Any Suggestions?

[ksus]

Get your CFI ratings!! And learn along with your students,
it's a great satisfied experience, that you will always cherish.
It will be kind of hard to explain to a future employer
why did you had to buy your job!!! To build time!!!

 

[flx757]

Having been around the block a time or two, my advice would be to do what would build your experience, not just build time. Obviously, everything fluctuates with supply and demand, but all things being equal, the quality of the experience is more important than just the number of hours. Someone with an instructing background has a much better grasp of the big picture than someone that has schmoozed a few rides in the right seat of a jet. (How much quality time would that be??? Talking on the radio and working the gear...maybe....). There are other ways to build time...traffic watch, banner tow, even buying into one of those SIC deals....but as an instructor you will not only be building time, but you will be continually learning and gaining experience in the REAL real world of ATC, instrument flying, FARs, etc. I would not even consider not getting my CFI.

By the way, throughout my career, in everything from C152s to Metros to Dash 8s to 757s, I have continued to instruct. It's by far the best way to continue to learn.

 

[JOHN LA HAYE]

FROM THE FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH PILE.

I USED TO THINK THAT I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE GOTTEN BY WITHOUT GETTING A CFI. I WAS ABLE TO BUILD TIME DOING TRAFFIC WATCH AND VFR 135 TYPE STUFF. THEN THE DOORS OPENED FOR ME.
NOW MANY YEARS AND HOURS LATER. I AM WISHING THAT I HAD GOTTEN THE CFI,II,MEI TICKETS. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK FOR THE FEARED FEDS. I JUST SHIVER AT THE THOUGHT OF SHOWING UP AT SOME FORMER EMPLOYERS WITH THAT FAA ID.
BUT IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN WITHOUT THE CFI.

GET THE TICKET, YOU CAN BUILD TIME AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB WITHOUT PAYING. THE SHORT ROAD DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THE SHORTEST TRIP.

 

[buckdanny]

Hey flyboy,

I will repeat what everybody else said here, get you CFI, CFII and MEI. I'm going to start working on the MEI soon and I can't wait for that. You will love it, and it is true that it is the best way to learn instrument skills. Personally I feel that I'm learning more shooting an ILS in a 172 down to minimums talking my student through it. More than if I were doing it on the right seat of a jet with autopilot in approach mode talking on the radio and be thankfull to the captain for leting me lower the gear! Or better than taking skydivers up or towing baners..

Another 2 things about instructors, one being the most important: it teached you how to COMMUNICATE. And i've heard it from senior airline pilots; CFIs communicate better in the cockpit. This relates to CRM and safety, and it's something the pilots on the interview board will look for. The second thing is the pilots at the interview: many of them will have paid their dues by being CFIs, do they want to hear about a pilot who had money and bought his flight time? Probably not. Put yourself in the skin of a recruiter, you have 2 candidates: 1) I towed baners. 2) I tought instrument approaches down to minumes and multi engine procedures. Who gets the job? Think about all the competition right now, airlines aren't desperate to hire anyone...

To finish with the subject, you will have to work your butt off during initial training at the airlines, and the more CFI tickets you have, the more proof you have that you can handle it. It's more than a FAA ticket; it's a ticket that says on it "I'm a hard worker and I can handle it," plus it will give you more things to talk about at the interview when asked about your previous experience.

Alex