Instructors and Students

Sometimes it can be a rather unique sort of relationship that forms between an instructor and their student. I am sure this fact is true with many teaching situations, but I'd be willing to guess that it is likely more prevalent in flight instructing. During my time as an instructor I found that with many of my students it was almost with a feeling of paternal pride that I would watch them progress from being a person who knew little of how to get a aircraft off the ground and back down safely, to someone who could fly safely off on their own. There were the obvious milestones which mark the progression of a typical student pilot that were cause for pause and a feeling of pride; the first solo, completion of cross countries, and ultimately the flight test. Sandwiched within those major milestones were moments where as an instructor I would sit back and smile to myself, as a student overcame a particular obstacle which had been holding them back, or came to fully understand a concept that had eluded them prior to that point. In many cases, after a student's training has been completed, the flight test usually marked the point where, like college kids moving out on their own, you would bid your students farewell and hope that all you have taught them has prepared them well for the real world which awaits.
Driving home yesterday evening after meeting with a former student to look over a flight manual of his own construction, I must admit, that even while it had been over a year and a half since we had flown together, the pride I felt in looking over his manual far surpassed any of the previous milestones which came before it. Perhaps it was the attention to detail which he paid to even the smallest bits of theory, or the broad scope in which he covered a great many topics, or perhaps it was the pursuit of knowledge, not to pass a test, but rather to be the most knowledgeable pilot possible, that was most impressive. Maybe though, it was those intangible things which cannot be either taught nor learned, namely a curiosity which drove him to ask questions and seek answers above and beyond what would ever be required on any exam, and a display of determination to perfect his craft that caused my heart to swell with the pride of a teacher whose student's knowledge came to surpass the collective total of lessons given.
You are a true Guru Andrew.