Day in the life of an Instructor v Day in the life of a charter pilot
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Day in the life of an Instructor v Day in the life of a charter pilot
Im approaching the point where that decision needs to be made. Would appreciate some 'testimonials' from those who have been there and done that with the above professions.
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Yeah, but with a bare bones CPL, who's going to let you anywhere near a Chieftain? At the end of the day, you consider what type of qualification will maximise your employability - & go with that. And I'm not saying one is better than the other, although IMHO experience in both is ideal, as opposed to all of one or the other.
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If you want to be an instructor because you want to get something out of teaching people how to fly and you think you will like that type of work, including potentially watching 50 circuits a day from the rhs then go for it.
If it is purely a hours building and a 'i want to stay in a capital city' exercise then i suggest you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Charter can have its boring bits/moments but it is extremely character building.
How many pilots regret going up north or out bush as opposed to instructing? VERY FEW
How many instructors regret not doing ga in the outback? A LOT
At the end of the day it is your choice, you have to be happy with what ever you are doing. You will also find that as your career progresses your desire to pump out hours will slowly get replaced by your desire to have a good work / life balance.......and if you do get to experience it, you will make a sh*t load of mates and friends, and have some of the best times of your life doing ga as opposed to instructing.
And to whoever said that you wont get a job on a chieftain with 200 hours, yes that would be extremely unlikely but has happened to two mates of mine....came down to hard work, luck and who they knew......
GOOD LUCK
If it is purely a hours building and a 'i want to stay in a capital city' exercise then i suggest you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Charter can have its boring bits/moments but it is extremely character building.
How many pilots regret going up north or out bush as opposed to instructing? VERY FEW
How many instructors regret not doing ga in the outback? A LOT
At the end of the day it is your choice, you have to be happy with what ever you are doing. You will also find that as your career progresses your desire to pump out hours will slowly get replaced by your desire to have a good work / life balance.......and if you do get to experience it, you will make a sh*t load of mates and friends, and have some of the best times of your life doing ga as opposed to instructing.
And to whoever said that you wont get a job on a chieftain with 200 hours, yes that would be extremely unlikely but has happened to two mates of mine....came down to hard work, luck and who they knew......
GOOD LUCK
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you'd be surprised actually these days
If you instruct, be prepared to put up with being viewed as incapable by muppet charter pilots and their CP's. There is definitely a stigma attached to instructors in regards to their ability to fly and operate in the 'real world'.
This despite the fact that once I moved into charter, it was immediately clear everyone is just as bad
Instructing Pros:
- Good hours. Rarely start before 6, no 16 hour days etc.
- Often good people company. I fly boxes around these days so I pass my fellow employees like ships in the night. In contrast I still regularly socialize with my old instructor mates.
- 'You don't have to go'. Ill get to what that means in a bit.
- Can be good pay. Starts out bad, but I ramped up to 60K within the first 2 years, which is fine. Not many people in a chieftan making 60K.
- Rewarding - Sending a good kid first solo, watching them knock over flight tests, very rewarding. You form real friendships with these people. I still talk to so many to this day.
- The best place to develop your knowledge of Aviation. Provided you're not a slack ass, by going over the theory so often, teaching it in on the ground and in the air, you'll have an excellent handle on all things theory. Things that draw the blankest of blank faces on many low time charter pilots.
- Flyaways! Sounds stupid but the ability to just decide you want to go place X for the weekend, Hamilton Island or something, is fantastic. Students love it and you can have some magic experiences.
- Planes slightly less likely to kill you. This is in my experience only though, I assume there will be instructors who tell you that at place X the planes are pretty bad. I suppose investigate this before you start.
Instructing Cons:
- The paperwork. The endless, pointless, horrible paperwork.
- If you're in a sausage factory, can be significantly less enjoyable.
- You don't get to fly much.
- The circuit. You will learn to dread the circuit.
- The repetition can get a bit much. Doing the same lesson 4 times in 1 day. Bleh.
- Flying 6 times in 1 day. Also bleh.
- Absolute bastard to build twin time. Unless you're there forever.
- You won't progress as fast as a charter pilot.
- Sham contracting is everywhere.
- Putting up with muppet charter pilots who despite getting an ESIR the day before for blasting straight through CTA, will label you a circuit queen
- Not very exciting aircraft.
- Sim supervision. I always hated sim supervision. You can't log it, its pointless for you professionally.
Charter Pros:
- Exciting aircraft (at least compared to a C152)
- A real feeling of being out there and doing what you've trained for.
- Challenging and interesting flying.
- Developing your decision making skills.
- Enjoyment of seeing the correct heading, and altitude, for extended periods of time. That will only make sense to instructors I feel
- Autopilots!
- Fast hour building. Faster progression. From my viewpoint, charter pilots definitely seemed to progress onto airlines faster than instructors. This may not be fact, just the way I saw it happen over the 4 or so years I instructed.
- Much easier to build twin time once you're endorsed.
Charter Cons:
- The hours can be horrid.
- 'You're going'. Contrary to what I mentioned above, its not like instructing where you spy a bit of weather and cx the flight. You're going. Obvious things like fog etc you're going to sit on the ground, but other than that, you're expected to go. Cells? Fly around them. Sev Turb? Do up your seatbelt. You get the idea. Now I'm not saying 'you have to go', i'm saying 'you're expected to go'. Note the difference. What you actually do is up to you.
- Easy to let your knowledge and standards slip. Ask the average low time charter guy/gal to describe the difference between power and thrust, or draw the power graph with all the relevant points on it. There will be always be an argument as to how relevant all this is, but you get the idea.
- Pay is generally bad. Not until you're in the left seat of a turbo prop do you really face the prospect of being payed anything approaching livable.
- More difficult to get a job in a major city.
I always wanted to pursue both forms when I started out. So I started in instructing, moved through and ticked all the boxes then transferred over to charter starting on a little piston twin and working my way up to the left seat of a > 5700kg turbo prop. I feel richer for having done both, however I acknowledge that the people who started at the same time as me, but avoided instructing, all progressed into a big plane much faster than I did.
All the above is my opinion only. Good luck with your decision.
This despite the fact that once I moved into charter, it was immediately clear everyone is just as bad
Instructing Pros:
- Good hours. Rarely start before 6, no 16 hour days etc.
- Often good people company. I fly boxes around these days so I pass my fellow employees like ships in the night. In contrast I still regularly socialize with my old instructor mates.
- 'You don't have to go'. Ill get to what that means in a bit.
- Can be good pay. Starts out bad, but I ramped up to 60K within the first 2 years, which is fine. Not many people in a chieftan making 60K.
- Rewarding - Sending a good kid first solo, watching them knock over flight tests, very rewarding. You form real friendships with these people. I still talk to so many to this day.
- The best place to develop your knowledge of Aviation. Provided you're not a slack ass, by going over the theory so often, teaching it in on the ground and in the air, you'll have an excellent handle on all things theory. Things that draw the blankest of blank faces on many low time charter pilots.
- Flyaways! Sounds stupid but the ability to just decide you want to go place X for the weekend, Hamilton Island or something, is fantastic. Students love it and you can have some magic experiences.
- Planes slightly less likely to kill you. This is in my experience only though, I assume there will be instructors who tell you that at place X the planes are pretty bad. I suppose investigate this before you start.
Instructing Cons:
- The paperwork. The endless, pointless, horrible paperwork.
- If you're in a sausage factory, can be significantly less enjoyable.
- You don't get to fly much.
- The circuit. You will learn to dread the circuit.
- The repetition can get a bit much. Doing the same lesson 4 times in 1 day. Bleh.
- Flying 6 times in 1 day. Also bleh.
- Absolute bastard to build twin time. Unless you're there forever.
- You won't progress as fast as a charter pilot.
- Sham contracting is everywhere.
- Putting up with muppet charter pilots who despite getting an ESIR the day before for blasting straight through CTA, will label you a circuit queen
- Not very exciting aircraft.
- Sim supervision. I always hated sim supervision. You can't log it, its pointless for you professionally.
Charter Pros:
- Exciting aircraft (at least compared to a C152)
- A real feeling of being out there and doing what you've trained for.
- Challenging and interesting flying.
- Developing your decision making skills.
- Enjoyment of seeing the correct heading, and altitude, for extended periods of time. That will only make sense to instructors I feel
- Autopilots!
- Fast hour building. Faster progression. From my viewpoint, charter pilots definitely seemed to progress onto airlines faster than instructors. This may not be fact, just the way I saw it happen over the 4 or so years I instructed.
- Much easier to build twin time once you're endorsed.
Charter Cons:
- The hours can be horrid.
- 'You're going'. Contrary to what I mentioned above, its not like instructing where you spy a bit of weather and cx the flight. You're going. Obvious things like fog etc you're going to sit on the ground, but other than that, you're expected to go. Cells? Fly around them. Sev Turb? Do up your seatbelt. You get the idea. Now I'm not saying 'you have to go', i'm saying 'you're expected to go'. Note the difference. What you actually do is up to you.
- Easy to let your knowledge and standards slip. Ask the average low time charter guy/gal to describe the difference between power and thrust, or draw the power graph with all the relevant points on it. There will be always be an argument as to how relevant all this is, but you get the idea.
- Pay is generally bad. Not until you're in the left seat of a turbo prop do you really face the prospect of being payed anything approaching livable.
- More difficult to get a job in a major city.
I always wanted to pursue both forms when I started out. So I started in instructing, moved through and ticked all the boxes then transferred over to charter starting on a little piston twin and working my way up to the left seat of a > 5700kg turbo prop. I feel richer for having done both, however I acknowledge that the people who started at the same time as me, but avoided instructing, all progressed into a big plane much faster than I did.
All the above is my opinion only. Good luck with your decision.
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Why just limit the Choices to Charter and Instructing? Its a very narrow minded take on aviation. Last time I looked there are a lot more different types of flying out there you can do and most pay better than both these options.....just a thought
customer can't see you today, out comes the phone, WAC/ERC/GPS 
and see someone else.
Add working for a private company to the list, can be more exciting than flying darwin-snake bay-darwin 5 times a day, or OEN-JAB-OEN 10 times a day (NT pilots will get the references)
Remember, there are alot of other options to get a good career in aviation besides circuit bashing or charter like Ag, Survey, Spotting, Photography, Private companies (i'm a CPL working for a private company, as a private operation) Freight just to name a few, and the pay can be much better
and see someone else.Add working for a private company to the list, can be more exciting than flying darwin-snake bay-darwin 5 times a day, or OEN-JAB-OEN 10 times a day (NT pilots will get the references)
Remember, there are alot of other options to get a good career in aviation besides circuit bashing or charter like Ag, Survey, Spotting, Photography, Private companies (i'm a CPL working for a private company, as a private operation) Freight just to name a few, and the pay can be much better
Aussie Nick,
What sort of experience are the 'private companies' usually looking at? The ones I have seen are all operating at least a 208 all the way up to business jets, which isn't exactly entry level jobs (unless you are lucky as pointed out earlier).
What sort of experience are the 'private companies' usually looking at? The ones I have seen are all operating at least a 208 all the way up to business jets, which isn't exactly entry level jobs (unless you are lucky as pointed out earlier).
depends on what you definition of private is I guess.
I fly a lance and got the job with 320tt. You can find private companies that fly anything from 182's, 206 & 210s, Lance's some piston twins (CSG in darwin run a few lances along with a Partanavia and a jet) right up to corporate jets.
Generally with these companies you'll be required to do more than just fly. I am a representative for the company as well as the pilot, therefore when I'm not flying I also deal with customers etc. Hours may not be as good as charter but the cash and conditions, plus not having to deal with the myriad of egos that exist when you first start out in GA more than make up for it.
These companies don't generally advertise on AFAP or in the paper etc but can rely alot on word of mouth, but if you ask around, do a few CASA register searches the information isn't hard to find
I fly a lance and got the job with 320tt. You can find private companies that fly anything from 182's, 206 & 210s, Lance's some piston twins (CSG in darwin run a few lances along with a Partanavia and a jet) right up to corporate jets.
Generally with these companies you'll be required to do more than just fly. I am a representative for the company as well as the pilot, therefore when I'm not flying I also deal with customers etc. Hours may not be as good as charter but the cash and conditions, plus not having to deal with the myriad of egos that exist when you first start out in GA more than make up for it.
These companies don't generally advertise on AFAP or in the paper etc but can rely alot on word of mouth, but if you ask around, do a few CASA register searches the information isn't hard to find
Having done both I would recommend Charter. More fun, you get to see more places (albeit they may not be exactly tourist quality) and once you get onto a proper charter mob (not just laps around the bungles/ wackadoo) then the cleaning of aircraft becomes a once a week thing with a quick vacuum after each flight. You will end up on larger faster aircraft within a year and twins shortly after that. Yes the hours (Working, not flight) are no where near as good as instructing, however if you want to build night hours then you have to fly at night. If you want to build IF time then you have to fly when the weather is a poor.
I found that charter work made me far more independent as a pilot than instructing. As an instructor you tend not to drift to far from known routes and training areas, most of the problems you encounter you can ask your CFI about and pick up advise, with charter you have to make all the calls yourself, often with only cursory advise from the ever busy CP.
I also found that charter enabled better connections in the industry, you may run into a fellow pilot out in the middle of nowhere who informs you of a twin job up for grabs, or you help out a stranded pilot only to run into them 4 years later at your airline interview.
Yes charter was harder then instructing, but it was worth the extra effort. Yes it often included VERY early starts with late finishes but that's how you fit an 8+hr flying day in.
I found that charter work made me far more independent as a pilot than instructing. As an instructor you tend not to drift to far from known routes and training areas, most of the problems you encounter you can ask your CFI about and pick up advise, with charter you have to make all the calls yourself, often with only cursory advise from the ever busy CP.
I also found that charter enabled better connections in the industry, you may run into a fellow pilot out in the middle of nowhere who informs you of a twin job up for grabs, or you help out a stranded pilot only to run into them 4 years later at your airline interview.
Yes charter was harder then instructing, but it was worth the extra effort. Yes it often included VERY early starts with late finishes but that's how you fit an 8+hr flying day in.
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Do both, you need the experience. after you hour build with abinitio move into advanced multi ifr training....great reward. Do charter when it comes up.
We used to do instructing all day and the mail all night.... pax carrying charter to remote islands on week ends. LHI NFI
We used to do instructing all day and the mail all night.... pax carrying charter to remote islands on week ends. LHI NFI
Having done both, I found instructing the most rewarding and enjoyable by a long stretch.
It makes the world of difference who you work for, not just financially, in fact not even financially, more the type of instructing available and other life style issues. I worked 5 days a week with the same 2 days off a week, I could plan and enjoy life. I did this on a fixed salary. (above award) I flew all around Australia in all sorts of aircraft.
I was fortunate enough to be able to instruct abinitio, PPL, CPL, instructor ratings, Aero's formation flying, CIR's, and also do some charter work for a friend in Barons chieftains and aero commanders. On weekends I had the opportunity to tow banners over Sydney and the Central Coast. All this was part of my job as an instructor.
Instructing is far more than "circuit bashing", those comments come from people who have either never been an instructor or worked for a sausage factory, or possibly just have a tiny penis I suspect.
The comments that suggest an instructor simply sits and watches the student day in day out without flying the aircraft them selves are also naive.
land a job with a good school and it can be the best job, (money doesn't allow it to be a career unfortunately.)
Charter
It can be fun too, depends on who you work for again.
Most charter tends to have a fair bit of time sitting on your bum in remote places. The aircraft maybe faster if thats what blows your hair back. Speed just determines how far you go rather than make a trip shorter in a lot of cases. i.e. if a customer wants to go from Brisbane to Brirdsville, they are unlikely to hire a C210, (too slow) if the want to fly from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, speed doesn't really matter.
If your lucky you may get a charter job that runs more like RPT, i.e. fly passengers to a destination, drop them off and pick up another bunch and fly them home or even better, come home empty. im sure you get the idea.
Survey work can be fun, generally long hours in straight lines, again long periods away from home.
Charter is more a means to an ends, its not at all career orientated.
Then you have airlines.
Well that used to be the end goal due to $$$$ and lifestyle. Thats changing of
course.
If you are lucky enough to land a job with any of the airlines, the money is better, the life-stye is better, the flying in general, well from my perspective is boring as bat ****. I can't wait for retirement. It (airlines) simply allows you to live better away from work.
It makes the world of difference who you work for, not just financially, in fact not even financially, more the type of instructing available and other life style issues. I worked 5 days a week with the same 2 days off a week, I could plan and enjoy life. I did this on a fixed salary. (above award) I flew all around Australia in all sorts of aircraft.
I was fortunate enough to be able to instruct abinitio, PPL, CPL, instructor ratings, Aero's formation flying, CIR's, and also do some charter work for a friend in Barons chieftains and aero commanders. On weekends I had the opportunity to tow banners over Sydney and the Central Coast. All this was part of my job as an instructor.
Instructing is far more than "circuit bashing", those comments come from people who have either never been an instructor or worked for a sausage factory, or possibly just have a tiny penis I suspect.
The comments that suggest an instructor simply sits and watches the student day in day out without flying the aircraft them selves are also naive.
land a job with a good school and it can be the best job, (money doesn't allow it to be a career unfortunately.)
Charter
It can be fun too, depends on who you work for again.
Most charter tends to have a fair bit of time sitting on your bum in remote places. The aircraft maybe faster if thats what blows your hair back. Speed just determines how far you go rather than make a trip shorter in a lot of cases. i.e. if a customer wants to go from Brisbane to Brirdsville, they are unlikely to hire a C210, (too slow) if the want to fly from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, speed doesn't really matter.
If your lucky you may get a charter job that runs more like RPT, i.e. fly passengers to a destination, drop them off and pick up another bunch and fly them home or even better, come home empty. im sure you get the idea.
Survey work can be fun, generally long hours in straight lines, again long periods away from home.
Charter is more a means to an ends, its not at all career orientated.
Then you have airlines.
Well that used to be the end goal due to $$$$ and lifestyle. Thats changing of
course.
If you are lucky enough to land a job with any of the airlines, the money is better, the life-stye is better, the flying in general, well from my perspective is boring as bat ****. I can't wait for retirement. It (airlines) simply allows you to live better away from work.
Last edited by RENURPP; 17th Apr 2011 at 06:19.
Instructing is far more than "circuit bashing", those comments come from people who have either never been an instructor or worked for a sausage factory, or possibly just have a tiny penis I suspect.
The comments that suggest an instructor simply sits and watches the student day in day out without flying the aircraft them selves are also naive.
The comments that suggest an instructor simply sits and watches the student day in day out without flying the aircraft them selves are also naive.
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Thanks for the posts, especially das Uber soldier and renurpp.
Interesting points das uber, especially the ones in bold.
Instructing Pros:
- Good hours. Rarely start before 6, no 16 hour days etc.
- Often good people company. I fly boxes around these days so I pass my fellow employees like ships in the night. In contrast I still regularly socialize with my old instructor mates.
- 'You don't have to go'. Ill get to what that means in a bit.
- Can be good pay. Starts out bad, but I ramped up to 60K within the first 2 years, which is fine. Not many people in a chieftan making 60K.
- Rewarding - Sending a good kid first solo, watching them knock over flight tests, very rewarding. You form real friendships with these people. I still talk to so many to this day.
- The best place to develop your knowledge of Aviation. Provided you're not a slack ass, by going over the theory so often, teaching it in on the ground and in the air, you'll have an excellent handle on all things theory. Things that draw the blankest of blank faces on many low time charter pilots.
- Flyaways! Sounds stupid but the ability to just decide you want to go place X for the weekend, Hamilton Island or something, is fantastic. Students love it and you can have some magic experiences.
- Planes slightly less likely to kill you. This is in my experience only though, I assume there will be instructors who tell you that at place X the planes are pretty bad. I suppose investigate this before you start.
- Good hours. Rarely start before 6, no 16 hour days etc.
- Often good people company. I fly boxes around these days so I pass my fellow employees like ships in the night. In contrast I still regularly socialize with my old instructor mates.
- 'You don't have to go'. Ill get to what that means in a bit.
- Can be good pay. Starts out bad, but I ramped up to 60K within the first 2 years, which is fine. Not many people in a chieftan making 60K.
- Rewarding - Sending a good kid first solo, watching them knock over flight tests, very rewarding. You form real friendships with these people. I still talk to so many to this day.
- The best place to develop your knowledge of Aviation. Provided you're not a slack ass, by going over the theory so often, teaching it in on the ground and in the air, you'll have an excellent handle on all things theory. Things that draw the blankest of blank faces on many low time charter pilots.
- Flyaways! Sounds stupid but the ability to just decide you want to go place X for the weekend, Hamilton Island or something, is fantastic. Students love it and you can have some magic experiences.
- Planes slightly less likely to kill you. This is in my experience only though, I assume there will be instructors who tell you that at place X the planes are pretty bad. I suppose investigate this before you start.
das Uber Soldat asked - Where exactly in this thread has any of that been suggested?
1. Remember, there are alot of other options to get a good career in aviation besides circuit bashing or charter
16th Apr 2011, 02:29 #11 (permalink)
AussieNick
AussieNick
15th Apr 2011, 19:31 #5 (permalink)
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