Most Aussie newly qualified flying instructors appear to be young and on their way to the airlines. So my question is what are the prospects for say a 55 year old CPL (never an instructor) who is considering a late career change to become a newly qualified GA instructor?
Your prospects are good to very good. An important part of the interview will be the 'no dickheads' component.
Do flight schools appreciate their maturity, life experience, strong work ethic, customer service skills and longer term commitment to the school (ie not time building). Or are mature new instructors seen as long in the tooth, not pliable (ie not yielding to authority) and wrong image
Your maturity will be valued, life experience even more so, strong work ethic will be appreciated greatly and longer term commitment even more so. Looking long in the tooth will most certainly not be a handicap or the wrong image, there will be lessons for you to learn in this environment so not being able to take direction or advice would be an issue.
On the face of it, the financial return for becoming an instructor don't justify the cost of becoming a cat 3 instructor. Would a mature newly qualified instructor but high hours, multi and instrument expect to progress quickly to ME IR training and presumably higher pay?
Short answer, yes, you will
