FI market in UK
It has been a little while since I posted, but some of you may remember the proposals I put forward for the introduction of a dedicated Flying Instructor licence or qualification. This would not require the passing of CPL exams but would have its own specifically focussed essay-style pre-entry test to test the knowledge of the candidate and then focused subject exams specific to teaching and the psychology of learning, plus all the admin, legal and regulatory stuff to be studied for during the FI course. The course would be longer than the existing FI course to take account of the lack of CPL course but if someone had a CPL they would be credited with some hours. I also suggested certain other types of credits such as teaching experience or military FI credits.
I echo many of the posts on this Forum with concerns about producing a dedicated and professional bunch of career instructors and spend my life trying to turn the raw material currently provided into just those kind of people. As a provider to the industry of FI(R)s, I do find it disappointing that some of the great instructors I have trained then leave within a few months for the airlines simply for the salary. I know many instructors who would far rather stay as instructors than fly the anti-social hours but have to opt for the airlines in order to pay the bills.
I believe that there are many factors affecting the whole process at the moment and one of these is the total lack of financial support from the airline industry, which is after all the net beneficiary of the training equation. If the airlines had to pay a training levy every time they took a recruit out of the instructor market, then we would soon have a big enough pot to provide better salaries for the career instructors and to subsidise the training of the future airline pilots. I know that the airlines will say they haven't the money because it is all so cut-throat out there. But my answer would be - charge a proper price for the tickets and stop this nonsense of cheap fares.