mlee

Hi could anyone please give me the average wage, per hour of a newbie flight instructor?

Regards Mlee

kneedwondean

I heard that the fixed wing guys working next to our heli school started on around £15 per flying hour. I wont tell you what we earn as Heli Instructors because it will make your sick as a dog....

Exercises 1 to 19

Its not unusual for PPL FIs to earn 20 - 25K at present. Where I work as a freelance full time you would get 15K plus 25 an hour above 20 hours flown, 50 hours a month would give you about 24K a year. However some schools still pay 10.00 an hour ! I met with an FI yesterday who instructs commercial students and has earned 48K ytd so a living can be had at instructing but you have to look carefully.

VFE

The key is to bargain for your pay - don't just accept whatever a school offers - ask for more. They can only say no. If every new instructor did this one thing we would all be earning more in time... and I think we deserve it too! Skies are becoming more crowded, weather is less predictable, people learning to fly are not always yer sensible upper class brigade anymore, commercial pressures are higher due to the impending reccession etc... We deserve more money IMHO.

VFE.

polohippo

See if you can get a basic salary as well, I instructed in the UK at 2 schools at the same time during the winter (Oct-Jan) and only managed about 100 hours in the 4 months! Earning 400 pounds a month and then spending 200 pounds a month on fuel doesn't leave you with much!!

will fly for food 06

Can someone please tell me if possible which schools actually pay their FI's a salary.I would love to build up a picture nationally. I understand this may be so at some of the commercial schools. I am currently on a very small retainer as well as being paid per flying hour. This is great in the summer when I am flying 5 or 6 hours a day but come winter it will be a very different story indeed. Currently trying to stick to a budget and only just keeping afloat

Sob story over.

Thanks in advance.

cessna310

Hi,


No retainer only getting £20 an hour.working 5 days a week.I don't know what will happen when winter comes.

cessna310.

will fly for food 06

I feel for you Cessna310. Good Luck when the clocks change.

OneIn60rule

I suggest you get a retainer or go PART TIME.

That means not working 5 days a week, only work when you are needed sort of thing.

Get a full time job elsewhere and go part time on the instructing. That's about the only way you'll stay afloat.
I would not be coping with per hour basis. If I did that I'd need 2-3 jobs (the two others not involving flying).


As an Assistant flight instructor you are on the deep scale since you are limited so not many options yet. It will take almost a year to get the restriction off.

1/60

timzsta

I have a part time job I do Monday to Friday in the mornings up until lunchtime. Saturday and Sundays are Instructing days, and I also fly in the afternoons when needed. That is the only way to keep the head above water financially as instructing pays so little and the is no guarantee of work. Best month I have ever had Instructing I earnt £650.

The down side is days off, where you have a complete day of no work, are few and far between, and that makes you tired after a while

I think £20/hr for teaching PPL is not unreasonable in the present market. £25 for Night/IMC/Aero. £40-£50 per hour for CPL/IR. Retainers should be sufficient to cover travelling expenses and food. £15 a day not unreasonable.

inverted4

I'm a full instructor, have been for 15 years and instruct for 2 days a week, I only get £17/hr and no retainer or travelling expenses! I think the only way ahead is to teach commercial or do private tuition for PPL's on their own plane i.e tailwheel, aerobatics etc then you can charge £35/hour or more. Trouble is building the contacts to get regular work. Does make one wonder if it's worth the expense of renewing the instructor ticket

gibr monkey

my two penneth...

In my school... one instructor is on £24k salary, one is on a £500 a month retainer and £12 per hour and another on £15 per day and £14 per and hour... so go figure , its what ever you bargain for really.

Vortex Thing

I earnt £10 per hour in one school and £20 per hour in another, then got retained but with no hourly rate on top and have seen instructors earning £35-45k doing CPL/ME IR whilst other instructors in the same school earnt £12ph if the weather was good that day with no expenses or retainer.

At the end of the day most of schools making you work as self employed know that they are breaking the law from an IR 35 perspective but to be honest if you were to point that out chance were you would never work as an Fi again anytime soon in the region so I would just negotiate whatever you are able and either have another job or set a time scale whereby you will leave unless you happen to have a private income or live at home with friends or family and do not need to contribute.

Everyone knows that it is not a living wage which is why guys go out and buy type ratings as its cheaper than living on an FIs salary for 18 months plus when you tot it all up.

FlyingGasMain

It's a real mixed bag out there. I'm still restricted and one school I was at paid £20 an hour and I argued to get £10 on days when there was no flying, to cover petrol. The next one paid £25 an hour. The last one paid £18 an hour with a small daily retainer which covered petrol.

I think with the winter coming, if you're doing a good job and the school doesn't want to lose you, you've got to argue the case for being on a salary. Otherwise, with wet weather, short daylight hours etc. leading to less flying, you'll find yourself better off at Tescos !