How much will it cost to become an FI?

[Aussie Andy]

Day-dreaming in the city, just wondering...

I have a JAR PPL and ~230hrs TT. I am 42yrs old so I believe it's WAY too late for a career change to the airlines or other commercial flying work... But if I ever get myself out of the City and into another, more flexible, day job then I would love to also instruct part-time perhaps.

I gather one needs to do: ATPL Ground Exams, CPL, and FI rating. How much are these likely to cost me?

I already understand I'd be paid next-to-nothing for p/t instructing, but at least a) it would keep me flying and b) I really love teaching people and think I might be OK at it.

Not sure if there is anyone active on this part of the forum, but hoping so...

Andy

[orionsbelt]

Andy go for it, forget the bus driver Jet driving life.
Real instructing comes from the heart.

About £3K for gnd school inc exams
About £5-7k inc exams for CPL if you do it at Andrewsfield
About £6/8k inc exams for FI(r) again at Andrewsfield
Allow for odds and S?ds £18-20k should cover it
Do it all full time in around 12-18 months .
If you want a Multy / IR then add another £14-15k (pointless for PPL FI inst )

I did it at 54 after the 'cull of 2000' from a large city blue chip.
Best thing that ever happened., now flying 280hrs pa at weekends and fill in plus IMC/Night/aeros. Its a hard life!!!!!!!

Why not try to plan for it as early retirement project, start now by building up your flying time with some good experience, long Navs/ night flying /IMC/Aeros etc. Have some flying experience to offer


Start planning the pension now, increase your AVCs so spend 5/10 years working hard to build up that pension. Try to engineer redundancy, to pick up a better wedge. My pension keeps me well happy and allows me to subsidise my flying which reduces the effects of the poor pay

Set out an plan, do a budget, send HID out to work.

Cheers Orions***

[Whirlybird]

Andy,

Helicopters may be different, but I've been doing OK (though not financially) as a weekend-only instructor, combined with another job. It keeps me flying, and I love it. Trying to get more flying work now, but that's another story. Go for it!

[Cricket23]

.....interesting post.

What class of medical cert is required to become a FI?

I ask as I have a slight heart thingy (can't remember the name) and would probably not get a class 1 medical (although I've never enquired).

[Whirlybird]

Cricket23,

You need a Class 1 medical to instruct. But if your "heart thingy" is only slight, it might not stop you getting one; might be worth asking the CAA's medical bods; I gather they're pretty helpful.

[Professor Plum]

Cricket 23

Have a look at the following post discussing heart murmers:

Heart murmers

It may have some useful info, and I posted the details for the CAA medical peeps.

[FlyingForFun]

ATPL Ground Exams, CPL, and FI rating

Andy - you are close, but not quite right.

You don't need the ATPL ground exams, the CPL ground exams will do. There are less of them, and they are cheaper, but there are relatively few places to do them.

Also, you don't need a CPL unless you want to get paid for instructing. If it's just part time and you're happy to do it for free, you can skip the CPL. (But you do still need the written exams).

FFF
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[Genghis the Engineer]

I believe that the three main centres offering CPL-only GS are Bournemouth, Cranfield and Coventry.

G

[Irv]

Flyer's "Professional Flight Training Show" near Heathrow on Sat Nov 19th might have some discounts for you on the day - I'd imagine all the CPL (ground and flight) providers and some of the FI course providers will be there. You can certainly get an exact idea of cost there and make contacts