Almost finished with CFI......

[mpflies2]

Well, I'm new to flightinfo.com, and was hoping you guys could give me some POSITIVE feedback.....haha, anyways, I'm hopefully less than a month away from getting my CFI at Flight Safety in Vero Beach FL. I know, i know...expensive yatta yatta, well I didnt do most of my training here. I got my ratings at Averett University while getting an BS: Aerospace Manangement: Flight Ops degree. I currently hold my commercial ASEL, AMEL instrument ratings and have 327TT and 12 multi...i know its sad.

I guess my dilemma here is the fact that yes I will have a CFI...and I don't think I'd mind teaching to much...but on the other hand, I've been flying for over 5 years now and I'm tired of flying warriors and arrows. I really am anxious to move on to the next level. Guess I feel like its my turn, but I'm wondering if theres any jobs that will build good multi time that can get me into the door of a company flying something the size of a king air or jet of any sort. I want to ultimately go corporate, but was thinking cargo could be awesome too....since its fun flying and better job security.

Does anyone know of any jobs that can keep flight instructing to a minimum, or none at all, or do I just not have the hours?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

BTW, i'm young (21) and single, so I've got nothing holding me back. I'm willing to move pretty much anywhere, though currently I am located in FL.

 

[FlyinFife]

First of all, you don't need to make an excuse for yourself regarding where you do any of your flight training. Second, your only realistic option to build the hours you need to move on to another job is flight instructing. Other options include: traffic watch, flying skydivers, flying the pipeline, etc. No matter where you decide to go, you are going to be restricted by a required minimum of hours. If you really, really, really don't want to instruct then don't do it. If you do instruct, give it your best, have fun, and most of all do the best that you can so you don't short change your students. Good luck!

 

[Whirlwind]

There are options other than teaching, and if you don't want to teach, then please don't.

That being said, while I wasn't sure that I wanted to, I'm glad I did. Made me a much better pilot, much more aware of what is going on with the aircraft.

Almost 1,500 hours of teaching later, I'm glad I'm not doing it anymore, but it was something totally worth doing.

There are other options, such as FlyinFife suggested, and nothing is wrong with going that route. You'll have to hunt for those jobs, since a number of people want them.

 

[mpflies2]

First of all, you don't need to make an excuse for yourself regarding where you do any of your flight training. Second, your only realistic option to build the hours you need to move on to another job is flight instructing. Other options include: traffic watch, flying skydivers, flying the pipeline, etc. No matter where you decide to go, you are going to be restricted by a required minimum of hours. If you really, really, really don't want to instruct then don't do it. If you do instruct, give it your best, have fun, and most of all do the best that you can so you don't short change your students. Good luck!

Ya i def. agree, with the flight instructing part. I'm not someone who will take it out on students. Like I said I will instruct, but if I could skip it I would. I always give my best with whatever I'm doing, so instructing will be no different.

As for the part of making excuses....I've just read quite a few people bash different flight schools for different reasons, flight safety being one of them...on this and many other forums. I do however enjoy it here at flight safety...not the money aspect, but the quality of training in the CFI program is phenomenal in comparison to other places I looked into.

thanks for the reply

 

[Wyatt]

Well, I'm new to flightinfo.com, and was hoping you guys could give me some POSITIVE feedback.....

BTW, i'm young (21) and single, so I've got nothing holding me back. I'm willing to move pretty much anywhere, though currently I am located in FL.

Congrats, good luck, have fun, and do yourself a favor...DONT GET MARRIED!

 

[mpflies2]

Many, many of the instructors at DCA were only "building time" to fulfill their contracts and get out of the $10/hr lifestyle and get on with a better, but still very low paying, FO job with "brand X" regional. Heard similar stories from friends and acquaintances that went to other large academy type flight schools as well...

Flight instructors with poor attitudes who just want to "build time" are doing their students a huge disservice. Sometimes to the point that the student gives up and leaves for another flight training route. Or decide the $$$ isn't worth it and, sadly, abandon their flying dreams altogether.

Saw that too many times at DCA...

At least FSA pays instructors 15 an hour ground and flight plus benefits...though i did hear rumor they were trying to cut benefits back.

Don't worry, I wont be short changing anyone. I still love flying even if it is in a cadet...Yes I am doing it to build time....who itsnt....but I want to better the aviation community by putting out students who make safe decisions on there own...I'd like to say I had a hand in that. I think I also have an advantage over many other instructors here as well though. By having a four year degree, and flown part 61, and a 141 school with completly different beliefs and methods, I feel I know how to adapt to different training environments and am a more well rounded pilot. I have seen and done many tihngs that one would never see who did their training at one single school.

Thanks for the input on that one

 

[wxman]

I would mostly agree with the previous posts.

I did not think that I wanted to instruct either... which is why it took me three years to finally get my CFI done. However, after I finally did it, and started instructing full-time, I really found that I enjoyed it! That is why I ended up teaching for nearly eight years. I learned a heck of a lot, made a lot of good friends, and developed a reputation as a respected CFI. Meanwhile, I got my CFII and MEI and was given a chance to build multi time. Even got an opportunity to fly an Arrow to Alaska and back (that was some of the best flight time I will ever get!).

You might want to consider getting a CFI job in a different part of the country than where you've done most of your flying. It would be great experience, and might give you a chance to find some other flying opportunities.

Best of luck. As everyone else said... whatever you do, do the best job that you can. You'll get out of it only as much as you put in.

 

[mpflies2]

I would mostly agree with the previous posts.

I did not think that I wanted to instruct either... which is why it took me three years to finally get my CFI done. However, after I finally did it, and started instructing full-time, I really found that I enjoyed it! That is why I ended up teaching for nearly eight years. I learned a heck of a lot, made a lot of good friends, and developed a reputation as a respected CFI. Meanwhile, I got my CFII and MEI and was given a chance to build multi time. Even got an opportunity to fly an Arrow to Alaska and back (that was some of the best flight time I will ever get!).

You might want to consider getting a CFI job in a different part of the country than where you've done most of your flying. It would be great experience, and might give you a chance to find some other flying opportunities.

Best of luck. As everyone else said... whatever you do, do the best job that you can. You'll get out of it only as much as you put in.

Good stuff...ya I've actually only been flying in FL for 3 months now and havent left the vicinity of VRB. I flew the other 4 and a half years in VA...so i'm looking forward to getting some x-cnty time and seeing fl. from the skies

 

[Kingair1181]

I never earned my CFI and right now I am at 650 TT with around 220 multi. Almost all of my mutil time came from a flight school out in FL (Ari Ben) but the last 330 plus hours I have earned in the last 9 months flying random jobs - from working in Houston as a pilot relaying messages for helicopters off shore (the hurricanes knocked down all of the radio towers along the coast and I acted as a 12,000 ft radio tower), from flying safety pilot, to skydivers on the weekend, to just hanging out around the airport and getting to know a few people who let me sit right seat on a King Air for a few flights.... so yes, you can build time without flight instructing but you have to be willing to move literally at the drop of a hat.

I was living in Dallas when I got a call from the guy in Houston who said the job was mine if I could be down there at 6 am the next morning. I literally threw what little I had into my car, drove down there and arrived with 2 hrs to spare! But I ended up flying over 200 hrs for him over the next 2 1/2 months and loved the job. I just got a job out in West Texas flying for a company who was kind enough to give me 2 1/2 weeks to get out there, but once again I have to pack up and move. The hardest part is actually finding a place to live for the short time I know I'll be at places.

Although I would love to be a CFI and get some instruction under my belt because I think it'd make me that much better of a pilot I just haven't had the money nor time to ever finish it. I did however have my share of flight instructors who never cared one way or another about teaching me so if you don't - please don't go into it. There are ways of earning a living flying (and yes I am actually somehow making ends meet but just barely) and not teaching but you just have to be very flexible.

 

[CaptO'Brien]

Hey Kingair how do you find all those random jobs? where are you puttin your resume?

if you get your CFI from one place how hard is it to get ajob at another place for your first CFI job?

thanks