Microlight Instructor

[fitlike]

Hi
I'd thought I'd end up as a PPL instructor, but with the credit crunch it does not make financial sense. 100 hours, hour building, ATPL’s, CPL and then a FI course, that’s going to cost at least £30,000 approx. Whereas I can buy a three axis Microlight, say £5000, some differences training, complete 100 hours for £30-40 per hour, and then complete a Microlight instructor course about £4000 and then go on and hopefully get paid to teach three axis microlights.

Anyone willing to shoot holes in this, I’m assuming someone can make a decent living wage as a microlight instructor and that GA is only going to suffer are it gets increasingly more expensive.

Can anyone see a day when microlight three axis hours will be able to be put forward as hour building hours.

IM

[Mickey Kaye]

I think you've raised a few interesting points and I totally agree with you comments. A group A FI course only really makes sense if you are thinking of an airline career.

Also remember a microlight instructor gets paid more than a group A instructor.

And also remember that most modern 3-axis microlight fly the pants off the 40 year old knacked cessnas that are the bread an butter of PPL(a) instruction.

If I was training today, rather than 20 years ago. I would complete an NPPL(m) and then complete the microlight instructor course.

The only downside would be if you wanted to forge an airline career as the hours don't count. Having said that I would still do it the same way and add a SEP rating to the NPPL(m) at a later date. Once your instructing you'll always pick up the odd hour here and there. By the time you get to 200 SEP you should piss all over CPL training as you would have a couple of thousand hours on microlights.

My Class one medical cost me 350 quid this year and I am now at the stage where I am having to have one every year. I only instruct at weekends and the financial return barely covers my expenditure. I also expect I'll never get my training costs back and thus find it very had to justify the group A instructor route.

[airborne_artist]

You might struggle to buy a microlight suitable for instruction for £5k, and you then have to find an airfield, and enough customers. I don't think there are often enough students in an area to make microlight instructing a full-time job. That seems to be the case at my local microlight school/club, at least.

[fitlike]

Was only thinking about hour building on the 5,000 microlight, after qualifying as a microlight instructor you have to find a job with an existing outfit and instruct as a AFI (assistant flight instructor), after 100 hours and at least 10 months you can then head off on your own.

But do you think if microlights continue to improve that the demand for a ppl instead of a microlight based licence with its easier medical and shorter course will not start to become far more attractive. Especially to anyone who has no ambitions to go onto an airline or fly IR.

[Mickey Kaye]

I think there has already been a shift away from group a to 3-axis microlights and due to the increased costs of operating from licensed aerodromes, AVGAS versus forecourt mogas etc. Personally I can only see this shift increasing.

Also the ever increasing quality and performance of microlights and the seemingly every decreasing knackardness of the uk GA training fleet will only add to this shift.

As for 3-axis hours counting I have no idea but it is a bit daft when an aircraft without a fuel pump doesn't count towards CPL requirements but one with does.

You also have to factor in what will happen VLA euro wise as well. Interesting times.

[mightynimbus]

It used to be said that the only reason anyone would fly microlights is if they couldn't make the medical for some reason, indeed, a goodly number of microlighters were failed class2 medical Group A flyers or cost conscious flyers.

With the NPPL the former argument has disapeared and with the increasing complexity and sophistication of Microlights the second argument is starting to dissapear too.

Some of the Group A clubs are buying slightly heavy microlights and calling them Group A to benefit from the lower costs both in purchase and operation.

Microlight Instructors may be paid a better hourly rate than GpA but forgot you not, the weather limitations on Microlights are far more restrictive than GpA and FI's (M) will spend lots more time on the ground than GpA colleagues.

Most Microlight club/School owners I know, mainly survive on hangarage, aircraft sales and Instructor training and NOT on Ab Initio flying training, none of them are running around in Aston Martins earned from the flying game.

Would be good to know of anyone who makes a really good living in GA with any sort of Instructor rating?? - who doesn't supplement it in some way and to know how they do it?

[sp6]

We urgently need a microlight instructor to teach 3 axis in Scotland, or even a FIC who doesn't mind not building Certified Aircraft hours.

We've only had the thing six weeks, and I'm struggling to cope with the weekend instruction demand. Can't imagine what it is going to be like in the Summer, I'll be starting at 0830 and finishing at 2230......10 hours a day..ugh!

[Say again s l o w l y]

Where's that?

[airborne_artist]

If all you want to do is build M hours cheaply, then look at a single seat Rans - flyable examples on Afors for £2.5k - OK, they only do 55 kts, but it's hours you log, not miles :ok:

[fitlike]

That is true but I've always had a hankering for a shadow, and they seem to be affordable and very good flying machines.

IM

[XXPLOD]

Interesting post. I originally did an NPPL SEP 7 years ago on the PA38. A house move prompted me to check out and then buy a share in an Icarus C42 at a nearby airfield. Fab little plane in every sense and at £42 per hour!

Upgraded to JAR PPL last year, but swapped my share to the Eurostar (can still fly the club C42s if I wish). I have the 100 hours P1 and the 60 microlight hours required and I'm seriously thinking about doing the Microlight instructors course this summer.

But, not with a view to a career change. Will be a part time/weekend job if I do it.

In terms of money, my club has a few full time instructors. I don't know what they are paid but it's not fortunes.

I can understand why the hours rules are as they are. They were written when a microlight was typically a homebuilt scaffold pole/tent affair with a screaming 2 stroke bolted to it that floated about at 50kt. It is an utter nonsense that hours in a C42/Eurostar don't 'count' when they do Group A versions of the very same areoplane. As has been said, they climb at 1000ft/min and cruise at 80-90 kt. Compare that to a C152! And burning 14L Mogas per hour to boot!

There is a trickle of people from GA attracted to the new generation of microlights. I think this summer of tightening wallets will be very telling.

[MartinCh]

me myself just pro pilot in very long-ish making (rotary, fixed, whatever), but,

I also feel that modern 3 axis microlights should be judged according to complexity, performance and not just weight. Days of burning shedloads of avgas on big Al can with wings instead of slick smooth speedy composite/high tech design and materials aircraft, should be gone for easygoing pleasure flying in local area or even some fun XC flights.

With all that crap with licensed aerodromes only for 'group A' PPL SEP training, using aircraft older than many of us (and that is not deliberately 'vintage' flying) that burn more, cost more. Eh.

Sure, current PPL and/or CPL schools wouldn't be happy to have more competition.

AFAIK, microlight hours should count (to a degree, naturally, all in line with FARs) towards FAA CPL in the US. After all, one can mix and match all sorts of hours as long as fulfilling criteria and passing checkrides.

Another funny thing is that JAA rules stipulate some crediting of heli and glider/TMG hours towards 200 hours for licence issue (P1 time).

agree with XXPLOD.

Nowadays some clubs use microlights for glider towing. Should say something about the performance..

I myself (IF in charge) would not include weight-shift microlights or something seriously micro, but 2 seaters of reasonable specs definitely should be counted in.

(PS, now fun gliding when time and going to do FW training, but I flew paragliders, almost did weight-shift micro training in Scotland, before realising I could actually try bloody hard to fly for living, but all odds against me on many fronts, won't give up, though, eventually making it as heli pilot as well)

[sp6]

We are in the interesting and almost unique position of operating an EV97 Eurostar alongside Cessna 152's and a Piper Archer III.

People (and instructor's) opinions are strongly polarized. Quite a few Group A pilots have flown the Eurostar and although they found it fun, have happily gone back to the C152's and PA28. The new students for the EV97 (and there are so many I need help - HINT!!!!) are from the Flex Wing and Gliding communities. Two are older pilots whose SEP lapsed years ago and the NPPL(M) is the cheapest way forward.

Although I love flying it, sometimes it is nice (especially in gusting conditions) to get back into the solidity and stability of a PA28 or 152. Despite predictions, the EV97 is not affecting our C152 business, and I'll be doing something wrong if it does!

cheers

SP6

[XXPLOD]

I agree with SP6 - it is nice to get back in to a Piper/Cessna. I did last year. But, comparing the costs - maybe £45ph compared to £100+ ph (not withstanding the req to buy a micolight share) the Eurostar makes an awful lot of sense.

[chillindan]

I'm learning on a Eurostar and it looks like an aeroplane, feels like an aeroplane and flies like an aeroplane, so I think... It is an aeroplane!!! :D:D:D

[Genghis the Engineer]

Took you 5 years and 6 weeks to work that out?

G