Career instructor?

[Side Slip]

Hello All.

I have a question, mainly pointed to the long term instructors out there, but of course all are welcome to add helpful thoughts and advice.

In your opinon and experience, is there a call now and in the future for "Career Instructors"? This is something I am keen to explore as an alternative career path (Possibly supplimented my my current I.T career). A number of friends of mine are / have been instructors but are all on there way towards the airlines, It appears they have never entertained the Idea. Instructing, is however something I am very keen on doing (If I can ever get the class 1!). Am I wasting my time due to low/no pay, poor prospects etc, or is there a fair career out there?

:)

[MJR]

Hi Side Slip,

The margins in operating aircraft for instruction are very low particularly in the UK. This means that there isn't a whole load of extra cash to pay the instructor without making the cost of flying training prohibitive. Even commercial instruction has low rewards. So if you want to be a career instructor and have a reasonable life style you will need to be rich to start off with, or have a partner prepared to support you. I cannot forsee this situation changing for the better, and in fact it is likely instructor pay will get less as aircraft running costs increase.

cheers

MJR:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[juggernaut]

Its not all doom and gloom! I am a career instructor and its true that as a PPL instructor at the bottom end the pay is crap, there are too many people using it as a stepping stone to build hours and therefore undermining it as a career path, but if you are dedicated and willing to work hard then it is possible to eventually command a reasonable living. Its not BA captain,s money but there is ****loads of hands on flying and its me who decides if I have to fly or not. I also fly dozens of different types of aircraft (55 so far) and meet people from all walks of life, some are arseholes admittedly. I also am home or at the local most nights. My route was part time instructor while working in the real world, imc instructor, full time instructor, CFI, night instructor, CPL, FIC then PPL examiner. I now earn as much as my previous engineering job and still enjoy going into work and getting airborne at someone elses expense. I pity the poor ******s on the M25 and trapped in the factories and open plan offices staring at PC's all bloody day. If I am having a bad day I think back to when I was a pit pony - e.g. in the mill without seeing daylight and no fresh air and a ****ty boss. I then do a few aerobatics! Its an instructors life for me! Go for it.