Thanks for the posts, especially das Uber soldier and renurpp.
Instructing Pros:
- Good hours. Rarely start before 6, no 16 hour days etc.
- Often good people company. I fly boxes around these days so I pass my fellow employees like ships in the night. In contrast I still regularly socialize with my old instructor mates.
- 'You don't have to go'. Ill get to what that means in a bit.
- Can be good pay. Starts out bad, but I ramped up to 60K within the first 2 years, which is fine. Not many people in a chieftan making 60K.
- Rewarding - Sending a good kid first solo, watching them knock over flight tests, very rewarding. You form real friendships with these people. I still talk to so many to this day.
- The best place to develop your knowledge of Aviation. Provided you're not a slack ass, by going over the theory so often, teaching it in on the ground and in the air, you'll have an excellent handle on all things theory. Things that draw the blankest of blank faces on many low time charter pilots.
- Flyaways! Sounds stupid but the ability to just decide you want to go place X for the weekend, Hamilton Island or something, is fantastic. Students love it and you can have some magic experiences.
- Planes slightly less likely to kill you. This is in my experience only though, I assume there will be instructors who tell you that at place X the planes are pretty bad. I suppose investigate this before you start.
Interesting points das uber, especially the ones in bold.