Quite right WWW.
You make sure that G-String convinces you good and proper before you let him into the secret of how to become a commercial instructor and how to convince FTO’s that he is serious.
I mean, it’s bloody unfair how some unscrupulous instructors dupe poor old FTO’s into believing they are serious about instructing for more than a couple of months.
For instance. I heard a story about this guy…Welsh bloke I believe. Talked his way in to a prime instructors job with a Commercial FTO somewhere in Spain, the sort of job that genuine career instructors would have given their eye teeth for. THEN… would-you- believe…within a couple of months he was up and off to the Airlines, like a rat up a drain pipe...or maybe it was a weasle up a drain pipie , I can't remember.
That’s just the sort of thing that in your position you are quite right to try and ensure doesn’t happen!! So you just hold back on your sage-like knowledge until this upstart convinces you.
Seriously G-sting you are right. Most clubs and FTO’s do get a bit pissed off when instructors say they are there for the long term and clearly aren’t.
If you are totally serious about instructing for a living and feel the need to show that that was the case. Then CPL theory exams as opposed to ATPL would prove that. Sadly you still can’t do them at the moment so that isn’t an option.
Also hold back on your MIR. You don’t need it to teach up to CPL and Instructor ratings. Now employers know that a CPL without an IR is useless to Airlines, so you are a safe bet without it. In addition you will save a fortune and not have to keep current. However, I would imagine that the major commercial FTO's would require an IR. But you could start with a smaller op and build up instructor ratings, which would prove your intentions.
Instructing beyond PPL can pay pretty well. But you’ll need to get 500hrs of instruction time in on the breadline before you can look at any form of commercial instruction on a living wage.
[ 25 September 2001: Message edited by: clear prop!!! ]