Career Instructors

[Java]

Just wanted to hear from pilots who have made instructing their career. Do they find it rewarding and would they recommend it. What do you see as the benefits from such career path.

Java

[rebeccadblake]

I would just like to add a futher question .....

I want to be "just" an FI, is it really impossible... everyone says I will get bored of it soon, but I want to get loads of ratings like aero's, multi, examineer, examiner to examineers..

Do you really belive I will get bored?

[Hot 'n' High]

Hi there. Seems no-one else is chipping in here so I'll add my bit for what it's worth. I have just left full time Instructing after two years, during which I had an excellent time and met some really great people - Students and Instructors alike.

Certainly, in my two years' (with 1100+ hours Instructional) I did not get bored once. After all, a good approach is to assume every Student is out to kill you in ever more spectacular ways! That keeps you focused! Circuit training gives them endless opportunities!!! Just when you think you've seen it all...... ATC also enjoy watching the "sport" as well!!!!

What I found was, as the job becomes "easier" (and I use that term with caution), you can spend more time being able to suss out exactly how your Students tick. However, the pay is not so good at the lower PPL levels. To really go into it full time you need to be Instructing at Commercial levels (ie Instructing CPL and IR students) but those jobs are a bit more tricky to come by - almost impossible at present I should think!

So, in summary, for the majority, Instructing is still only a temporary job - the Bank Manager will soon be on your case asking when you expect to have some money coming in rather than always going out! If you can land a Commercial Instructing job then the pay is better but, of course, the Schools often tend to want ex-Airline people if possible so as to bring the realism of the Big Picture into the training.

Hope this has helped a bit. All the best with your plans and I am sure you will find Instructing an amazing job as long as you remember that your Student is No 1. I'm sure you have both had Instructors who like to do it all themselves - I know I have and it was quite disheartening when I was a Student. Or maybe it was just my flying???!!!!! :)

Regards, H 'n' H <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

[Another CFI]

Inructing at any level in any subject can be rewarding. To take a student from a low level, if any, knowledge of a subject and develop them to the point where they are competent is highly staisfying.

I have been a full time PPL instructor for over ten years, teaching PPL, IMC, Night and Multi. You won't earn a fortune. If job satisfaction is more important than monetary reward then it is a wonderful career otherwise either get a job as a commercial instructor or fly for an AOC operator/airline.

[yxcapt]

I enjoy fight instructing and have done it in everything from gliders to jets (and helicopters too). I would do it for a living but it doesn't pay well and insurance cost are going out of sight. So I teach part time and fly for the airlines to pay the bills. Teaching keeps me in touch with the basics and prevents me from getting stale.

[juggernaut]

I have also been in the instructing game for over 10 years and can recommmend it as a career path, you can make a reasonable salary once you gain some experience, start with PPL and its reasonably easy to add the night rating and IMC, bear in mind that others will leave after a short while and if you remain at he wheel then you will soon become an 'experienced instructor', I suggest then you aim to aquire the CPL and if possible the more difficult to attain FIC rating to enable you to earn real dosh, I left my real job a long time ago and have no regrets, I only have to gaze down at all the suckers commuting to the city to remember why I am still up here. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[Commander]

Well, for the short period of instructing I've pumped up my ego - and have it torn down by not knowing the answers to the questions <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> and not once have I been bored. I decided to not be like most of my instructors and have succeeded in the way of not having a student feel like a nuisance.

[Stan Evil]

If you're young and are looking at another 40 years in aviation I'd say that for some of that period you MUST do something other than instruct. If you really enjoy instructing then think of the time Air Taxying (or whatever) as a sabbatical. When you get back to instructing afterwards you will have a lot more to offer your students and will know it's not true that 'those who can - do; those who can't - teach'.

If you're coming into instruction as a second career in middle-age then you've already got some 'life experience' in a different environment to broaden your view of instruction and so the time out is less of a necessity.

[TRIMTRABB]

As a matter of interest and a fact which some may not know who have families (I didn't until two weeks ago!) and who are considering the career instructor route there is the 'Working Family Tax Credit'. I called them a couple of weeks ago and offered them the scenario that I could potentally end up earning £12,000 pa as a flying instructor. (Is £12,000 optimistic?) Now taking into account means testing, personal circumstances etc. they advised me that with two children, mortgage etc that they would make my wage up to take home £259 per week. Now knock of what you spend on flying per week and suddenly things look a tad better?
Problem in when the kids reach 16! Oh well.....