How Do I Deal With the ‘Ghost of CFI Past’?

Question: I am a Part 141 trained flight instructor, and I just landed my first job at a Part 61 flight school. I have three learners. All of them had other instructors who left for the airlines. I’ve been on the job for three weeks, and I keep getting pushback from the learners who keep telling me I’m too strict because I want them to use a syllabus and have more emphasis on the checklist. It’s just not how the previous CFIs did things. I don’t want to bad-mouth another CFI, but I’m getting tired of being the bad guy when I am trying to instill good habits. How do I fix this?

Answer: Ah, yes, the “ghost of CFI past.” Most instructors have encountered this. It’s like going on a date with someone who is on the rebound. You will hear about your predecessor. Comparisons will be made.