Flight Instructing in the UK
 

How many hours do you helicopter flight instruct in a calendar year at a PPL school in the UK. Are there any months where the weather does keeps the hours down?

well thats like saying how long is a piece of string, it depends on many factors i.e. your position in the food chain, how busy the school is, how long are the opening hours of the airfield, and what the weather is like.

my own experience was that shortly after the millenium, I did as much as 75 hours a month in june, july august, which could fall to 15 in december, january.

but i suspect peoples personal experiences vary greatly.

regards

CF

I'd say... full-time, a yearly average would be 500 hours.

I'd agree with heli-man, unfortunately in the "current climate" I am afraid to say HALF that is more realistic :ugh::{

Do FI's usually get paid by the hours flown or a basic + hours flown (so there is damage limitation in winter months?)

Appreciate it will vary by school, but what is the average?

£45-£50 per FLIGHT hour. Maybe get a little bit for groundschool/briefings, but unlikely.

You might get a small monthly retainer (£200 per month?), but for that you will probably have to be there 8am-6pm everyday, regardless of if you are flying or not, to wash helicopters/answer phones/do paperwork/drum up business/push aircraft around/insert detail of exploitative task here.

I agree with heli-man that 500 hours constitute "full time" and also with tony1969 that in the current climate that would be a good figure.

back then I got £40 per hour flight pay only no basic, and I am told the current equivalent is £45-£50.

we are not talking a proper salary here, 500 hours is actually far more tiring and time hungry (did i mention you can kiss all your weekends goodbye) than 500 north sea hours, simply due to the number of rotations, with each flight being an avergage of probably 0.8

£25k if you work like a dog i reckon, what a rubbish industry and fixed wing is way worse for instructing.

CF

That is seriously pants - no wonder so many FI's end up doing part time painting / plumbing and anything else they can get their hands on......:ugh:

Back in the day I did manage 700hrs one year! Average was more like 500 though, the most I could earn was £50 p/h but that was only for Commercial courses the rest of the time it was £40 and I think that it is still representative today.
I agree with Freddie you'll always be at work, days off were when the weather was poor,but it basically had to be on the deck not to be able to something. It was hard work but I was glad of it and wanted to do the hours. If I hadn't then I'm sure I wouldn't have got into the so called 'proper job'.
I would say £25 - £30ish K would be fair for an average amount of Instructional work, to earn more you'd need to be an examiner! They rake it in!;)

August was always poor, everyone on holiday, Jan and Feb the weather and Skiing holidays also slowed things down a bit.

fly for ??
 

This Examiner who does not 'rake it in' was told by client that a school up North has been able to recruit a 'I'll fly for hours only' Instructor.
Can anyone verify ??
Sad day if true that a school has such a downturn it has to run on 'charity'
On a separate note what should an Examiner charge?

Up and Away,

How far north are you talking?
If someone is working for nowt then he's doing nobody any favours least of all himself and if your asking how much for an examiner, then that's probably why your not 'raking it in', as for how much you should be charging I have no idea as I never reached the lofty heights of examiner, but I will try and find out from some of my richer friends who did...how's that?;)

Have been updated: told he is only flying for nowt at the moment to pay back costs. That sounds better:rolleyes:

thats what I did. Its a sensible way to get your ticket without forking out a load of brass up front.

what sort of numbers of tests do examiners do each year?

anyone dares to PM me where one could get FI(H) rating paid for by future instructing at that said school? That sounds great for someone completely broke, having used up all the possible loans and own savings etc. I'm far from having finished, but it'd be nice to know.

Up and Away,

I've been informed that the fee is £200 per test for an FE.

I think you need 1,000 hours to be an FE, and you also need to be approved by the CAA and the school needs to "apply" to the CAA and justify why they need you as an FE. If there are already FEs in that area, then you might not get it.

Out of curiosity - Do FI's who are paid by the flying hour get anything for hours when their students fly solo and they are still required to supervise / be responsible for them? (Getting ready to be laughed at for asking such a stupid question and suspect i know what the answer will be).

I seem to recall its not the school who applies its the potential examiner, if the geographical need cannot be satisified just ask for somewhere else.

Bardweller

I always was, why would you not be ? The guy is flying with your approval and its you who will be examined if anything should happen to him or her ?

GS

Yes, you get paid when you send a student solo. BUT... it varies from school to school. For instance.. Cabair pay their FIs £10 per hour when they send a student solo (yet they charge the student full dual rate), and Cabair pay their FIs £5.73 (minimum wage) for groundschool.

Shame on them.

But then if they find highly skilled staff willing to work for such laughable remuneration...

TT