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-   -   Is the UK flight instructor industry heading for crisis? (https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/656439-uk-flight-instructor-industry-heading-crisis.html)

Hughes500 8th Jan 2024 06:34

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 8th Jan 2024 06:46


Originally Posted by Shahad (Post 11570672)
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 8th Jan 2024 09:14

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

hargreaves99 8th Jan 2024 09:36

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 (Post 11571191)
Out of interest, how many helicopter CFI's are there in the UK ?


Hughes500 8th Jan 2024 16:41

Must be more than 20 schools surely ?

hargreaves99 8th Jan 2024 17:03

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

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....fca1508c7f.jpg



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....119856093c.jpg


jeepys 8th Jan 2024 18:50


Originally Posted by hargreaves99 (Post 11571207)
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 8th Jan 2024 19:04

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

hargreaves99 8th Jan 2024 20:30

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 (Post 11571639)

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 15th Jan 2024 19:22


Originally Posted by Forest4ever (Post 11559235)
....I paid £24K on R44 last year

Did that include the R44 Type Rating?

Fark'n'ell 16th Jan 2024 06:09

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

Forest4ever 23rd Jan 2024 18:42

…no already had R44 TR..

HeliMannUK 23rd Jan 2024 19:33


Originally Posted by hargreaves99 (Post 11571207)

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.
​​

Shahad 23rd Jan 2024 19:56


Originally Posted by HeliMannUK (Post 11581976)
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?

hargreaves99 23rd Jan 2024 20:04


Originally Posted by Shahad (Post 11581988)
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 (Post 11559154)
Flight instructor pay is stuck where it was 15-20 years ago (£45-£55 per flight hour)...





HeliMannUK 24th Jan 2024 07:42


Originally Posted by Shahad (Post 11581988)
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!

hargreaves99 24th Jan 2024 08:40

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.




johni 12th Apr 2024 10:16

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

FloaterNorthWest 12th Apr 2024 12:04


Originally Posted by johni (Post 11633896)
I hear the main guy at the CAA is leaving, the chap responsible for the "new regime" of FI testing

He is

staticsource 12th Apr 2024 19:33


Originally Posted by johni (Post 11633896)
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?


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