Cole Melby

Helping you become a sharp private and instrument pilot | CFI | Based at KRNO and serving all of Northern Nevada

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

$50k just to reserve the lowest trim level on the new roadster?!

Looks awesome though.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@anah_sahh Index funds

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

I’m not a fan of shorter days and dealing with winter weather.

But I do love lessons that start at 8am instead of 5am!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@MidlandAero Super exciting, congrats!!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@BowTiedCFI I concur!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@MCCCANM Let’s just hope it isn’t the Pineapple Express!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@flightradar24 So awesome

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@CFI_Storm Absolutely!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

There’s no such thing as the “best” instructor.

There’s really good ones, mediocre ones, and bad ones, but nobody is “the best.”

When choosing a CFI, you need to choose the best fit for you.

That person is someone who cares about you as an individual, cares about your success, has a clear plan, and meshes with your personality.

Those qualities make them the best instructor for you.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@Aerovances Nothing better than the sound of a turboprop spooling up/down

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

Independent CFIs: You MUST have a Google business profile.

You’re leaving money on the table if you don’t.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@deedydas RNO would like a word…

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

Bad news travels fast.

One of the twins at a flight school whose planes I use was geared up yesterday and I knew about it fairly quickly.

I don’t know if it was pilot error or mechanical failure, but it doesn’t matter either way.

The situation sucks overall and I feel for those guys.

We’re all human. We make mistakes. Learn from it and don’t let it beat you down.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@CFI_Storm Nothing better than a Turbo Arrow that still won’t climb more than 700fpm 😬

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

I’ll take a 172 over a Piper any day.

Why? A big shade above you, better cabin airflow, way less issues with exhaust fumes, and teaches rudder usage better.

Low wings look cool, though.

[FLYING Magazine @FlyingMagazine]

Here’s why aviation’s most familiar trainer still wins over pilots. https://t.co/nzAszq4bEr

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@BowTiedCFI Trust but verify

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@CFI_Storm Quick rule of thumb for finding your approximate Vg quickly: pitch for a level flight attitude. When the chord line of the wing is parallel to the horizon, you’re pretty darn close to Vg. Great for quick responses to loss of thrust on takeoff.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@chrisclarkefly People always looking to cast judgement

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@SamVale29 YouTube is the ultimate slow burn.

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

@CFI_Storm Likewise man! Maybe I'll find myself in Colorado sometime too!

[Cole Melby @ColeMelbyCFI]

“Good CFIs build good pilots in less time.”

While that’s 100% true, that doesn’t mean good CFIs get every student through training in X amount of time.

It means they’ll turn each individual into the best pilot possible in the shortest time possible.

But that timeline is largely dependent on the student themselves.

Some people are naturals. Some take a long time to figure it out.

Some study hard. Others don’t.

Some fly 2-3 times a week. Others fly once a week or less.

The same instructor might get one pilot to the checkride in 50 hours while the other takes 150 hours.

Control what you can and don’t let comparison derail your experience.