Most hours in day/month
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Most hours in day/month
Just returned from a great day instructing (8 hours) and following a discussion today i'm interested to know what's the most hours all you FIs have logged in a day or a month. I got 85 hours for March and would like to know how this compares to other busy guys and gals!
Please don't start a carreer instructor VS hour-builder debate...I love my job and I love flying but let's be honest most of us want as many hours as we can get in the shortest time!
Please don't start a carreer instructor VS hour-builder debate...I love my job and I love flying but let's be honest most of us want as many hours as we can get in the shortest time!
Canada Pilot,
So 8 hours instructing. Lets assume you spend 20 minutes briefing and 10 minutes debriefing for each hour you fly, then thats a 12 hour day before you drink coffee, eat, get aircraft out or put them away or refuel them. Or maybe spend some time writing up student records. So maybe 14 hours a day.
How many days in a row do you think that you can do that and not be so knackered that you either don't give effective instruction because you are half asleep, or that you miss what is happening around you and compromise safety. Airlines have flight time limitations for a good reason, and in most places single crew operations (which is what instructing really is) are even more tightly regulated.
What a shame that those looking for hours will fly every hour god gives, but in two or three years time will be the first to moan when crewing ask them to fly an extra sector.
So 8 hours instructing. Lets assume you spend 20 minutes briefing and 10 minutes debriefing for each hour you fly, then thats a 12 hour day before you drink coffee, eat, get aircraft out or put them away or refuel them. Or maybe spend some time writing up student records. So maybe 14 hours a day.
How many days in a row do you think that you can do that and not be so knackered that you either don't give effective instruction because you are half asleep, or that you miss what is happening around you and compromise safety. Airlines have flight time limitations for a good reason, and in most places single crew operations (which is what instructing really is) are even more tightly regulated.
What a shame that those looking for hours will fly every hour god gives, but in two or three years time will be the first to moan when crewing ask them to fly an extra sector.
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Ouch - I'll let Canadapilot defend her/himself as needed, but it seems to me that you're making some pretty big assumptions there ...
Maybe:
... Canadapilot's school has other people to organise the aircraft, lunch, and the million and one other things that need to be done. One of the schools I teach at does this, and it's great - Our job becomes much more focussed on the students & instructing
... there were two long navexs or pre-licence tests, rather than 8 x 1 hour flights
... it was CP's only day instructing in a fortnight with no other flying for a week either side
... the records all got written up the next day because there was a reliable forecast for 8/8 thunderstorms for the next week
... they were mostly lessons that needed minimal briefing/debriefing - The student has already done 3 lots of circuits (or hovering, or ...), clearly understands what is needed, and is now down to supervised skill-building
... the lessons had been thoroughly briefed the day before. One school I worked at insisted on this. It gave the students time to digest the material, and then only brief reminders are needed before the flight
... they weren't ab initio lessons - First flights in a C172XP for a pilot who's already well familiar with the C172, or a Raven II for someone who's been flying a Raven I, or somesuch. Or familiarisation with a new control zone for someone who's got plenty of experience but just hasn't flown in that location before
8 hours is a huge instructing day, but there are lots of possibilities without necessarily being a slack instructor ...
Maybe:
... Canadapilot's school has other people to organise the aircraft, lunch, and the million and one other things that need to be done. One of the schools I teach at does this, and it's great - Our job becomes much more focussed on the students & instructing
... there were two long navexs or pre-licence tests, rather than 8 x 1 hour flights
... it was CP's only day instructing in a fortnight with no other flying for a week either side
... the records all got written up the next day because there was a reliable forecast for 8/8 thunderstorms for the next week
... they were mostly lessons that needed minimal briefing/debriefing - The student has already done 3 lots of circuits (or hovering, or ...), clearly understands what is needed, and is now down to supervised skill-building
... the lessons had been thoroughly briefed the day before. One school I worked at insisted on this. It gave the students time to digest the material, and then only brief reminders are needed before the flight
... they weren't ab initio lessons - First flights in a C172XP for a pilot who's already well familiar with the C172, or a Raven II for someone who's been flying a Raven I, or somesuch. Or familiarisation with a new control zone for someone who's got plenty of experience but just hasn't flown in that location before
8 hours is a huge instructing day, but there are lots of possibilities without necessarily being a slack instructor ...
Last edited by Unhinged; 2nd Apr 2009 at 01:20.
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Sitting on the fence.
Well said unhingedExcrab if you have a problem with the system blame the organ grinder.
One reason that instructors have to work often far too long hours is that the CAA have not regulated them under FTLs in the same way that they have AOC commercial operators.
The 2nd reason is probably because they need the money because too many schools illegally pay their instructors (either under national minimum wage or pretend they are are self employed see IR35 and HMRC threads to continue this thread though please)
None of this is the poor guys fault who is just trying to make a living.
Attack HMRC, attack the CAA, hell even attack the money grabbing schools whose margins are too tight and who refuse to go quietly into the night but leave the poor humble instructor trying to get by and fly for someone who cares a little more alone....
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Well it's always nice to see a good debate start! i'm now awaiting the inevitable critique on someone's spelling! To set the record straight the 8 hour day involved 7 flights. Only two of the flights required a full brief...the rest being either circuits or airwork reviews (of regular students who are familiar). And yes, it was a 14 hour day from engine off to engine on on the car! I'm sure that's a normal day for a lot of FIs who have to pay the bills and are simply "making hay while the sun shines".
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Did 950 hrs my first year of instruction. In SA law you can only do 6 hours of ab initio instruction, but plenty days did the 6 hrs, plus 2 hrs of advanced instruction. Also none of my instruction hours are sim hours, never log simulator instruction, despite the new logbooks now having a column for it.
Just be careful of over doing it though. After 5 hrs in the air, and another 3-4 hrs of pre/post flight briefings, it's natural to not be able to put in 100% for your last few hours of the day. Which ultimately isn't fair on the students concerned!
Just be careful of over doing it though. After 5 hrs in the air, and another 3-4 hrs of pre/post flight briefings, it's natural to not be able to put in 100% for your last few hours of the day. Which ultimately isn't fair on the students concerned!
