Is it really impossible to imagine that some people might want to pursue an airline career and be passionate about instructing??
I like most other people on here have spent several years and 1000's of pounds pursuing my dream (blah blah blah!). When I started out I really had no intention of becoming an instructor. However, as I have matured both as a pilot and an individual I have realised that it would immensly fulfilling to pass on what I have learnt to somebody else.
It's not a secret (or a crime) that one day I would like to join an airline. However in reality that is probably still a few years away. There's no way realistically I can afford the £80k it would cost me to reach the golden 1000 hour mark. In the meantime I want to continue learning and developing whilst helping others do the same.
During my time I have been taught by all flavours of instructors (Life time instructors/hour builders/retired-part time instructors) I don't think I have ever come across somebody who wasn't passionate about what they do and all of them have different pros/cons. A least somebody fresh out of the CPL/IR trail is still in touch with the modern generation of trainee pilot, with an appreciation of the cost and impact it has on the rest of your life. Rather than just treating you as a commercial asset or a way of funding the flying school christmas party.
I hope that that as a new instructor I can pass on my experience (no matter how much that might be) and learn from my students and peers. I also hope that I can maintain a level of respect for any fellow pilot regardless of where the want to take their flying in the future. If I only end instructing for 12 months then so be it, but I will approach it with the same attitude as I have with everything else and make it a success. I hope that it is something I will be able to continue to do alongside my future career, or something that I can return to in time.
Whatever happens I am fed up of being told that I can't build experience and be a good instructor. Wake up and realise that the aviation industry has changed in the last 30 years!