Flight Instructors needed in the US (work permits now available)

[Roller Merlin]

Would you be kind enough to illuminate a typical salary and conditions deal for an expat instructor (grades 1 2 or 3) from Australia who might consider moveing to USA on such a deal?

Also when you say there is big money, how does that compare to an Australian equivalent job?

Thanks in advance

[avi8r]

Give us some more details please mate.
Working conditions, aeroplane types, school names and job advancement.
Regards

[Cap'n Arrr]

I do know that as a gr3 in aus i make more than a crj fo in the states. I dont make an awful lot either.:{

[Ozgrade3]

While this sounds interesting, you would have to do your research and get everything in writing.

In March 2000, when i was an ity bity junior grade 3, I travelled to San Francisco and had an interview with Sierra Academy of aeronautics at Oakland. They were short of instructors then and were interested in sponsoring me for an H-1 visa.

The school seemed well run and lots of flying but they were only prepared to offer $9.00 USD per flight hour. A small sum also paid for briefings. I decided that I couldnt afford to work in the US.

California is a very expensive place to live, rent for a share house, you're looking at 800-1000 USD a month, and that was in the seedy suburbs like Alameda. Further out in nicer suburbs like Dublin and Pleasanton would be 1500+ per month. That is for a room, not a whole house.
Conversion to the US equivalent of CPL, ME/IR, and instructr certificates etc would take a min 6 week.
For me to even consider it now, they would have to offer

25,000 USD salary

House provided

company paid training for all conversiona

salary paid during conversion process.

Who are the schools and what exactly are they offering

[Cap'n Arrr]

Who would want to go to the states when there's plenty of instructing work around here and the pay is arguably better down here.Unless schools were offering to sponsor an Instructor rating then maybe it would be somewhat appealing to a few.

I know of at least 3 schools in Aus already sponsoring ratings, looks like the guys in the states are having to do the same thing to keep schools afloat. Personally I'm not planning to even think about US until I meet FAR 135/141 minimums, but for those who go it might prove to be a good experience. Make sure you do a sh**load of research before committing though, theres going to be a lot involved methinks.:}

[Frynog]

I notice you highlight entry level instructors, does this exclude current instructors? must be more demand for grade 2 or what ever the equivalent is?

[Unhinged]

Instructors build on average 120 flight hours a month, plus sims, ground work, briefings etc

Two thoughts: (1) Flight & duty time limitations

4 hours instructional flying a day, every single day, every single month, as well as the other duties, is either incredibly well organised with everything laid on, or sounds like a recipe for exhaustion.

(2) Quality control

With a full-time job teaching the whole range from ab initio to ME CIR, I average a lot less than that, and sometimes it can be hard to give my students the attention they're paying for.

Not knocking it without knowing how it works, just wondering how the instructors are going after 6 months, and how you take care of quality control ?

[KRUSTY 34]

Well..., that just about spells the end for Aussie G/A! Mind you it was only a matter of time.

[kwachon]

Just a postscript to what is being said here. Whilst having someone set up an operation in CA or AZ there is one other very important consideration,

You will need to register with the TSA as a flight instructor, pass an exam (easy), and obtain an airside pass, the pass is not as easy as you think in the USA, they need fingerprints, photographs and will do a full FBI background check in the USA and home country, this can take a while and if you have anything hidden in the cupboard and they find it, it is goodbye.

I am a brit married to an american (green card) and live in the USA (when on leave from Saudi) and was a flight instructor for Flight Safety International for 6 years, believe me it is not as easy as aussie1 makes it out to be, 9/11 took care of that.

[Lodown]

Krusty, a little editing to your post if you don't mind...
"Well..., that just about spells the end of CHEAP wages for Aussie G/A! Mind you it was only a matter of time."
It will be interesting to see if the market leaps forward or takes a big step back. I suspect it will take a leap forward despite the naysayers and a few recalcitrant companies.

[DeltaSix]

You should see the DAE University in UAE offer on instructors :D

Good pay, free accomodation for yourself, spouse and family, free airline tickets when going home etc, and TAX FREE !!! :ok:

Just a rumour I've heard, Emirates is hiring the instructors from there for their A380.

SIA is also hiring foreign nationals as instructors with a view of upgrade to SIA Mainline. :)

Another one is a type rating school in the Philippines offering instructors a FREE Airbus A320 type rating 3 months after joining. They put you in with the cadets on your ground schooling then pair you up with one of them on the level D sim. Then give you a job as an instructor in the A320 simulator.
Thing is - you need to commit for 2 years. If you're a low timer, then it's worth it. Apparently you max out each month in terms of flight times.