Instructor job market
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Instructor job market
Hello all
I am debating going back into flight instruction during the months of june, july and august. I could alternatively find a job unrelated to aviation that would probably pay more, however I would prefer instructing. My question is, how hard is it to find instructor work these days, and more relevant, towards the summer months? how much can one expect to get paid as a single engine PPL/CPL instructor?
Cheers
I am debating going back into flight instruction during the months of june, july and august. I could alternatively find a job unrelated to aviation that would probably pay more, however I would prefer instructing. My question is, how hard is it to find instructor work these days, and more relevant, towards the summer months? how much can one expect to get paid as a single engine PPL/CPL instructor?
Cheers
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As has been discussed many times, PPL instructors are less likely to find work than CPL instructors and if you already have an IRI or the experience level to achieve that instructor certificate then you're of much more interest. Stick an ME on that and you should walk into a position.
All depends on lots of things, not least location!
I'm crying out for experienced instructors but have a large pile of low hour instructors CV's in my inbox.
Pay wise...again, depends on what you teach and where - so can't be much more specific than that.
All depends on lots of things, not least location!
I'm crying out for experienced instructors but have a large pile of low hour instructors CV's in my inbox.
Pay wise...again, depends on what you teach and where - so can't be much more specific than that.
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GOOD instructors wanted -
There will ALWAYS be options for good instructors who are keen to do a good job!
The current market does not make it the most financially attractive position but it is a good extension to the raw CPL/ME/IR training providing continuity of flying and experience that the airlines do show an interest in.
With the weather due to get better in Scotland soon (so I am promised!) we will be looking for more instructors.
The current market does not make it the most financially attractive position but it is a good extension to the raw CPL/ME/IR training providing continuity of flying and experience that the airlines do show an interest in.
With the weather due to get better in Scotland soon (so I am promised!) we will be looking for more instructors.
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Good instructors need to be treated well though and be paid properly and on time. If not, they will walk. Part of the problem of some schools is that they don't appreciate the talented FI's which then has a knock on effect on the continuity for the customer.
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FI(R)
I've just got my FI(R) rating so I'm on the lookout for work, I'm based in the SW UK but would relocate for something suitable. Time to visit some schools and hand out some CV's but any leads would be much appreciated!
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Good instructors need to be treated well though and be paid properly and on time. If not, they will walk.
I've just got my FI(R) rating so I'm on the lookout for work
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Cheers RNT11
I see no reason why some schools and clubs cannot have a sense of consideration and decency when it comes to treating qualified instructors like professionals (which they are) who are ultimately doing a very serious job in teaching someone how to fly safely and prevent them from hurting themselves! It really is an important job in my opinion.
Good luck to those finding work but beware of the pitfalls as I have mentioned previously. Some may be 'looking for instructors' again. Ask yourself why (and they haven't all left for the airlines).
I see no reason why some schools and clubs cannot have a sense of consideration and decency when it comes to treating qualified instructors like professionals (which they are) who are ultimately doing a very serious job in teaching someone how to fly safely and prevent them from hurting themselves! It really is an important job in my opinion.
Good luck to those finding work but beware of the pitfalls as I have mentioned previously. Some may be 'looking for instructors' again. Ask yourself why (and they haven't all left for the airlines).
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Indeed, and as you say it seems to be a total false economy, as only the most desperate and inexperienced instructors will put up with the absolute worst terms, so the customer gets the worst product, and goes elsewhere often willing to travel further and pay more for the more experienced instructors.
Some schools just don't seem to see it this way, I've even heard of some paying just £10 per hour for trial lessons, just appalling. You couldn't hire a plumber for that.
Some schools just don't seem to see it this way, I've even heard of some paying just £10 per hour for trial lessons, just appalling. You couldn't hire a plumber for that.
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as only the most desperate and inexperienced instructors will put up with the absolute worst terms, so the customer gets the worst product
The problem isn't with the low hour's guys and the T&C's the problem is that there is no filter on who is becoming instructors or for that matter the philosophy behind there own training.
Personally I would never touch an instructor that has had a break between CPL/IR of more than 6 months. It just shouts to me they have no real inclination to become an instructor they have only done it because they haven't managed to get an airline job.
I wouldn't touch with the ****tyest stick on the planet anyone who is integrated trained because it takes to much effort to break them out of pseudo airliner ops pish. With a lot of them they will never actually buy into the fact what they were taught is pish because they have an over glorified opinion that there method of training is superior to everyone else's.
The cherry on the cake is the guys that do CPL then FI and have a break before doing the IR. I haven't met one yet that hasn't put some effort in what ever they have been paid.
Also as well a lot of instructors seem to be of the opinion that trial flights are either a pain in the bum or a good excuse to have some fun with someone else paying.
Wrong, Wrong. They are your method of getting business in through the door. Yes you may have to take a hit on the pay rate for these lessons. If you don't convert them into PPL's then your going to have free slots in your daily flight schedule and you are going to get a lot of them. If you put some effort in your slots will fill up and you will make more money end of story.
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Personally I would never touch an instructor that has had a break between CPL/IR of more than 6 months. It just shouts to me they have no real inclination to become an instructor they have only done it because they haven't managed to get an airline job.
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Unfortunately, instructor positions are not greatly financially rewarding. This is simply down to the market. Aircraft operating costs have escalated but the market is holding down the price of lessons.
While I think PPL training should be able to provide a living for committed instructors the reality is that it is unlikely to happen short term.
On the other side, most young pilots are NOT interested in committing to long term instructing. This is also a reasonable attitude as most aspire to flying bigger aircraft and develop their career.
Additionally, there is a surplus of qualified instructors so there are several looking for work.
I think in the current market, instruction is almost an extension of the flying training program. For newly qualified Commercial Pilots with Instructor ratings, it is a good way to maintain currency (without paying for your own flying) and gain experience which the airlines tend to see in a positive light. You may not make much money but you will not be paying out either!
It is impossible for ANY instructor to prove they are committed long term to training.
The reality is that those instructors who are committed to doing the instructor job right, both for the student AND the school, always seem to be the ones who progress to the airlines!
While I think PPL training should be able to provide a living for committed instructors the reality is that it is unlikely to happen short term.
On the other side, most young pilots are NOT interested in committing to long term instructing. This is also a reasonable attitude as most aspire to flying bigger aircraft and develop their career.
Additionally, there is a surplus of qualified instructors so there are several looking for work.
I think in the current market, instruction is almost an extension of the flying training program. For newly qualified Commercial Pilots with Instructor ratings, it is a good way to maintain currency (without paying for your own flying) and gain experience which the airlines tend to see in a positive light. You may not make much money but you will not be paying out either!
It is impossible for ANY instructor to prove they are committed long term to training.
The reality is that those instructors who are committed to doing the instructor job right, both for the student AND the school, always seem to be the ones who progress to the airlines!
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£10 an hour sounds about right for PPL level instruction from what I can remember. If you think things are bad in the UK you should see how instructors in the US get treated (at all licence/certificate delivery levels). I don't disagree that it is a poorly paid occupation in view of the risk and compared to the fees charged to the student.
Pre-JAA a 'restricted' FI(A) was referred to as an Assistant FI (AFI) and a Qualified FI (QFI) was one with privileges to teach applied instrument flying and other pre-requsite experience....and Flight Instructors were known more romantically as Flying Instructors.
Still baffles me why people still refer to it as FI(R) when this pre-dates JAR and it's been an FI(A) for as long as I've been flying near enough. Everyone is aware of the restrictions on a freshly printed FI(A) rating, don't see why people don't call it what it is.
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Or maybe they'd just spent £25k+ getting CPL and ME/IR and needed to work, pay off some debts/bills and save before starting the FIC.
And daddy din't pay for mine either even although I did CPL/IR and FIC all together over 3 months.
Then started work as a FI the day my license landed on the flying school door mat after being interview while I was completing the FIC. I had been in the school for a week prior to that waiting for the license to arrive. Then post came at 9:30 student had already been briefed and I was up in the air doing S&L part II within 20 mins of the license being signed. I did 6 hours in the air that day which continued over my full time FI career of 14 months of 1000 hours of instructing. The next three restricted instructors were the same but they hadn't done the IR and did it prior to leaving to the airlines. All of us are now Airline Captains.
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Er no if they were in that position they would have done CPL first then FIC then waited for the IR.
Ideally I would have saved up the money and jacked in my job to do the training full time. But I would question the sense of that strategy with the job prospects being so poor at the minute.
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Well I am afraid I wouldn't have employed you.
And something other potential instructors should keep in mind when planning there training route.
I am not the only one with such views.
If there is a break the suspicion is that the person hasn't managed to get an airline job so instructing is the second option. There is people out there that don't fit this profile for various reasons. But there are more than enough restricted instructors out there that that don't have breaks which ring alarm bells of instructing being the second none preferred option. So that the others can be consigned to the bucket without much thought.
And something other potential instructors should keep in mind when planning there training route.
I am not the only one with such views.
If there is a break the suspicion is that the person hasn't managed to get an airline job so instructing is the second option. There is people out there that don't fit this profile for various reasons. But there are more than enough restricted instructors out there that that don't have breaks which ring alarm bells of instructing being the second none preferred option. So that the others can be consigned to the bucket without much thought.
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Fair play mad jock and happy it all worked out for you though my intention when I undertook my PPL was to find instructors with as much experience as possible. I consciously tried to avoid anyone young as I rightly or wrongly considered them to be hourbuilders who either wouldn't be interested or would disappear mid way through training. I have therefore always considered it the right way to build up experience before taking an FI rating myself. There's so much in the air and maintenance on the ground that anyone going straight from CPL to FI I don't think would necessarily be ideal.
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Okavango,
Some of our best instructors have been those who have come out of our FI course straight from their commercial training.
I have found the main difference is attitude. Not towards flying but towards dealing with people.
Those who have the humility to ask those with more experience (even from non-FI's), and who have a genuine interest in the customer and the school tend to develop quickly to good team members.
As GA is a tight-knit community in Scotland with airline pilots frequenting our schools and clubs, it is no surprise that the more dynamic instructors are earmarked and move on quickly.
While it is not the best paid position in aviation, it is certainly a progressive step towards the airlines. AND, for those willing to put the time in when the weather permits the hours and the pounds do mount up!
Some of our best instructors have been those who have come out of our FI course straight from their commercial training.
I have found the main difference is attitude. Not towards flying but towards dealing with people.
Those who have the humility to ask those with more experience (even from non-FI's), and who have a genuine interest in the customer and the school tend to develop quickly to good team members.
As GA is a tight-knit community in Scotland with airline pilots frequenting our schools and clubs, it is no surprise that the more dynamic instructors are earmarked and move on quickly.
While it is not the best paid position in aviation, it is certainly a progressive step towards the airlines. AND, for those willing to put the time in when the weather permits the hours and the pounds do mount up!
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Okavango there is usually a peak in hours.
Before say 150hours your finding your feet but you are keen as hell. Then up to about 700-800 you know what your doing and are still enjoying it. After that there tends to be a drop off as its become a job and if your instructing properly you are giving a bit of yourself to every student and after about 900 your getting a bit fed up and need to move on either up the instructor ladder or off to airlines.
The keen nature of the guys that are restricted more than makes up for the lack of experience as long as they are in a healthy school environment where its normal for them to be supported by the more experienced FI's. These guys will be more likely to give full briefings and go the extra mile with you. The over 900 hour guys are bored and can't be arsed in general. So there is a sweet spot in the middle but very experienced can have its problems as well. Normally the ultra keen restricted instructor will be more fun and that will make up for the lack of experience.
And if there is a real problem you will get handed off to a more experienced instructor and then given back and if its a good school the restricted instructor will be sitting in on the briefings/debriefings that the experienced instructor gives. This handoff though is extremely rare in my experience. The times it has been happened there has been something which takes a bit of mind games to sort out which some experienced instructors struggle to deal with never mind sub 100 hour instructors.
And I would agree about the way it works, some instructors cards are marked for good or bad within days of them starting at a club. Sometimes it seems they are the last to know they are starting a type rating in a couple of weeks. And others everyone knows they have no chance and its a bit embarrassing hearing them mouth off that they only have xxx numbers of hours to go before they are off. Then they are bypassed and they turn bitter and to be honest its in everyone's best interest they take a break from either the area or from instructing.
Before say 150hours your finding your feet but you are keen as hell. Then up to about 700-800 you know what your doing and are still enjoying it. After that there tends to be a drop off as its become a job and if your instructing properly you are giving a bit of yourself to every student and after about 900 your getting a bit fed up and need to move on either up the instructor ladder or off to airlines.
The keen nature of the guys that are restricted more than makes up for the lack of experience as long as they are in a healthy school environment where its normal for them to be supported by the more experienced FI's. These guys will be more likely to give full briefings and go the extra mile with you. The over 900 hour guys are bored and can't be arsed in general. So there is a sweet spot in the middle but very experienced can have its problems as well. Normally the ultra keen restricted instructor will be more fun and that will make up for the lack of experience.
And if there is a real problem you will get handed off to a more experienced instructor and then given back and if its a good school the restricted instructor will be sitting in on the briefings/debriefings that the experienced instructor gives. This handoff though is extremely rare in my experience. The times it has been happened there has been something which takes a bit of mind games to sort out which some experienced instructors struggle to deal with never mind sub 100 hour instructors.
And I would agree about the way it works, some instructors cards are marked for good or bad within days of them starting at a club. Sometimes it seems they are the last to know they are starting a type rating in a couple of weeks. And others everyone knows they have no chance and its a bit embarrassing hearing them mouth off that they only have xxx numbers of hours to go before they are off. Then they are bypassed and they turn bitter and to be honest its in everyone's best interest they take a break from either the area or from instructing.
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mad_jock
Yep, that sounds like my progression!
Got my first commercial job with 925 hours.
No one seems to have mentioned the other side of the 'curve' - commercial/airline pilots who have 'retired' and want to get back into instructing?
A number I know have done enough flying and do want to retire in all senses of the word.
How many others return to instructing, either PPL or CPL level, I do not know? Any experiences, as I don't remember any during my training?
Always seemed a progression TO the airlines, never a return FROM them.
Yep, that sounds like my progression!
Got my first commercial job with 925 hours.
No one seems to have mentioned the other side of the 'curve' - commercial/airline pilots who have 'retired' and want to get back into instructing?
A number I know have done enough flying and do want to retire in all senses of the word.
How many others return to instructing, either PPL or CPL level, I do not know? Any experiences, as I don't remember any during my training?
Always seemed a progression TO the airlines, never a return FROM them.