: We have received permission to share the content from Rod Machado.
I'm curious about your experience with bad flight instructors and hope you'll add to this blog with your comments. Of course, most flight instructors do a fantastic job. I just can't say that LOUD enough: Most flight instructors do a fantastic job. But not all do! And when they don't, they cause a lot of damage to the flight training industry. So I'm curious if you've ever experienced a really bad flight instructor. Did this person scream a lot? Hit you with a sectional chart? Or a "whack" chart? Did he make calls and text friends while giving you dual? Call you a nasty name? Talk about you behind your back while standing in front of you? Overcharge you? Did this person drink or smoke while flying with you? Humiliate you? Berate you? Belittle you? Tell me about what he did or didn't do. Spare no details.
The main reason I'm posting these initial responses to my query is to make sure that anyone interested in flight training recognizes bad instructor behavior and then does something about it. Specifically, find another instructor. And, if at all possible, give the bad instructor some good feedback on how his behavior can rub an entire city the wrong way.
Then again, there's an old Chinese saying that goes as follows: It's better to spend three years looking for a good instructor than spend just three minutes with a bad one. This always sounds better when spoken by an older and wise Chinese person, but you get the point, right?
Here are some responses to my query (unedited):
Adam: First 5 or so flights he failed to notice I never touched the trim wheel once I set for take off for the entire flight. I had larger than normal control pressures because of never using trim. He also was so desperate for flight time he found any excuse to keep the Hobbs meter running like being overly courteous in letting other airplanes taxi, take off and land in front of us.
John: Okay, let's start with going under the hood on my first lesson. I had no clue what vertigo was, and the CFI never told me. All he did was scream at me and tell my what a loser I was for not being able to hold my heading.
Chris: I know a couple in Caldwell NJ that specialize in keeping as quiet as they can during dual training so you have to keep flying and flying in order to get the knowledge you need. They will only "release" you until they have milked you enough to be evident. Stuff like getting a BFR for them represent milking a sucker -like me apparently- for no less than 10 hrs until we are fed up and go to another place and get the damn BFR done in one day.
Jim: I had a younger CFI when I was going through Multi Commercial. We were flying over congested area and that's when he said, "My plane" and began doing barrel rolls in our Seminole. I took the aircraft back and told him I would throw his happy ass out of the airplane if he ever even attempted something so stupid. I was serious!
Jeffrey: I had one CFI try to teach me how to roll a Cessna 172 as a Primary Student. It was poorly executed and scared me into finding another instructor. The first instructor later had a gear-up landing in a twin and it freaked him out and he quit flying for many years until he recently reached out to me to see if I knew of any flying jobs. I couldn't think of any I would recommend him for.
David: The only bad CFI I've had was the one who gave my first BFR back around 1978. He was a recent grad of an instructor mill. We got into the C-150 and I while running the checklist I noticed he had not put on his shoulder harness (this was before wearing them was mandatory). Thinking he was razzing me, I asked if he was going to put on the shoulder harness and he said "No". Thinking he was still razzing me I asked him "Wait a minute, who's the pilot in command here?" His response? "I am". At this point I'd had enough and I told him "No you're not. There's nothing were going to do in this airplane that I am not qualified and current to do. Either you put on that shoulder harness, or I find myself a new instructor". He put on the harness, we flew the review, he signed me off and I never flew with him again!
Sylvain: I am paraplegic. I earned my primary private license (that's what they call it over there) in the UK. I eventually upgraded it - over the years spent here in the US - to a FAA commercial certificate ASEL and AMEL w/ IFR rating. I am mentioning this not to brag - heck, a little perhaps smile emoticon - but to point out that I have had to jump through a few more hoops than most other pilots to get my wings, I can fly. Anyway, the first place I contacted when I moved to California made the decision, on sight, that they would never let me fly solo. But they didn't bother telling me about this, instead they strung me along for hours and hours, always finding excuses. I tend to be persistent, so I didn't catch up right away. I eventually found out, it's a small world, someone took me aside to let me know, unofficially that is (several months down the line). But the asshole instructors of that place - I won't name said place, but everyone who knows me will know where it is - went along with that scheme. These assholes should have their CFI certificates yanked. When I eventually switched to another more welcoming place, it took the first instructor I flew with - hi Mike!... smile emoticon - all of 15 mn to sign me off.