Part Time Earning
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 91
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From: Manchester
Part Time Earning
Working as a Part Time FI, working approx 2/3 days per week with a combination of Weekday/Weekend work, what can one expect to get per month as a rough guestimate? Appreciate the intricacies of the great british weather etc, but if anyone out there is in a similar position would appreciate some opinions/input.. Cheers
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 113
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From: UK
I did it for a while and the answer is.....very little.
Weekend days are prime time at flying schools and are generally fully booked. You might do 5 hours a day but if they're paying £15/hour, you'll only gross £75. In my experience, schools are rarely fully booked during the week, so you might average 3 hours on a weekday - or gross £45. Even at £20/hour, we're talking £100 and £60. However, without a retainer, you'll learn nothing on a bad weather day. 5 hours a day assumes 5 PPL students. 5 half hour trial flights = 2.5 hours flying = poverty.
The big commercial schools are a different matter, generally more flying and more pay, but fewer opportunities for part-timers.
So if you work 8 days per month and 2 are weathered off, so you work 3 weekdays and 3 weekend days, you might gross £360-£480. If it's winter and 4 are weathered off, you might gross £240-£320. From experience, even these figures seem high and I would reduce them a bit due all the variables such as tech aircraft, "no show" bookings, etc.
Weekend days are prime time at flying schools and are generally fully booked. You might do 5 hours a day but if they're paying £15/hour, you'll only gross £75. In my experience, schools are rarely fully booked during the week, so you might average 3 hours on a weekday - or gross £45. Even at £20/hour, we're talking £100 and £60. However, without a retainer, you'll learn nothing on a bad weather day. 5 hours a day assumes 5 PPL students. 5 half hour trial flights = 2.5 hours flying = poverty.
The big commercial schools are a different matter, generally more flying and more pay, but fewer opportunities for part-timers.
So if you work 8 days per month and 2 are weathered off, so you work 3 weekdays and 3 weekend days, you might gross £360-£480. If it's winter and 4 are weathered off, you might gross £240-£320. From experience, even these figures seem high and I would reduce them a bit due all the variables such as tech aircraft, "no show" bookings, etc.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 932
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From: Deepest Warwickshire
In view of the money issues and some of us more mature, newbie instructors having bills to pay, how do you supplement your income? What is your other non-flying job and how many days per week do you instruct? Working both around each other seems a taxing problem.
Having just started out this week as a full-time FI(R) earning no retainer, I am having this discussion at the moment with SWMBO
Having just started out this week as a full-time FI(R) earning no retainer, I am having this discussion at the moment with SWMBO
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 91
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From: Manchester
BlueRobin,
hello again, I am an aforementioned "mature student" I am fortunate to be in full time employment, albeit getting in the way of flying!! A decent way of supplementing income is getting a taxi licence.. I know of a few who although having to sacrifice maybe Thu/Fri or Sat night can earn a reasonable amount for ferrying drunks around!! Not the most glamourous of jobs I concede!
hello again, I am an aforementioned "mature student" I am fortunate to be in full time employment, albeit getting in the way of flying!! A decent way of supplementing income is getting a taxi licence.. I know of a few who although having to sacrifice maybe Thu/Fri or Sat night can earn a reasonable amount for ferrying drunks around!! Not the most glamourous of jobs I concede!
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: UK
I do multidrop for a parcel firm in the mornings. Afternoons (when needed) and weekends at the Flying Club Instructing.
A good month might make £500 from instructing. Typically £350 to £400. You will inevitably loose quite a few details to weather and a fair few no shows.
What you must try and do is make sure there is some form of no show/cancellation fee for students. If they don't turn up without giving reasonable notice (24 hours) then they get billed a cancellation. About £30 is the right amount - you get £20 the club gets the rest.
A good month might make £500 from instructing. Typically £350 to £400. You will inevitably loose quite a few details to weather and a fair few no shows.
What you must try and do is make sure there is some form of no show/cancellation fee for students. If they don't turn up without giving reasonable notice (24 hours) then they get billed a cancellation. About £30 is the right amount - you get £20 the club gets the rest.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Australia
No shows
We were having a lot of trouble with no-shows for a while. It's very hard to charge a no-show fee to someone who isn't there! Solution is they now have to pay a deposit when they make a booking, and they get a text to remind them about thier lesson the day before. If they don't show, the deposit is lost, (half is lost for a late cancellation) and it doubles for their next booking. If they chose not to pay a deposit then they can be booted if someone else wants the slot, and they pay a higher hourly rate.
It doesn't cover the losses but it has made a huge difference in preventing no-shows and late cancellations.
Back on subject, what my part timers earn is largely up to them, I provide the infrastructure, they can then develop their career within it as much or as little as suits them, but they know I don't "owe" them a living.
It doesn't cover the losses but it has made a huge difference in preventing no-shows and late cancellations.
Back on subject, what my part timers earn is largely up to them, I provide the infrastructure, they can then develop their career within it as much or as little as suits them, but they know I don't "owe" them a living.
