ATPLs or MECIR??

[eocvictim]

I was putting things into simple terms for a newbie to the industry. For everyone else who has misunderstood (due to my poor wording) I apologise. I wasn't drawing similarities between instructing and Multi crew.


Realistically both paths will take much the same length of time to an airline. The problem with going charter now is that it is very hard to find any entry level job and I’ve seen a lot of my old students struggle for some time just to scrape enough “big” single time to get a 206 job. The ones who went the instructing path are working now.

There are other factors here which need to be considered too, different airlines look for different things and their recruitment is based on different trains of thought. Contradictory to taking the instructing only path, experience on both sides is worth while but it is easier to start in instructing than vice versa.

Looking at it from starting on the instructing path you can build your hours from the comfort of the CBD in very much the same time, it all depends on the breaks you get and how hard you work. I went from first employment to "ATPL experience" in less than 2 years, which included 800multi CMD and a few hundred Multi crew in above 5700kgs. Granted I got into charter ASAP but I couldn’t have got such a great job without building my hours instructing.

GFS (oxford) is a prime example of what I'm talking about with guys moving through from instructing to airlines fast. Yes I realise its a QANTAS training facility however I know a lot of GFS guys who went strait from instructing to good major city based charter then into jets (not QANTAS).

I'm also thinking that if all he wants to do is airline then he mite want to get used to the right seat and watching someone/thing fly the plane for him (only teasing).

On the lifestyle points; in my experience while it was a much poorer life I still had a life. It's not until now that I can say I've got my life back. Remember that CAO 48 gets thrown out the window with the larger charter companies/airlines and now introduce FAID

Having said all that I cant argue with the point, DO NOT INSTRUCT IF YOU DONT LIKE IT. You will destroy people paying good money to learn. You do have to want to teach to be an instructor.