I personally love instructing - the only reason I don't do it for a living now is because the school I worked for, although very reputable, like so many school's didn't pay very well. I still love instructing (and now examining) on a part-time basis.
Instructors are definately under-rated. I think that part of the problem is due to the amount of old instructors around. By old instructors, I mean people who had a PPL and got a BCPL on 'grandfather rights' and who have never actually sat a professional piloting exam in their life ! These people are what I tend to call 'Sunday afternoon' instructors. They don't realise that by not having a full professional license they are taking work away from the new generation of instructors who have had to go throught a lot of exam's (both flying and written) to get their instructor rating.
I know quite a number of instructors who teach with a BCPL issued on 'grandfather rights'. A few are O.K., but most of them have massive gaps in their aviation knowledge. The commercial examinations certainly separate the men from the boys !
People's attitude towards instructors is changing very slowly. Good instructors are valuble people and should be professional in every respect, including salary.
[ 26 July 2001: Message edited by: Night Rider ]
[ 26 July 2001: Message edited by: Night Rider ]