Do you enjoy instructing?
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I'm just over half way through the FI course and loving every minute.
After having two very good Instructors during my PPL training it was always a desire to instruct and impart a little bit of my knowledge to someone else and of course learn a great deal myself at the same time.
After having two very good Instructors during my PPL training it was always a desire to instruct and impart a little bit of my knowledge to someone else and of course learn a great deal myself at the same time.
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Enjoyable ? Absolutely.
Would I do it full time ? No, I dont think so, for many of the reasons already stated. You can, but you need to live in a caravan or back at your parents place, and that's just to survive. There is a ghostly derelict caravan in a hidden corner of Redhill which still has a bottle of wine on the table - I understand it used to be used by some penniless instructor !
I enjoy it for the variety of people we teach, everything from 16 and 17 year olds to 70+ grandparents. You do get a real buzz out of seeing someone progress and starting to make their own decisions. I've seen a few young students go from being quite introverted and shy, to becoming quite mature, self-confident people.
One thing I have learnt is that quite often its the ones who already have their licenses and come to you for checkouts that you have to really watch !
Would I do it full time ? No, I dont think so, for many of the reasons already stated. You can, but you need to live in a caravan or back at your parents place, and that's just to survive. There is a ghostly derelict caravan in a hidden corner of Redhill which still has a bottle of wine on the table - I understand it used to be used by some penniless instructor !
I enjoy it for the variety of people we teach, everything from 16 and 17 year olds to 70+ grandparents. You do get a real buzz out of seeing someone progress and starting to make their own decisions. I've seen a few young students go from being quite introverted and shy, to becoming quite mature, self-confident people.
One thing I have learnt is that quite often its the ones who already have their licenses and come to you for checkouts that you have to really watch !
It has occurred to me latterly that we don't actually TEACH people to fly, we just provide the right environment for them to learn for themselves.
The realisation that I was there to enable students to learn, not to teach them anything.
The time I did this best, I think, was teaching a course in aircraft design. I grit my teeth, told the students that they were now a design office, and I was chief designer. Over a year, they designed an aeroplane, with me chairing meetings, pointing them at documents, correcting errors, and so-on.
It was actually a lot more fun for everybody than me standing up talking at them for 3 hours a week, and by gum they learned! Mind you, they also hated it as they had to work a lot harder than just taking notes and memorising them a few days before the exam.
G
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Totally agree that what's important is providing the environment for students learn for themselves. And its important to remember that part of that is checking that they are learning, and taking action if they are not or are getting things wrong. "Providing the environment" is a very active process, not a passive one - as Genghis illustrates so well with his design students story.
H
H
Last edited by Heston; 9th Jun 2012 at 10:09.
First got an instructor rating in 1976 with about 1800hrs.
Taught on jets (in the air force) for a couple of years, scrubbed quite a few who are now airline captains - it didn't hurt them at all - and went back to operational helicopter flying.
A few years later did a helicopter instructor rating, taught the current Chief of Air Force to fly. Spent 6 more years on operations, renewed the instructor rating, but just did recurrence checks.
A few years later, did some more ab initio training as a civilian, and it was part good, part bad. The good bit was seeing the student listen to what I said and do well, the bad bit was dealing with rock apes who had a lot of money and expected me to open up their head and pour knowledge into it with no effort on their behalf.
Spent another period just doing refresher training, and now with 42 years since my first solo, I am back teaching ab initios. Luckily, it is a salary position and the students have been through some sort of selection process.
So, overall, I am lucky to have been able to alternate between real flying and instructing, and I have never been in the situation of being paid by the flight hour.
Taught on jets (in the air force) for a couple of years, scrubbed quite a few who are now airline captains - it didn't hurt them at all - and went back to operational helicopter flying.
A few years later did a helicopter instructor rating, taught the current Chief of Air Force to fly. Spent 6 more years on operations, renewed the instructor rating, but just did recurrence checks.
A few years later, did some more ab initio training as a civilian, and it was part good, part bad. The good bit was seeing the student listen to what I said and do well, the bad bit was dealing with rock apes who had a lot of money and expected me to open up their head and pour knowledge into it with no effort on their behalf.
Spent another period just doing refresher training, and now with 42 years since my first solo, I am back teaching ab initios. Luckily, it is a salary position and the students have been through some sort of selection process.
So, overall, I am lucky to have been able to alternate between real flying and instructing, and I have never been in the situation of being paid by the flight hour.
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Thanks for the replies everyone, all your responses have been very useful to read. I like the heads up for some of the 'gotchas' that I, and no doubt other people reading this will experience at some point!
Join Date: Jan 2009
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i enjoyed instructing ,been of the old 700hr school ,and continued through my ga and airline carrer, been old and alas poor with no class one ,i am considering, obtaing a rating on my ppl,especially with the onset of easa, i did ask a school about the cpl knowledge,and requirements to no avail still, i am shore there is a school out there where i can renew or f/i rate from scratch if required,so reading these posts has clarified that cpl knowledge is not required,if your that kind of person, i think the rewards are great,never really got on with the hour builder and remained a g/a nut for life.
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PS does anyone know a good place to do the necessary training, anywhere in the uk except the south east, as for the paid by the hour guess it was not so good,nor looking at the same washing line every Tues ,in the circuit,but then there was the girls school hockey team on weds,well get my drift it can be a tads repetitive,but all in all
Last edited by much2much; 11th Jun 2012 at 16:53.
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If you have had an airline career then you must have had CPL knowledge in the past - this does not expire for purposes of the FI rating, unlike IR/ATPL exams. The requirement for you would be to attend an approved FI seminar and pass the FI skills test, with training as required beforehand. Depends where you are in the UK, but a few of us have links to FIEs and can assist
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TAR ,very much, thats about what i thought,infact whether cpl knowledge expired (theoretically not in real terms) was the very question i asked of a school, fobbed off by phone no reply to mail; caa not to much help,just asked me to speak to a "school"
i am in the south west but feel the time needed my require staying away hence ,anywhere might be a option,
thanks again i may actually get-it done
sure not sea shore
i am in the south west but feel the time needed my require staying away hence ,anywhere might be a option,
thanks again i may actually get-it done
sure not sea shore
Last edited by much2much; 11th Jun 2012 at 21:04.
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Do a search for ONTRACK and give them a ring. They will know the answers or know the person that can give you a definate plan for what you want to do.
They arn't the cheapest school but good value for money.
They arn't the cheapest school but good value for money.
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infact whether cpl knowledge expired (theoretically not in real terms) was the very question i asked of a school
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I was probably what you would call an hour builder - part sponsored with the evil empire from elstree.
Can't say I enjoyed it initially, it was very much teach the standard syllabus by rote.No room for much personality.
When I moved away elsewhere i enjoyed it more as I could put more of me into the lessons.trial lessons did form a sizeable chunk of the output though, and I reckon 75 % of those were just joyrides really.
I think i would enjoy it more now as, having done the airline thing, i'm not uptight about progressing.
last time I did it was 2002, pay was £14/hr, no retainer.
Can't say I enjoyed it initially, it was very much teach the standard syllabus by rote.No room for much personality.
When I moved away elsewhere i enjoyed it more as I could put more of me into the lessons.trial lessons did form a sizeable chunk of the output though, and I reckon 75 % of those were just joyrides really.
I think i would enjoy it more now as, having done the airline thing, i'm not uptight about progressing.
last time I did it was 2002, pay was £14/hr, no retainer.
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Hi,
Been instructing for 5yrs now
1st thing I'd advise is don't go into an FI role pronouncing its a stepping stone - they'll just walk away. Moreover, once you get into instruction, you'll see there's far more in it than just ppl.
Get the right place, and opportunities arise naturally. The people you meet, the company expanding or looking to move you onto other things etc.
I've met several charter owners and they all say how they view F.I's as the right type of guy for their jobs - someone used to making in-the-air decisions and being in command of situations that DO get a bit hairy at times - students will try to kill you on a regular basis
but you soon develop a 6th sense to all that.
Getting unrestricted can also be a major bind in getting both initial work right now, but also to get the elbow room you really need to fully get into the job.
It has a great deal of down-sides.- pay, students and trial lessons soon lose their appeal, but expect all that and you'll see the +ves much quicker.
I spent a long time getting unrestricted as I pretty much had to get a whole batch of new starters through to solo, then after that, had to gauge the market before committing to getting the applied etc lifted.
That said, I've recently moved and within a month or so, was offered the chance to move into the charter part of the company as well.
Instructors go home every night (which can be a big positive) and if you're the right sort of person, you do get a kick (all be it a nervous one at the time) when your student goes solo or passes. You get great relationships with many of them. Importantly, be yourself during the job. To start with, you'll feel a bit robotic in your teachings, but with confidence, you'll be able to make the job your own and of course, in the air, you really are controlling your working day.
As I said, try not to think of instruction as a stepping stone - you'll miss the point of it and certainly miss the hidden benefits which may make it frustrating
All of that aside, doing the FI course will only add to your own flying capabilities and confidence
Bb
Been instructing for 5yrs now
1st thing I'd advise is don't go into an FI role pronouncing its a stepping stone - they'll just walk away. Moreover, once you get into instruction, you'll see there's far more in it than just ppl.
Get the right place, and opportunities arise naturally. The people you meet, the company expanding or looking to move you onto other things etc.
I've met several charter owners and they all say how they view F.I's as the right type of guy for their jobs - someone used to making in-the-air decisions and being in command of situations that DO get a bit hairy at times - students will try to kill you on a regular basis
but you soon develop a 6th sense to all that.Getting unrestricted can also be a major bind in getting both initial work right now, but also to get the elbow room you really need to fully get into the job.
It has a great deal of down-sides.- pay, students and trial lessons soon lose their appeal, but expect all that and you'll see the +ves much quicker.
I spent a long time getting unrestricted as I pretty much had to get a whole batch of new starters through to solo, then after that, had to gauge the market before committing to getting the applied etc lifted.
That said, I've recently moved and within a month or so, was offered the chance to move into the charter part of the company as well.
Instructors go home every night (which can be a big positive) and if you're the right sort of person, you do get a kick (all be it a nervous one at the time) when your student goes solo or passes. You get great relationships with many of them. Importantly, be yourself during the job. To start with, you'll feel a bit robotic in your teachings, but with confidence, you'll be able to make the job your own and of course, in the air, you really are controlling your working day.
As I said, try not to think of instruction as a stepping stone - you'll miss the point of it and certainly miss the hidden benefits which may make it frustrating
All of that aside, doing the FI course will only add to your own flying capabilities and confidence
Bb
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Big_Buddha36, thank you, what a fantastic reply.
All I shall say is, you've confirmed my feelings and I shall be entering into this eyes wide open and looking forward to the new challenges that await!
All I shall say is, you've confirmed my feelings and I shall be entering into this eyes wide open and looking forward to the new challenges that await!
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Can't keep away
I started instruct for the usual reason, I wanted to get the hours together for the ATPL, my eye were firmly fixed on a jet airliner and all that goes with it.
Fast forward twenty two years and on days off from the jet I still do a little instructing, the job is far more rewarding than flying the jet and now I can pick and choose when I instruct I have no pressure to rush lessons giving me time to expand on topics if the student requires this.
Fast forward twenty two years and on days off from the jet I still do a little instructing, the job is far more rewarding than flying the jet and now I can pick and choose when I instruct I have no pressure to rush lessons giving me time to expand on topics if the student requires this.
