Instructing
 

Hello out there!!

Just about to start a flight instructors course and am after some advice. Given how badly paid instructing is, would it be better to hang on to well paid (though v boring job) and instruct at the weekends or go the whole hog and instruct full time??

Am a low-timer seeking to build hours and show others the joy of flying!

All comments welcome!!

TAS

It depends how much you want to pass on your knowledge to others. Do not underestimate how badly paid instructing is. If you have independent means of support then you will get more flying if you make yourself available full time. Pay in the winter months can be as low as £500 per month take home.

Be careful which clubs you choose to instruct for if you go part time. Those with a large number of full-time instructors will give priority to them when taking bookings, and the initial assumption will be that you are prepared to sit by the club phone waiting for it to ring and pick up any scraps.

Having said all this, instructing has given me 500 hours in 2 years and it is great being up at someone else's expense!! In addition, if you get pleasure from seeing the light go on when a student finally understands what they're trying to do then you will find instructing very rewarding.

Just don't sell your soul to some unscrupulous club!!

I am myself a full time flying instructor and yes the wages are crap, if i were to work just on the weekends then i would probably be selling the big issue on the streets to make money. You cannot afford to rely on the wx being good on weekends go full time, hours come quicker and experiance...

Tas:

I'm working part time in Ireland as an instructor getting a per hour flown wage and damn lucky to be doing so. I got the weekend gig which means that if the weather is bad (which Ireland wouldn't be unknown for) I get no flying.

Instructing's main disadvantage: Signing students off, you'll soon realise you need balls of steel to do it, one mistake by them could mean your license.

On the bright side, I got my instructors rating a few months back and I have nearly 400hrs already. If you can get a full time job doing it-do it, think about the money later (don't go to the pub)

See ya,
Pan :)

Thanks people!!

TAS

TAS

It's that bit in your post that says, "show others the joy of flying" that tells me you should go for it. There's been plenty of people come to this forum and ask is it good for me, how much money/hours etc but that "joy of flying" is what does it for me.

On the other hand I do live with Mummy and Daddy, no social life to speak of and my best month in a year and a half so far is $650, half of which went on petrol. Depends on your priorities. "Do not underestimate how badly paid instructing is" as eyeinthesky said. But also do not underestimate the value to students of an instructor who loves flying!

Enjoy the journey
c6

Eyeinthesky where do you get "as low as £500 a month" who did you work for they were very generous.and only 500 hrs in two years.I am not knocking you,but most of the instructors I have been assoiciated with myself included have had many a £100 pound month in the winter,but an average of 900 plus a year.I know over the max and yes I had my fingers wrapped for it by the authority.Instructing is never going to be well paid but it has its ups.Do a propper job then you will enjoy not earning anything instructing all the more Bye for now

My 500 hours were part-time over two years, and I certainly never got anywhere near £500 a month. I got that figure from talking to poor full-timers who were trying to make ends meet. The point of my message, which perhaps I didn't put very clearly, was that if you want to pass on the 'joy of flying' (which, incidentally, is why I'm still driving 70 miles round trip to instruct for two hours) then go for it. You have to be prepared to earn b****r all while you're doing it, though. You could say in this case it's a vocation, not a job, but that might be going too far!

Don't get me started on the appalling way in which the flying industry treats instructors.. the red flag will be flying! :mad: :mad:



------------------
"Take-off is optional, Landing is mandatory"

£4.10 per hour NMW
Equates to £32.80 per day
Equates to £164.00 per week
Equates to over £500 per month
Some back pay due ?