Is the UK flight instructor industry heading for crisis?

[Hughes500]

no is the short answer , think of teaching someone to drive a car need to do it more often than over 30 weeks

[flight beyond sight]

Originally Posted by Shahad

Quick side questions for you knowledgeable folks, would I be able to carry out my FI rating part time e.g. 1 hour a week?

No school would accept you as it has to be a continuous course

[Sir Korsky]

Out of interest, how many helicopter CFI's are there in the UK ?

[PPRuNeUser469990]

It's hard to tell. As this also includes type rating instructors in VIP, Offshore, Police and HEMS roles.

At a rough guess...there are about 20 PPL/CPL schools in the uk (ie R22/R44/Cabri), so at an average of 4 instructors per school, that means about 80-100 instructors who are working?

Although I think there are more people who have the FI rating but don't use it, or it's expired.

Originally Posted by Sir Korsky

Out of interest, how many helicopter CFI's are there in the UK ?

[Hughes500]

Must be more than 20 schools surely ?

[PPRuNeUser469990]

Looks to be about 20, of course, some could have closed, and others don't do heli training (eg North Weald)

[jeepys]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

It's hard to tell. As this also includes type rating instructors in VIP, Offshore, Police and HEMS roles.

At a rough guess...there are about 20 PPL/CPL schools in the uk (ie R22/R44/Cabri), so at an average of 4 instructors per school, that means about 80-100 instructors who are working?

Although I think there are more people who have the FI rating but don't use it, or it's expired.

Does that include DTO's?
However many instructors are out there, I expect at least a third of them will be engaged in commercial work or doing it part time and therefore not full time instructors. It's more likely these guys will give it up if the going gets too tough.

[Hughes500]

Well my school isnt on the map ( 3 of us ) Glouscter airport has 3 schools there as an example

[PPRuNeUser469990]

Most of the FIs I know are part-time and have "real" jobs/pensions/rich spouses/other income, instructing is just a hobby for them, as full-time instructing very rarely pays enough to live on (unless you are single with cheap rent), especially in the South East of the UK

Originally Posted by jeepys

Does that include DTO's?
However many instructors are out there, I expect at least a third of them will be engaged in commercial work or doing it part time and therefore not full time instructors. It's more likely these guys will give it up if the going gets too tough.

[Shahad]

Originally Posted by Forest4ever

....I paid £24K on R44 last year

Did that include the R44 Type Rating?

[Fark'n'ell]

Hourly rate for an r22 is around 340.00 pounds here in NZ

[Forest4ever]

…no already had R44 TR..

[HeliMannUK]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

At a rough guess...there are about 20 PPL/CPL schools in the uk (ie R22/R44/Cabri), so at an average of 4 instructors per school, that means about 80-100 instructors who are working?

Although I think there are more people who have the FI rating but don't use it, or it's expired.

I've let mine expire due to job but I was the only instructor at 2 schools I used to work at. Also two other schools only have 1 instructor I know of. So maybe lower numbers than you first thought.
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[Shahad]

Originally Posted by HeliMannUK

I've let mine expire due to job but I was the only instructor at 2 schools I used to work at. Also two other schools only have 1 instructor I know of. So maybe lower numbers than you first thought.
​​

That's interesting, roughly how many hours would you fly per year? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the average rate per hour?

[PPRuNeUser469990]

Originally Posted by Shahad

That's interesting, roughly how many hours would you fly per year? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the average rate per hour?

.....

Originally Posted by johni

Flight instructor pay is stuck where it was 15-20 years ago (£45-£55 per flight hour)...

[HeliMannUK]

Originally Posted by Shahad

That's interesting, roughly how many hours would you fly per year? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the average rate per hour?

I think 200-400 hours without checking my logbook. I do remember £60 per hour with a £600 per month retainer. First ten hours a month was taken from the retainer!

[PPRuNeUser469990]

It looks like UK flight instruction pays about £20-£30k a year, if done full time. With very little progression to bigger/better things.

Offshore co-pilots start on £60k+. £100k+ once you get command.

Offshore companies don't care about R22 hours, they just want young people with a valid IR

This is why people are not becoming instructors.

[PPRuNeUser445748]

I hear the main guy at the CAA is leaving, the chap responsible for the "new regime" of FI testing

[FloaterNorthWest]

Originally Posted by johni

I hear the main guy at the CAA is leaving, the chap responsible for the "new regime" of FI testing

He is

[staticsource]

Originally Posted by johni

I hear the main guy at the CAA is leaving, the chap responsible for the "new regime" of FI testing

He didn’t mention anything last month when I renewed my FE with him?