When will Instructors get paid properly?

[windriver]

Q:

When will Instructors get paid properly?

A: When the schools/clubs develop a different business model, sell more products to more people and bring in more money.

There is an enormous appetite for "aviation" amongst the general public, but only a small percentage of that potential will ever be realised through the sale of the "PPL Lesson Product."

What most schools/clubs do have in abundance though is a classroom, knowledge base and enthusiasm which can be developed into spin off activities to allow the public to engage in aviation on a regular basis even though they may never actually learn to fly.

My first "job" in aviation was as a PPL ground instructor and imagine my surprise when I was told on arrival at said club that the classes were to be held in a local hotel and the ads had placed been in the local paper in anticipation! ...

The half a dozen or so club students duly arrived ... but so did 20 more interested members of the public at a tenner a throw. (late seventies tenner) Cracking good sessions, plenty of money for the club and instructor and a steady flow new students who'd been motivated to join when they knew more. Air Law, Nav etc can be fun... and profitable.

I cite this as one example, but I really do have plenty more ideas along these lines....

Obviously the primary role of flying instructors should be flying training but as employees they should also be given the opportunity to make more money directly or indirectly through participating in or coordinating secondary activities.

There should be no such thing as a "non activity (flying) day."

(Before the anticpated abuse starts I don`t expect many to agree with me, although I would imagine there are organisations that are geared up to this sort of approach... and others that wouldn`t want the hassle perhaps?)