How to become an instructor

[p1_aviator]

Hi all,
After finishing my ATPL's and about to start my CPL, i am looking to get my Instructors rating shortly after completing my CPL. I heard a rumour that there were schools in north england/scotland who will contribute, or may even offer free training if you work for them for a set period of time.
Has anyone else heard anything ike this, and if so, does anyone know what schools do this as i want to go into full time instructing for a while.
Any help on this matter would be greatfully recieved.
Thanks
Chris

[apruneuk]

I also heard that pigs can fly and there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow! The chances of any fliying training outfit in the UK having that sort of insight is somewhere between nil and slim and guess who's out of town......

[VFE]

Oooooh, I dunno apruneuk...

If p1_aviator is known to the particular FTO from doing his training with them, then it's possible an arrangement might be made, no?

However, I wouldn't hold out much hope of being Mr.Stranger walking through their door and hoping for subsidies!

VFE.

[apruneuk]

VFE, Maybe so - I think there is a sea-change coming in the training industry. Instructors have been treated like slaves since time began and this is because there has always been a quid pro quo - free/nearly free instruction for building hours towards an airline job.
However, most wannabes have sussed that any loco will take them fresh out of flight school if they are willing to pay for their type rating, so why waste the time and cash on doing a FIC?
The schools have lost a large chunk of their free labour and the wise in the industry will have to start paying living wages if they want to stay in business, especially come the Multi Crew Licence.....

[xrayalpha]

Hi,

Well, as the owner and operator of Strathaven Airfield, south of Glasgow and east of Prestwick, I am doing just that with a PPL holder who wants to become an instructor.

The key to a good school, I feel, is good staff. And if you find the right person - who, to me, will be the best in the industry - then you want to pay them the best rates.

And if they need help, in any way, then you should give it to them. Hopefully they will go the extra mile for the students, and the students will then respect that.

Dare I say that respect is something fading in flying schools.

My background was in journalism, and newspapers treat staff like brown stuff. definitely no respect for the staff, or from the public (who, strangely enough, are the readers!)

Oh yes, before I forget, I am a microlight school. So we are not hours building for a licence or waiting for a relatively high paid job to pay off our debts, as so many Group A guys are forced to do.

We are simpy in it for the fun and to earn a modest living, but the fun is the biggest part since you only get one go at life!

Very best of luck

[apruneuk]

Xrayalpha, Hats off to you!

However, you are comparing chalk with cheese here. Most schools that teach for the PPL/A are still operating under the illusion that FIs will give their time for hours to get ahead in the queue for a commercial job. The reality is that a type rating gets you higher up the queue. Commercial Wannabes have cottoned on to this which has left many schools short of FIs.
As microlight hours don't count for group A qualifications, microlight schools have to pay living wages if they want to operate 7 days a week; hobby instructors are all very well but it's difficult to run a business relying solely on them.
I am sure that Group A schools will have to follow suit soon or go under.