1500 hr bill passes senate!!!

[NoJoy]

Exactly! I feel like I'm screwed because I busted my CFII ride more than once. In fact I really don't want to take a chance on going for more ratings in the event I do fail. Really brought my confidence down.

What!? Dude are you kidding me? The CFII is one of the easiest checkrides out there. Now the initial can be tough-and in the "old" days the failure rate was up to 80% I would get a different examiner if that was the case.

 

[texman]

All part 61 training here. Didn't see much of a difference from the instructional standpoint. But practical experience is everything. It dosent matter what school or if it is 61 or 141.

 

[difete]

I truly thought the bill was going to pass rest requirements increase and such. It seems what they have done wont affect the industry for a while. Think of this, right now we are expiriencing a stand still that has led lots of CFI's collecting lots of flight hours until getting hired by any regional. There are not that many hiring, and we have lots of pilots still on furlough.

Again I think the "industry" stepped in, and managed to delay the issues that affects "them", such as increasing rest requirements. If any ruling by the FAA is to pass in the future about rest, I surely hope "wages" are taken into account, as the more rest we get, the less pay we earn.

With a raise in rest, I hope an equally mandatory raise in pay rate should be made to start the ruling. I am all about safety, but I dont come to work just to see sunsets and enjoy the clouds... I have a family and a life to live outside the flightdeck, and pay is the only thing making that life posible.

 

[gringo]

Exactly! I feel like I'm screwed because I busted my CFII ride more than once. In fact I really don't want to take a chance on going for more ratings in the event I do fail. Really brought my confidence down.

Lynxman, don't sweat it too much. I failed 3 checkrides (all Part 61) and it did not slow me down one bit.

As long as you can demonstrate that you've learned something from your previous mistakes, it's unlikely anyone will even care.

In fact, thinking back to my 5 interviews, I don't think I've EVER been asked about failed checkrides... especially the Part 61 ones.

Now, if you have a history of failing 121 rides, on the other hand, THAT stuff will tend to stick with you far longer...

What I'm saying is, you're not the first person to fail a checkride, and not the last. Most people fail 1, 2, even 3 in their careers.

Keep your head up and fly right, you'll do fine.

 

[Lynxman]

My CFII was my initial still don't have the ticket either. Failure rate at my FSDO was 90% for initial applicants.

 

[buscap]

Lynxman, don't sweat it too much. I failed 3 checkrides (all Part 61) and it did not slow me down one bit.

As long as you can demonstrate that you've learned something from your previous mistakes, it's unlikely anyone will even care.

In fact, thinking back to my 5 interviews, I don't think I've EVER been asked about failed checkrides... especially the Part 61 ones.

Now, if you have a history of failing 121 rides, on the other hand, THAT stuff will tend to stick with you far longer...

What I'm saying is, you're not the first person to fail a checkride, and not the last. Most people fail 1, 2, even 3 in their careers.

Keep your head up and fly right, you'll do fine.

I hope you're right, but all that was before Colgan in Buffalo. No airline will want to be next on CNN explaining why they hired someone with so many failed checkrides. This law will have an effect on the issue of failed checkrides.

It's a shame, considering the large number of bitter idiots and money chasers out there giving part 61 rides.

 

[johnpeace]

I think we might have a misunderstanding about what "making money" means in this context. When I mean "making money," I mean making enough to make a decent living, perhaps support another person, and not eat ramen noodles. "Decent Living" isn't very ambiguous. The only people I know who made good money and a decent living as CFIs worked at established international academies geared towards foreign students. Those jobs aren't very easy to come by.

I instructed triple the time you did, so I don't think I'm the one who needs a self examination. I think you need to get off your high horse.

I was making about $2800-3200/month + bonueses as a CFI.

We live in Georgia, living expenses are low, it seemed like 'decent money' to me. I have a wife and 3 kids and we never ate ramen noodles.

It was over twice as much as first year pay at ASA. In fact, I don't even think 2nd year pay at ASA is going to bring me back to that earnings level.

The problem is that I was pretty much maxed out. I didn't have more hours in the month that I could instruct...my rate could maybe have gone up a little, but that wouldn't have made that big a difference and it would have required me making a commitment to flight instruction that I didn't really want to make.

I know CFIs/DPEs who bill themselves out at over $100/hour and have no problem staying busy. There's a reason people are willing to pay over $100/hr for instruction...it's because it's 3x as good and productive as mediocre instruction.

That tells me that if you can't command $100/hr, there's room to grow and get better...and that theres a market out there that'll pay you that.

So, if it's possible to bill at over $100/hr to give flight instruction...and the only thing you need to do is to know enough and be excellent enough to command that rate, isn't it simply a failure to do your best if you're making 'starving' wages as a CFI? Whether at marketing, instructing, improving your communication skills, selling flight instruction, etc...if you're 'starving' it's because of you...not the market.

 

[Mungusaurus]

Hmm, flying a Transport category airplane for an Airline requires one to have an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate!! What a novel idea!

The bypass from CFI straight to CRJ or ERJ or any other 20,000+ lb airplane is what went wrong. Gone are the days of CFI- Small Freight or similar job- Small Commuter (1900-J31 etc)- SAAB/Dash- Jet! These missing steps prepared a pilot for the additional loads/ stresses/ technology and are now all but gone. Save for a few Commuters out there. An "AVERAGE" civillian trained, 300 hr pilot does not have the experience or skill to step from the mighty 172 to an RJ. Its like going from a 50cc scooter to a GSXR1000; you might make it, but its gonna hurt!
:smash::bomb:

 

[Lynxman]

Something is going to have to change in the 135 world then. My flight school isn't dead; we are making money by having great instruction and we charge accordingly, but not nearly enough to fly more than a few hundred hours a year.

 

[surplus1]

My CFII was my initial still don't have the ticket either. Failure rate at my FSDO was 90% for initial applicants.

If the failure rate is in fact that high (90%) one of two things is wrong: 1) The quality of instruction being given is super poor, or 2) The examiner(s) are unreasonable. My advice is - figure out which one it is and then go someplace else.

Sometimes it is the student's fault but not when the failure rate is that high.