Have to agree CF. It's a shame, as I enjoyed instructing but could never have made it a career, especially after the way some of the schools treated their instructors.
So can we break down the £280/hr somehow? I don't now what avgas costs these days (or Jet A1 for that matter!!
) But as a guess it must be about £1.25+ litre?
Surely, if the costs to the customer can be increased in line with fuel/ins/landing fees etc then surely an extra £10/hr could be factored in. Problem is, this year I think it'll be hard to run a school as the money/credit issues bite further.
The people who can afford to fly will always be able to pay whatever it costs I think.
My advice is for any instructor to approach their employer and ask for a better deal. Maybe a low basic salary with a reduced 'per hour' flying pay.
I don't think £50 is bad for an R22 instructor. I know a few people getting that now so no reason why everyone isn't getting the same or similar.