Instructing on the side of an airline job

[RTN11]

I'm well settled into being a first officer now, and have permission from my company to instruct (albeit a fairly limited amount) on the side to keep my FI(A) current and hopefully build some night hours this winter.

How realistic a prospect is this? A lot of people say they try, but it's just too much work, others worry about exceeding the flight time limitations, do many people genuinely manage to keep their SEP flying on the side, even just at weekends?

[ElitePilot]

Its quite realistic if you have the passion for it.
Most authorities have a weight limitation for aircraft flown that don't count towards flight time limitations which most SEP fall into.

[Halfbaked_Boy]

My view of people who instruct on top of the airline job is not unlike my view of bisexual people!

[MIKECR]

I dont think its a problem managing to do both. Make sure however your airline are happy with you carrying out additional flying. It'll be stated in the Ops manuals somewhere. Usually its a letter from the DFO which will stipulate you must obey FTL rules and submit a monthly total to crewing dept. Personally, I managed the odd bit of part time instructing alongside my normal airline roster for a few years but recently i've decided not to renew my rating. 2 reason's really - im not doing as much part time as I used to and am loathed to pay the renewal costs, and secondly I just dont have the time at weekends anymore. With wife and family in tow I cant justify spending all week airline flying and then bugger off to the flying club at weekends to fly puddle jumpers. My wife think's my normal day job is a 'hobby' anyway, which obviously doent help matters! I can keep my SEP current however by other means so I guess that'll keep me going in the meantime. Perhaps i'll come back to instructing in later years.

[hobbit1983]

My view of people who instruct on top of the airline job is not unlike my view of bisexual people!

Sorry, I'm being thick. What do you mean?

[mad_jock]

you should be be one thing or the other.

It doesn't really work if you are a regional pilot becuase noramlly it screws with your two days off but some manage to do a bit if they are on an early afterwards or before a late. Until they have a FTL issue which means they can;t do what the compnay wants them to.

The long haul pilots seem to have a better shot of it as long as they arn't banging on 100 hours a month.

Seems daft though that powered is restricted but you can do as much as you like gliding instruction and no need to record that in FTL's

[DB6]

Most don't keep up the SEP stuff, instructing or otherwise. It's generally too much hassle and, especially if you have a family, cuts into your days off. When you've arranged lessons on a particular day and then it's weathered off and you've purposely kept that day free, it wears a bit thin pretty quickly. It's also quite expensive to keep your ratings current, and those EASA tossers aren't helping any on that score!
Also you have to remember that you're flying instructional hours that other instructors will want to do, so you'll quite possibly get very few hours anyway, and could be a bit unpopular with the local FI's into the bargain. The exception there would be if you can teach e.g. aeros or IMC and nobody else at your club can, so you're not taking anyone else's work.
I personally do but it's only because my airline and flying school have the same base airfield, and I only do aeros, IMC and examining for the above reason.
That said, if you can manage it then it does help as 1) you don't forget how to fly a plane and 2) you don't forget how to see things from a non-airline pilot's point of view. Plus which, if you love flying - as opposed to just being an airline pilot - then a light aircraft is where it's at, really, isn't it?

[Anodyne]

Perfectly possible and enjoyable if you are free from other commitments such as a family etc etc. However spare a thought for the guys who haven’t got a commercial job yet and depend on instructing for their main income. I continued instructing when I started my commercial career but was careful only to do stuff the rest of the guys couldn’t (I was my clubs only multi rated instructor), and only did single engine work to help cover sickness, holidays, and other temporary instructor shortage.

[sevenstrokeroll]

yeah, I thought I would instruct...wanted to keep my CFIIMEI current, pick up a couple of bucks

but

then I thought about it. ONE mistake while instructing means you lose your license...and your job with the nice big airline. You might also find a lawsuit against you someday, somehow if one of your stude3nts screws up...and since you are a big fat rich airline pilot, YOU LOSE AGAIN.

I would only fly for the airline...

in the USA you can keep your instructor ticket current by taking a two day ground school every few years.

[RTN11]

in the USA you can keep your instructor ticket current by taking a two day ground school every few years.

In the UK it would be a two day seminar as well as a flight test if you do not have the hours required in the three years.

Food for thought, I was mainly looking to pick up the odd trial lesson for fun, and possibly a few night ratings. I just feel it would be a shame to let the rating go since I worked hard to get it.

[DB6]

If you live your life in fear of lawyers you might as well shoot yourself right now since life might just be one long worry for you. them.

[foxmoth]

I normally manage about 50 hours a year instructing, LH does help and most of my instructing is freelance and fairly specialised -aeros, formation, Tailwheel etc, not actually done that much this year, but just signed onto the LAA coaching scheme so hopefully that will help.