Where are the ground instructors?

[Downburst]

There seem to be a lot of ground instructors with a PPL or a CPL but very few with experience on the licence level they are teaching? Where are the fellows who hold or used to hold an ATPL and a Command Instrument Rating and who are experienced in teaching, people like Peter Griffith and such like? I have a mate in New Zealand whose flying school wants a full time senior ground instructor but has trouble to find one. The only people who apply are old ex Air Force Navigators or Jet Jockeys and they are no good to train civilian pilots. May be flight crew today works to 65 and then they go fishing instead of passing on thie experience? Pity really. If flying schools want quality instruction it might be an idea to encourage the people with real experience to remain a few years in the public light and may be our friends who retire from QANTAS, REX and such like might see their way to pass on their knowledge and experience for a year or two?

[Runaway Gun]

Mate, you can't be too picky. Maybe ex-Air Force Navigators and Jet Jockeys are good enough for civilians.

Did your English teacher ever teach you the correct use of the question mark?

[Orion Delta]

Calm down mate.

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

I really would of loved some experienced folk like who you mention taking me through the required theory, however you cant really blame them. With the skills in hand, what would you choose, 9-5 going through loading system echo, or hurtling 350tonnes down a runway?

[PAPI-74]

Met is Met, POF is POF, Comms is Comms, AGK is AGK etc.

I never found a problem with the Mil guys, although it was nice to have an Airbus Engineer for POF.
The 'right' instructors come with a price tag. Would you pay double for your training, or is it better to have a good question bank and fill in the gaps yourself?
Teaching is not easy, even on a good day and if the guy is standing infront of you because he has to (medical / retired), you will pick up on it anyway, whoever they are.

[bushy]

There is so much bull****, changes, paperwork etc that retirees can't get away from it quick enough, and do not want any more. Yes, they go fishing. (nnless they live in Alice Springs.)

[Downburst]

Runaway gun feels I am too picky. May be but I know people who have bitterly complained being taught ATPL by ex military guys. Firstly the NAVs demanded to teach people all sorts of stuff which is no longer needed (like the principle of using a sextant or transferring position lines on maps) and the jet jockeys told people how to fly in formation (not often done in A330s) and used a lot of time to walk doen memory lane starting with "when I was in the Air Force..).

Sorry that I made a typing mistake or used the question mark incorrectly. May be there was a need for someone to get me into line because I seem to doubt the superiority of Air Force personnel? Sorry if I offended you.

[Downburst]

Yes, experienced people come with a price tag. However, I don't think that doubles the price because theory is not taught on an individual level. The two I know run their classes independently and make good money by having about 20 students in the class. I really think that everyone charges around between & 2,000 and & 2,500 for all ATPL levels reagrdless if they are experienced ex pilots with teaching qualifications or junior grade 3 instructors who read a few books and just passed the exams themselves.

[TSIO540]

I'm certainly no aviation demigod but I've got an ATPL, >3000TT a Ba of Aviation and an expired grade one rating. I would like to continue ground instruction on my plentiful days off but I don't know of a way of doing it without running into duty time limitations. I work full time as a pilot and the company won't release me for external use of duty hours (and I don't expect they should for what they're paying) so I can't do it... I think... unless someone knows a way to do it without it counting towards duty time?

[Jack Ranga]

I have a mate in New Zealand whose flying school wants a full time senior ground instructor but has trouble to find one.


How much are you paying?

I'd suggest if the right coin was paid you would find someone and quick smart. The people you want to teach are experienced professionals and deserve the 'required' remuneration.