Recommendations on Recommendation: Inform Flight Instructor on Day 1?

[Milchstrasse]

I'll be going for my PPL this summer and am thinking a LOR from my flight instructor would be valuable and will add some diversity to my package that is otherwise largely academic. I am hoping to finish in no more than 45 hours (21 hours currently), so I'd probably have 20-25 hours with this guy.

My question is: Is it appropriate to let him know on day one my intentions and, more specifically, that I may request a recommendation from him if all goes well? My line of reasoning is that such a preamble would allow for specific anecdotal information to be more readily committed to memory for use in a possible recommendation.

Then again, maybe this is completely inappropriate. Thoughts?

Edited May 10, 2013 by Milchstrasse

[HiFlyer]

Absolutely. All things being equal, be upfront with the instructor and let him help you. The unequal might be if he has a personal grudge (you know of) against the military or something similar.

[Milchstrasse]

The guy I'm looking at for instruction is a retired (as of this week) pilot for a police department, both fixed and rotor. I figured he'd be a good choice for the discipline and the attitude, and is less likely to have a grudge against the military. However, I will speak to him prior to make sure this is the case.

Also, thanks for fighting through my (now fixed) typos.