CFI's at 50K to 75K per year!

[UndauntedFlyer]

Today I talked to the Director of a large university flight program. He said recent staff meetings have focused on the CFI shortage. It seems the school is no longer able to hire CFI's for their usual fast-food worker wages. They don’t' know what to do, they say they have no answer except to now consider closing down the program. What?

Are they kidding? I said that maybe now is the time to consider hiring CFI's who want to be real professionals, real full time teachers who won't leave when they get an airline job. Of course I told them they'll have to pay 50K to 75K per year just like they have to pay the other college instructors.

This will be the final out come and it's just starting now. If you like to teach, get ready for a pay raise. Don't settle for starvation wages. You're in the driver’s seat.

 

[Princedietrich]

Dang, for that kind of coin I might consider getting back into teaching. If they'd throw in university faculty benefits as well, I'd be all over that like ugly on an ape. I can think of several ways that I'd like to abuse a free tuition bennie.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

Dang, for that kind of coin I might consider getting back into teaching. If they'd throw in university faculty benefits as well, I'd be all over that like ugly on an ape. I can think of several ways that I'd like to abuse a free tuition bennie.

I saw an ad for something like this in TAP recently. Check it out and follow those ads. Instructing is fun and can be a nice way to make a living if it's in the right environment.

With the coming changes in the industry the costs are doubling and will triple to quadruple in the next few years.

Just think, it was just 2 or 3-years ago that training airplanes like a 172 were $55 an hour, while now they are $125 or more in some places. When new Cessna 172’s cost over 200K, these are what the costs have to be.

It won't be long until CFI charges will be $100 per hour for dual. I know a CFI who does free lance and charges that much. He mainly teaches in TAA equipment but still charges the same for 172's. He has plenty of business.

All of this means that fewer and fewer pilots will be learning to fly except at the Universities for those interested in careers. The great pilot shortage is finally here and it will only get more severe. There will always be the attraction of majoring in aviation. It will be super expensive but that's the way it is. People will still pay what they have to pay to pursue the dream.

 

[rumpletumbler]

That would be great as I'm just trying to get into teaching.

There are some places that pay 50K now in Arizona/California.

I'm in Georgia though and need to stay here for my child.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

There are some places that pay 50K now in Arizona/California.

These salaries will be more and more common. The graduates of the University programs just takeoff right away now for the Regionals. There are no CFI's unless the pay is there.

The only way colleges are going to get cheap CFI help is if they can get new students through the program in 2-years so the new CFI can stay on for 2 more years. Right now most of the colleges take forever to get people through their programs, dragging things out for 3 or 4 years. Now there will be a new incentive to accelerate their training time from student to CFI.

 

[Princedietrich]

Ain't that the truth. I've seen several programs where the students don't even SEE an airplane for the first 2 years of a 4 year degree.

The schools that are doing it properly are the ones that get you in an airplane early in the first year, hopefully up to CFI the end of the 2nd or beginning of the 3rd, and teaching while finishing off the degree. Good way to build time and gain some experience before hitting the "real world."