Came across this thread by accident - just been Googling what it'd take to renew my QFI rating and SEP stuff before that (it's not called QFI now I believe, which shows how long I've been out of G/A flying!)
I just wanted to point out a few things for those aspiring to airline style ops, as there seems to be some confusion as to whether FI hours count for much.
There are many airlines that don't give diddly-squat for how many hours instructing you've done, and indeed, will take on someone straight from an approved school
before someone with 1000hrs of FI. Indeed BA will not take you on as a DEP until you have several hundred hours in a multi-crew environment - they
will take you on straight from Oxford etc. (albeit on a reduced salary for a few years - SSP rates)
There will always be a handful of operators that will recruit FIs
before a 100hr wonder! It invariably (in the smaller operators) comes down to the Chief Pilot's preferences (in larger organisations, policy will be set by committee, and the companies may well have close ties to schools) - many smaller operators have a higher percentage of self-improver type pilots, which may well include the Chief Pilot in turn steering him/her one way or the other!
As for whether being an FI improves your handling, well sure, it'll improve lots of things; I was pretty fair at throwing an aircraft around as a QFI, I had been taught well in the UAS and bought a lot to the table of instructing. My handling then changed/improved further by flying Sheds for 5 years with no autopilot (although my aeros became a bit rusty.) But since moving to airlines proper, i.e. Heavy Metal stuff, my handling skills have been eroded significantly through the years - and you know what? on a day to day basis - it doesn't matter! Airlines don't care how good your 'handling' is, as long as it's 'good enough' for the usual suspects, RTO, EFATO, limiting X-Wind etc. Most of the time, we are systems operators, and on modern FBW jets, even with the autopilot un-plugged we aren't really flying the aircraft ourselves. Hell, in my company, we aren't even allowed to use manual thrust, unless the autothrust has failed!!
Handling skills aren't what it's about, airlines are looking for someone that will adhere to SOPs, be 'company' minded, generally 'fit-in', and not be a total w*nker!! Ticking those boxes, is far more important than any blatting around in a SEP, no matter how good you are at it!!
Do I wish the above wasn't true? Hell, yes! I fly with many (most) good guys and gals, but just occassionally, I feel like I've gone back to instructor days - so not only am I looking after nearly 200 pax down the back, but I'm keeping an eye on matey who doesn't seem to be particularly aware of what's going on. I'd suggest that the self-improver has the advantage there, in that it's the 'awareness' of your surroundings, and what else is going on 'outside'of your own flight-deck that the 100hr guys lack, and the FI peeps win.
It's not me you've got to convince though (I've experienced all of the above at first hand!) The fact is, the difference between a good and a poor FI candidate can be immense. The difference between a good school graduate and a poor one, is less marked - purely because the really poor ones don't graduate. There's a certain safety there for the airlines, it's not so much of a gamble when they hire from the schools, as they're getting a known quantity, that will have had reports written about them many times over as they progress through the system.
Maybe not what you want to hear, but don't despair. If you are totally dedicated things will happen for you (you may have to
make them happen!) I got qualified just before the 1990 downturn, I managed to join an airline where the Chief Pilot was sympathetic to self-improvers, a few years later I did my own 75' rating and worked for a charter outfit, finally joining my current mob 11 1/2 years ago. After 10 years I got my command (guess who I work for
) and it'll be another 7 or 8 years before I get back to LongHaul.
What I'm trying to say is, just because you may consider your 1000's of hours instructing worthwhile, don't expect everyone to think the same way.
If I had my time again, to get into an airline, I would NOT have done the self-improving route. But, for a great personal experience (and a great leveller) it's hard to beat.