time to get first FI job?

[hedges81]

Hi all, am basically am considering the idea of doing an FI rating and am just wondering how long it might take me to get my first FI job. Am prepared to go virtually anywhere, am thinking it might be difficult starting out as a restricted FI with 200 hrs total time, any ideas?

[Mintflavour]

Firstly I would go back to your passed FTOs who already know you and maybe they will put you on top of their list of applicants for an FI position. If you were integrated then I understand this is a little tougher as your training will have all been in one or two places giving less options. Some times there are ads in the GA mags, otherwise send out CVs and go and visit personally the schools that are fairly local to you at the moment for an informal chit chat. Part time positions maybe easier to find than full time.

I was lucky and given a PT position (which is what I wanted) for immediate start after I had passed my FI test by the FTO where I did my PPL and hour building with.

Good luck

Mint

[EGBKFLYER]

There are quite a few ads in the magazines (Flyer, Pilot etc) at present, though I don't know how stiff the competition for the jobs is. I would say you have a pretty good chance of a job while the summer is with us - as the the winter draws on, many schools scale back a little and you may find getting work is a bit harder...

[duir]

It took me 5 days to get my first FI job after getting the licence. After the recent and very sudden demise of my previous employer I spent a day on the telephone to various flying schools. After just one day I had 5 offers of interview and it was very much a case of "when can you start". Seems to be a good time to be an FI but the tricky thing is bartering a deal that is decent enough to exist on.

[hedges81]

Sounds encouraging, cheers for the replies. Anyone got any idea what kind of pay deal I can expect to get? I know FI wages are pretty low, but would it be realistic to expect to earn say the equivalent of 18k per annum working in the south east, or is a sallary around the 10 grand mark more realistic?

[VFE]

I would go into the thing with the latter figure in your head and then anything above is a bonus.

Average across the UK is about £15/hr and between £5-£15 retainer/day.
The winter does not necessarily mean less work - January is probably one of the busiest periods. During summer hols people tend to be swanning off to the Costa del Sunblock so do not wish to be spending their hard-earned on flying lessons although trial flights remain pretty constant.

My advice would be to moot out potential job interest at the FTO's where you enquire about the FIC. You have means to make an arrangement, your progress on their FIC permitting, as some places won't want FI's who did their FIC elsewhere.

Also, gen up on the whole GA scene if you came through the intergrated route - know about your piston engines, VFR regs, CAA regs re:licencing issues and ya average flying club ethos as that is all going to count towards you.

Lastly, be humble as nobody likes someone who appears to know everything - remember most bosses like to mould you! Personality is a big factor in securing work in aviation, even more so in instructing as people skills are often just as vital as piloting skills so if you approach your potential job with that in mind and you won't go too far wrong in my experience.

VFE.

[portsharbourflyer]

In general it is alot easier than getting an airline job, I probably had about three instructor job offers before my rating was issued by the CAA.

[hedges81]

cheers for the responses everyone, very useful and encouraging.

As you may have guessed, an FI job for me would hopefully be a precursor to an airline job, as I thinking I will need about 1000 hrs or so to stand a decent chance of getting such a job. Therefore my final question is does anybody have any idea of how many hrs an instructor working full time can rack up per year in the uk?

Cheers

[Dude~]

Hedges, I had 2 job offers half way through my FI course. Both were as a result of being recommended by friends, so ask yourself who do you know - where did you do your PPL.

I have done 450 hrs so far this year. I have heard of some FIs getting as much as 900 hrs a year, but I believe 6-700 hrs a year os more realistic and certainly leaves a bit more time for you to have a life.

I accepted the first job I got offered, but soon moved on for better terms and conditions - ie more time off and better pay!

Its certainly easier than getting a jet job!

Good luck.

[Jinkster]

Probably be able to get you a job somewhere within about 2hours ;)

[timzsta]

Many schools that run FI courses take students from their courses on as instructors. At the school I did mine at I know of several people who have been offered jobs on completion of the course.

I myself got a part time job instructing at the club I had been a member of since I started flying. My rating arrived on a Thursday, got the call on the Friday, started on the Saturday!

Go and do the course is what I say. Best course I have ever done in the aviation world. There seems to be plenty of FI work out there in the south east at the moment if you go looking.

Even if you only get a part time weekend job the hours soon add up. It can be very rewarding as you see your students develop and there is the added bonus you no longer have to pay to go flying:)