Is It worth it??

[Currymonster]

I am 35 years old and have had PPL for 5 years. Dont have a bad job, but similar to many, would love it to be in the world of flying. Was thinking of putting a case forward to beg/steal/borrow to do ATPL written exams/CPL and FI rating.

Dont know exactly what figures.. £15k ish??? I was thinking to look at borrowing.

Anyway, question is, what can one expect to earn each month for working part time instructing?

I am not looking at it as a big earner as I know it isnt, just to be able to pay back what I have borrowed!!!

[VFE]

Tough one to answer really as it depends on what your loan repayments will be on completion.

As for earnings, well, that's almost impossible to answer too as it depends on many variables such as whether your flying club would pay you a retainer and their going rate per hour for instructors.

You can only really hazard a guess at what your training will cost you too as you may need extra hours due to unplanned hiccups which every student pilot has experienced at some point to a greater or lesser degree.

Check out some of the threads like "worst paid instructor" and other threads started with similar questions to yours in the last 6 weeks on this forum.

Sorry I do not sound too helpful but it really is an unknown qauntity. My advice would be:

Unless you have back up financial plans I really would not advocate relying on part-time instructing towards your income as it is unreliable due to nature of the industry and the soddin' British weather.

Hope this helps,

VFE.

[unfazed]

Currymonster


Go for it and get the ATPL and work as an instructor for a season or 2 and get a job with an airline.

Don't expect or plan to make money as an instructor

What you should plan for is a great feeling of achievement, self fulfillment, self esteem and feeling bloody good ! Hard to put a price on these intangibles but flying is a lifestyle not a ":) job"

[Blackshift]

... on the other hand the way the market is moving at the moment, some instructors are beginning to make more than many turboprop FO's.

I even know of a chap who will begin flying jets - after paying for his own type rating - for about the same as at least one full time FI known to me who isn't doing anything more than PPL instruction.

This would also suggest that Commercial and Multi-Instrument Instructors might eventually attract TP captain salaries as standard.

I was in the same position as Currymonster at the same age six years ago, and although I've had all the bells and whistles for a few years now I'm quite happy working as a part time FI.

Moreover, if the current trend continues I might even be tempted to go full time at some point in the future.

Remember that quality of life also has cash value - for this reason many people would rather earn 30k in Edinburgh than 50k in London for example.

This is often forgotten by obsessively competitive greasy-pole climbers, uniform fetishists, and those who are inexplicably overwhelmed by the desire to play with the biggest toy possible at all costs!

[porridge]

Currymonster
Why don't you consider becoming a Microlight instructor on the new generation of 3 axis - bascially ultralight aircraft? They are in many respects more fun to fly than the conventional and dated C150's and if you look where private/recreational flying is going it is the the growth market and the conventional PPL is dying off, it seems to me.
BTW you only need a PPL and 200 hours and it doesn't have to be exclusively on microlights. Oh and the other plus is you could just about make a living as a ML instructor where pay varies between £30 to £60/hour.
Do a seach on the forum and you will see this has been covered in some detail.
Certainly worth condsidering IMHO.

[Blackshift]

Hmmm.... could it be that all FI's would be earning at this rate if it wasn't for a history of wannabee Nigels artificially depressing the payscales by using the PPL(A) instruction industry as a launchpad towards their real ambition in life.

Being an airline pilot is apparently beleived to be the next best job to being a professional footballer to the average British male.

Now that the option of integrated CPL/IR followed by a self-funded type-rating is beginning to become a more common route to the airlines, this downward pressure on FI pay is decreasing. The ongoing expansion of the Airline industry and the consequent flocks of those prepered to convince their parents or bank-managers that spending such money is a viable alternative to student debt means it will inevitably being spent on flight-training which invariably starts off with a single engine piston a/c.

Just noticed the post by plugg on another thread entitled "Should I become an FI" not only confirming, but in fact exceeding the expectations outlined in my previous post: at 38k as a CPL/IR instructor, he is in fact making slightly MORE than a fair number of turboprop captains known to me.

Could it be that this trend could eventually even see more PPL instructors on a par with Turboprop pilots, and the CPL/IR types on a scale not dissimilar to Jet Airline Pilots?

If so, you heard it here first - good luck currymonster!

[VFE]

Blackshift,

Have you been sniffing the Bostik?

VFE.

[Blackshift]

Nope... just giving you some examples I've noticed recently which could suggest an emerging trend within the industry which may or may not continue for much longer - as I have clearly indicated by the use of provisional expressions like "Could it be that..." and "If so..." when suggesting what such a trend might result in were it indeed to continue.

The examples I have given to illustrate this were certainly not bostik induced.

There will be many of course who will be in denial that this is could ever happen - or that it might make any difference to them even if this very scenario were were to be played out with a vengeance over the next few years - certain that they are destined to be 140k training captains with Cathay Pacific or whatever... moreover some of them might make it and good luck to them too.

I suspect your last post may have been heat induced - we are a bit cooler in the north today.

[Currymonster]

Many Thanks for the replies, food for thought.. I shall have a look at the other threads too as suggested.

My gut feeling is that its an excellent idea that I am sure I wont regret.

[USD]

A second on the microlight front. Great fun, and probably the future in the light stuff.

[VFE]

I suspect your last post may have been heat induced
Could be right. Twas rather warm in the 152 to say the least... :\

VFE.

[jerezflyer]

I am 36 with a PPL and a well paid career (unfortunately not aviation). I have decided to become an instructor, albeit at weekends, and following the CPL groundschool (GTS, Bournemouth), hour building, CPL flight training and FI course. Reason - passion for flying and teaching others to fly and fully aware that going for the airlines at this late stage would have little or no success at becoming reality as a career change.