Flight Instructor Rating-Good or Bad?
I have another plan. I think I want to become a flight instructor. I think I can afford to do the course but how realistic are my job prospects? I know a few people at my local flight school but there doesn't seem to be too many jobs going. Anyway, how much does an FI make, someone told me £15 an hour, is this true? If it is that's great money and I'm in! If I do the course now I will be all ready to go in the busy summer season and I will be able to rake in the money and start paying off my loan. Anyone got any pointers for me?
I was chatting to an
I was chatting to an instructor at my flying club who suggested that now is the best time of the year to start your FI rating so you are ready for the summer season, as you suggest.
With regard to availability of jobs I would hazard a guess that it is fairly quiet at the moment, but again there may be seasonal work in the summer. Would be tricky to find a full time job, but doesn't mean they're not out there.
I really enjoyed my time as
I really enjoyed my time as an FI and it did build my hours and experience. I was lucky that I worked at a very busy flight school and I could teach 4 lesson a day every day. If you are somewhere quieter it will be much less. I was a salaried instructor so there was never any pressure to go flying unless it was worthwhile for the student.
If you can get £15 a hour thats ok but, it will only be for each airborne hour so I think you could reckon on 4 hours a day. That will only give you £300 a week if you fly for 5 days. Maybe less. So the money is not so great after all but you will be flying and that's got to be good.
Also, working at an airfield
Also, working at an airfield will give you the opportunity to meet other people in an around the industry for you to network with, and who knows where that could lead......
I'm afraid I'm a bit out of
I'm afraid I'm a bit out of touch on the income side but if you can survive on it I say go for it. My time as an instructor taught me many things, most of which I was already supposed to know because I held a CPL, right? Well there's passing an exam and there's understanding a subject, two completely different things. Having to teach a topic or demonstrate a technique is the best way of ensuring you know it properly. Experience as an instructor stays with you and stands you in good stead should you go into training later in your career. You'd be surprised how many times a good line trainer might identify fundamental errors in an experienced pilot.
Thank you for all the good
Thank you for all the good advice. I am a little worried that I won't earn enough money to live. Will I really only get £300 a week? That is poverty wages, how can I pay the rent and eat on that... Surely I get paid more than that?
I think it will be good experience like Jed said, maybe I should think of it as being a part of my career development. I guess it will be better than buying the CJ type rating I was thinking of.