Flight Instructing, a good step for your career?

[Preston Watson]

As a newly qualified FATPL+MCC 290hrs modular person, I'm looking at ways of getting onto the career ladder. As I'm sure many other people are too! I'm interested to hear people's thoughts, and experiences on the following two questions.

1. Flight Instructing is it worthwhile; does it help your career progression to the airlines? (I'm thinking this could be a rewarding thing to do as well, I'd need to find 5k though!)

2. How long have people waited for till their first interview came up?

People I've spoke to so far have said go straight for the jets and save some years in the process since the market is good. They have also said that to do instructing is a good thing as it keeps you current, and build your hours up then do contract work, regional etc... So, over to you guys what do you think?

P.S. PM me if you need a pilot! :ok: ;)

[BlueVolta]

Both situation are true:
- If you have the opportunity to go straight on a turboprop or jet, go for it, but be cautious with all this "programs" where you have to put several thousands £ to get a job...
- Instructing is hard, often doesn't pay so well, but you will learn a lot, stay current if you are not lucky to get a job and latter in your carreer can be a booster...

[Mister Geezer]

I would recommend the FI option. It worked for me and I love every minute of light aircraft flying. I still do a bit of instruction despite having an airline job, which is more fun than most airline jobs around! I even recently did my PPL Examiners course.

I was ashamed at how little I knew when I started my FI course and that was after doing my IR. I recently met a FI who said exactly the same thing!

Flying IFR on your IR is essentially flying by numbers but the FI rating really polishes the basic skills!

[A320rider]

I have a FI ticket, and it did not help me at all.
all I hear is:" do you have 500h jet, do you have this and that???"


no question about instruction.so, a good advice , keep your $$$ when airline will ask you to fork for your own type.


what is better in your CV?:

FI ticket, no $ for you,

or:

I can pay for my own type????here is the money, serve yourself!!!

thus, a FI ticket is still good for yourself and your ego (and girls love FI), but what want you be?, an airline pilot or a flight instructor on a Cessna?

[Mister Geezer]

A320rider

do you have 500h jet, do you have this and that

Don't apply to jet operators and you won't get the above response! Of course jet airlines are saying this when they have people with prop and jet time applying for a job. A FI rating in that scenario makes no difference!

However a turboprop operator will not be asking for 500h jet and there won't be many people with prop or jet time applying in these cases. This is where the FI rating makes you stand out! I had 3 prop interviews offered to me and had to turn down one! FI rating was bound to have made a difference on my CV.

And for the rather be a FI or shell out for a type rating? Well there are some airlines that would far prefer the FI who has worked his way up through the system and should be respected for his progress. However some airlines will loose any respect in you if you offer to pay for your type rating because you have just thrown away any self-respect away since you are selling yourself so cheap.

I think your PPRuNe names gives your story away!!!

Edited to say that I saw your question on the Air Southwest thread when you asked if you had to pay for your type rating. Mate in Air Southwest told me that any offer to pay for your rating on your CV means your CV goes straight into the bin! Well Done to the Air Southwest management for sticking to traditional principles!!! (I will admit that I am old school when it comes to these matters!)

[Troy McClure]

I was an FI for 18 months, initially CPL with IMC rating - earnt enough in the first year to pay for my IR, and in the remaining 6 to pay for my MCC and get rid of credit card balance.

Great fun, sometimes hard work, but certainly improved my flying and employability. Also kept me in the loop for hearing of other work and got me my current job flying a piston twin.

Now in holding pool for turboprop operator who not only provides type rating without wanting money up front, but even pays salary while you train.

Would have been nice to walk straight into jet job, but I would have missed out on so much.

[Preston Watson]

Keep it coming! That's 2-2 FI then Airline v Airline so far.

After doing more investigation, I've heard that BMI Baby don't consider FI hours that important and a captain at Ryanair recommended to just go for the jets. However the likes of Loganair, BMI Regional and others do take into account FI hours.

Mister Geezer - Thanks for your encouraging story about enjoying the FI and making it at the same time to the airline! Perhaps you could PM me to say which turbo props were taking FIs and how many hours you had when the airline took you on?

A320 rider - I'm glad you've had at least some benefit from being a FI 'the girls love an FI' :ok: I take the point about getting a type rating but I'm cash limited anyway and wouldn't take the chance without a job. £5k is my budget, and I know some airlines ask for £3k up front, but perhaps you could earn this back in a short period being an FI?

What is the FI pay like? How many hours on average does a FI do per year?

[sidtheesexist]

Preston - my 2 pennethworth. Became an instructor reluctantly but am now eternally greatful for the experiences it provided. No doubt that it polishes your handling skills and that was very useful when I bagged my tprop job. Your decision-making skills, met assessment, RT, nav and overall SA all improve. Downsides as already mentioned by previous posters, are generally crappy pay etc and long hours. For me, the positives far outweighed the negatives and I still have my ticket. Good luck. Sid

[airpilot]

Its all very well A320 if your loaded.

Ive been an instructor for 3yrs and just become an examiner. It certainly does improve your flying skills. I know it has for me.

Glad I can't afford a type rating

[average bloke]

All the instructors at our school have eventually moved on to airline jobs. It's a bit like a conveyor belt really. Instruct - enjoy, learn, teach, meet good people, and improve your skills all at the same time. Much better than sitting around with low hours hoping for the best. I'm pretty sure all low houred people (and people who buy a TR) don't get jobs eventually, so my vote would be to instruct - best flying around also.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

One thing I like about instructing is it doesn't seem like work, I have never had a job like that before!:D. And all of the above of course :ok:.

[obsidianUK]

Instructing really helped me.

Take a look at the thread
"Once a Reject, always a Reject? Second attempts. "

For me instructing sharped my skills - it helped me in my sim check - i could hand fly the sim better, and gave me spare capacity to think straight (or maybe a bit less crooked in my case :)

It also gave me something to talk about at my interview - what ive done to try and build upon my cloned 250hr FATPL etc.. that i had gained a year or so before.

You also meet lots of people. Some may be connected in aviation which could help the career. Others just rich, and treat you to gifts when u get them solo and through their ppl (and pay for you to do weekends in france with them!)

best of luck, whatever choices you make

regards

obs

[Craggenmore]

I completely second Mister Geezers first post.

I too was very embarrassed at how little I actually knew and in particuliar why we do the things we do in the aircraft.

I also discovered in the hands of my seriously experienced FI(R) instructor, that the aircraft can do so much more than you think, (and probably have ever been taught) and that has given me far more confidence and wider-opened yes.

I wholly recommend it.

Craggs

[A320rider]

the pay of a FI is so low, (some are paid only if they have students), that you must consider it only to build hours, if you find a job, that is another problem.

as for paying for your type, most airlines asked me if I can pay for my type.ex:bmi, aerarann,ryanair, easyjet,...this situation is crazy!

[Dr Eckener]

as for paying for your type, most airlines asked me if I can pay for my type.ex:bmi, aerarann,ryanair, easyjet,...this situation is crazy!

Guess they must see you coming then 'spaceman'. People have gone to Aer Arann recently without having to fund their own type. BMI also.

[A320rider]

@dr Deckoneur

and you believe that!!!

so why don't you fly for them?

[Mister Geezer]

so why don't you fly for them?

If they want you to pay for your type rating then that is a good enough reason not to!

[pleiades]

I have spent the last month deciding weather or not to continue the instructor course with my training institute or plug on into the big world of scary companies that dont value me, YOU have convinced me to stay and become a beter pilot!.............after all, what goal is there in life other than to be the best pilot out there and have fun whilst doing it?? (P.S. A320rider, that was a rhetorical question)

[EGBKFLYER]

Shame that spaceman or whoever he is this week tried to hijack the thread...

I'm 3 weeks into my FIC, doing it part-time around the day job. It's really good fun, I'm learning loads and it's given me even more respect for instructors than I had before - workload has gone back to IR-type levels while I try to look out, teach, fly, and not get lost!

I echo the general sentiment - do this course - it's more of a challenge than you might imagine and it opens up yet another new angle on this aviation lark.

[mongeyspangle]

I agree wholeheartedly with many of the comments, I left my mundane, but well paid job, to follow a much more rewarding and enjoyable career path. Although the pay isn't great the experience is difficult to measure and you will always be current and your aircraft handling and overall knowledge will be first-class.......which can only be good for the future.:D

[Trent 900]

Enjoy your flying, as some of the other guys have said, instructing is good flying which will sharpen your own flying!

It is great experience, you will meet some good people. Certainly worth doing mate.

You want to look back over your flying career and can say you tried everything.

A message that some of my mates (from some large UK airlines) have said time over is, if you have done some instructing previously it helps when selection training captains because of the invaluable experience it gives. I guess this does also depend on the person and his/her own characteristics

Best of luck anyway