FI with just a cpl?
 

Hi. First time poster

I'm currently training to be a pilot. I have a ppl and ATPL theory done. I was thinking of doing my CPL and then FI rating afterwards. And then Saving up for my IR. My question is what are the chances of getting an FI without an IR? Is it essential to have one? Also would it be essential to do an MEP rating before training to be a FI?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

You can do an FI on a PPL as long as you have the CPL theory completed, and have the required minimum hours. If you have ATPL theory and a CPL, and have met the minimum hours requirements, you will have more than met the criteria and can do the FI. You don't need MEP or IR to do so. Enjoy!

Thanks for the info. Really appreciate it.

Another quick question if you dont mind. I am looking at FI courses and it says I need 10 hours of instrument flight instruction. How would I go about getting this? Just show up my local flying club and ask for an instructor to come up with me to teach me so I can log it?

Cheers

If you do the FI ticket on the CPL then you have already got the 10 hours instrument time as part of the CPL training. Just another note to keep in mind, if you havent already, is the 3 year validity of your ATPL exams for the IR.

Thanks for that. And that time period starts from the last exam sitting doesn't it? So I finished mine in May 2012 which means I have until may 2015 to do it.

Yes 3 months from passing the last exam.

If you have a PPL then you already are a pilot...:}

I meant training to become a professional pilot......:rolleyes:

I went the route you are describing, did my CPL then FI, instructed for about a year before I completed my MEP and ME-IR and it all worked out really well.

Many of the people on my original course got their CPL-ME-IR and then sat on it for a year before giving up hope and getting an FI rating to build their hours, by which point I already had more than triple their flying time.

Instructing is great fun, and if you really want to teach and pass on your knowledge then it's the best place to be. If you're purely after the hours then look elsewhere, or you will get incredibly frustrated with the British weather.

Rtn11. I want to do exactly what you did. And I want to do it as I want to have experience of instructing but also to build hours. Are you still instructing or are you now at an airline?

So you think that investing in an FI was worth it? What was the pay like? Was it just pay for the hours flown? And how many hours did you do in a year?

In an airline now, picking up a bit of instruction on the side as and when I can, hoping to do a few night ratings this winter.

It is well worth it, I loved every flight, you get to meet some amazing people, you learn a lot about flying, how people learn and you learn a lot about yourself.

Pay is usually by the hour, you may find some small retainer deals, but the average pay will probably be the same. I averaged about 5-600 hours a year. average income around £15k gross, haven't done the full sums for this year yet though.

A question. If I have a cpl and FI rating does that mean I can teach cpl straight away? Or do I have to start by teaching ppl?

What are the job prospects like out there for a FI? Would I be able to get a job straight away. I'm guessing that might depend on how hard I look for a job.

Did you do instructing full time originally? Was the pay enough to live on?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to figure out my career path. And something like that needs to be carefully thought about.

You have to start with PPL instruction.

Once you have enough experience, you can teach the non-instrument part of the CPL, but you would need an IR, or IMC rating to instruct the full CPL course.

You get by. It's not amazing, and having a second job or a partner with a steady income helps. If you're able to negotiate something of a retainer then it makes the winter months more bearable, even if it means you don't earn quite as much in the summer. I think most deals average out to the same thing.

What are the job prospects like out there for flying instructors? What flying school did you work for?