Instructor shortage...continued

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

Please continue the thread here.

------------------

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I note 3 adverts for FI's in this weeks Flight and no less than 5 in this months Flyer.

Anybody read the article in this months Flyer by an instructor bemoaning the shortage of FI's looming and the watering down of the qaulity of FI's under JAR? Don't know what to think myself - 'think' I agree with what he has written.

WWW

[Tinstaafl]

Hmmm.....there's a thought - wonder if a UK flying school would consider sponsoring me to convert to the UK QFI after I finish converting to the UK Licence? Of course I'd expect some return of service type of obligation. Wouldn't seem fair otherwise

I have about 2300 hr instructing from ab to CPL, Multi, IFR, multi-crew, aero & the like.

Wonder what I'd have to do anyway? Anyone have any idea?

------------------
Don't mess with the red switches.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Perhaps Oxford or CABAIR would consider it. Worth making the effort to ask I reckon. I think the CAA would exempt you a hell of a lot of the FI course. WWW

[climbs like a dog]

Aren't the big commercial schools meant to be strapped for instructors at the moment?

Ref the Flyer article. You might find some who budget for an FI(R) as part of their modular training as a hedge against not getting a job immediately afterwards. That's what I've did. There are quite a number of part-time instructors who aren't interested in following through to an airline job. The bit where I think it is going to tell is where you have schools have one or two full-time, 700hr-route pilots, backed up by part-timers. The schools will miss the full-timers, or will just have to pay them better money.

[This message has been edited by climbs like a dog (edited 10 August 1999).]

[This message has been edited by climbs like a dog (edited 10 August 1999).]

[climbs like a dog]

Oh dear! Had by the double post gremlin. Sorry

[This message has been edited by climbs like a dog (edited 10 August 1999).]

[MaxAOB]

I wonder how much the impact of JAR on the PPL currency will benefit or harm our trade. Most members at my club do not fly 12 hours a year and maybe they will give up? The flight with an instructor has to be a good move though and will regain some trade from syndicates / private ownership. There may be a bit of a shortage at the moment but I expect that we'll be swimming with instructors if the Airline market dries up! Such a shame most people see the BCPL - CPL/IR upgrade route as the way ahead at the moment. Then again we might start getting circa 35K a year - Then again! Anyone offer me a job in the West Country??? ;)

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Compton Abbas are looking for FI's - are they near the West Country? Sorry don't get out of wales much so my Geography is rubbish!

No way will there be a flood of instructors. It looks increasingly like America is going to get a pilot shortage next year and that will change the whole ball game. All those expat Americans going home will upset a lot of applecarts.

WWW

[Islander Jock]

Had the pleasure of flying into Compton Abbas which is pretty close to Salisbury, when I was in UK two months ago. A great set up with very friendly staff.

[MaxAOB]

WWW. Not just this thread but all your entries. Where on earth do you get your info from? I have no doubt that if you included your PPrune "handle" on your CV you would get a job pretty pronto!!!
Thanks for tip. ;)

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

There was a "boom" like this in the UK about ten years ago, instructor shortages, pilot shortages. Muggins here went and got her BCPL, AFI etc, then watched in dismay as airlines went broke and unemployed ATPLs came looking for instructor jobs. It's a very cyclic industry. Hope it never gets that bad again for everyone's sake.
Meanwhile my advice would be to never put all your eggs in the flying basket.

------------------

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Two words. Retirement bulge.

WWW

ps thanks - the WWW side of my life may one day help me get a job but then I have made a lot of enemies within the likes of BA CEP, Caledonian flagging out and the like.

[Meeb]

CFI, you must have got your BCPL the same time as moi! I got mine in '90, then it seemed like the next day everything went haywire, no jobs anywhere. When I got my AFI I could not even get part time instructing, first renewal was done with 40 hours of instructing under my belt! It gradully changed, but it seems to have got to the present state only in the last 3 years or so. The UK is very different now than it was back then so I doubt if there will again be the famine of jobs that we suffered. But it is cylical and everyone should be fully aware of that. I only wish Oz would get hit with the job boom!!

[Jetdriver]

Instructing has always been a springboard to bigger and better jobs. For a long time now many young (and not so young) people have embarked on instructing as a start to their flying careers. Some have gone on to make it a full time career, far and away the majority have used it as part of the "apprenticeship" to an airline career.

I have some serious reservations about the "Retirement bulge". This term has been kicking around for over 20 years. I have monitored the number of retirements in my company over the last 15 years. The results are that about 5 (on average) pilots retire every year, either due to sickness or age. Looking down the list I can see large groups of pilots that are the same age, however the reality is that this group will (like the others) naturally thin out over the coming years. Again job changes, sickness and early retirement, will modify the so called retirement bulge to a more average figure.

WWW I doubt you have "made enemies" in BA Caledonian or anywhere else. You are as entitled as anyone else to your opinions. As you may know I disagree with what I consider to be the focused issue of " flagging out". I believe we benefit from selling our own services abroad to a much greater extent than those services we import. However that is another subject.

Hopefully the natural laws of supply and demand will apply to any temporary shortage of instructors, and wages will rise as a result. Whatever the result we still need instructors coming into the airlines as First officers. It is a good source of recruitment and always has been.