DEN area CFI job/intel

[troy]

Anyone know anything about DEN area CFI intel? I'm figuring that the student/instructor ration would be fairly low, but looking for the scoop.

 

[wrxpilot]

I hear McAir has a lot of students (at BJC):
http://www.mcairaviation.com/home.htm

Are you thinking of moving to the area? I'm moving back there in March from south FL. Be nice to have mtns again...

 

[Comin-In-Hot]

Centennial (APA) is the apparently the second or third busiest Class D in the nation, with several schools. BJC is another good option. From what I hear though, the student loads are generally thinner now, than a few years ago. Good luck

 

[troy]

I'm looking at Star west, don't know when to move, will go for the right job. I have heard that It's hard to live there for a CFI. I too, want to get back to the mountains!!

 

[Knob]

Most flight schools in Denver hire from within (the students are usually hired as instructors). There are definately oppertunities out here but your gonna have to do some leg work. Good luck!

 

[midlifeflyer]

Most flight schools in Denver hire from within (the students are usually hired as instructors).

That's very true.

 

[troy]

Thanks, everyone.

 

[be-400xpdriver]

The two flight schools at APA are Aspen and Flight Inc. The both have about 30 or more airplanes. Aspen is a very good and proffesional club. Nice planes and a good owner. I dont know much about Flight Inc. but they are owned by Key Lime air which has a cargo/charter operation with navajos, metros, and lears. You can also try Front Range airport. It is east of Denver but a friend of mine had very good success with getting a job and getting a good student load.

 

[roundout]

I'm looking at Star west, don't know when to move, will go for the right job. I have heard that It's hard to live there for a CFI. I too, want to get back to the mountains!!

i freelance at starwest. the 172s are safe, but not much else. fine for private, commercial, CFI training. instrument training some of the planes have perpetually wonky nav radios. either that or i suck at tuning in the OBS. the arrow is very nice, and $50/hr cheaper than most in the area. the seminole is ugly but safe and inexpensive as well. the cadillac of the 172 fleet is having a 0-time engine put on it and will be a good instrument trainer when it hits the line.

front range is a LONG way from the city. it's tough to make a living here with the cost of living in this area. the other posters are spot-on. all the 141 schools hire their own grads and not many outsiders. all three were extremely rude to me for doing no more than expressing interest in teaching there. one particular school at BJC which starts with a "Mc" suddenly had time to talk to me when i told them i was considering getting my MEI there. i have student loans and i have to make enough money to pay the bills, so i've had to have a "real" job and try to teach on the side. i've been here for over a year and finally had to give up and take a job in another area. other instructors at starwest seem to do better than me. a couple of them go to metro and get students who are in aviation classes there.

shoot if you have more questions.

 

[wrxpilot]

shoot if you have more questions.

How much is the arrow?

 

[roundout]

i believe that with the latest price decrease (unlike other schools which raise rates when fuel goes up but then never lowers them, starwest adjusts rates both ways for gas) it's $108 or $112. all planes are $5-$10 cheaper with block time.

 

[wrxpilot]

i believe that with the latest price decrease (unlike other schools which raise rates when fuel goes up but then never lowers them, starwest adjusts rates both ways for gas) it's $108 or $112. all planes are $5-$10 cheaper with block time.

Thanks roundout,

Seems like a good deal. PM me your info if you don't mind, I may be interested in getting a high perf checkout with you this spring.

 

[Standby 1]

I used to fly for StarWest (freight) and used to instruct for the original flight school that became StarWest (AeroFlight). Although it's been quite a while (that Arrow was only $75 an hour when I was there!), it used to be a great place to work/fly. I don't know how much things have changed out there, but for what it's worth FTG was a great place with great pilots....but then again, we were all a bit out of control and trouble looking for a place to happen (does anyone still "ride the beacon" out there anymore?). If it's anything like it used to be, I highly encourage people to fly out of Front Range.

 

[pgcfii2002]

McNair Aviation (?) was hiring a little while back.

Check www.aopa.org there is a section for employment.

 

[roundout]

I used to fly for StarWest (freight) and used to instruct for the original flight school that became StarWest (AeroFlight). Although it's been quite a while (that Arrow was only $75 an hour when I was there!), it used to be a great place to work/fly. I don't know how much things have changed out there, but for what it's worth FTG was a great place with great pilots....but then again, we were all a bit out of control and trouble looking for a place to happen (does anyone still "ride the beacon" out there anymore?). If it's anything like it used to be, I highly encourage people to fly out of Front Range.

they put in a tower last spring. the hippies and ultralight guys still hang out there and do their thing, but it's a lot better than it used to be. still beats the hell out of centennial. i get from the ramp to the practice area in 10 minutes. sometimes at centennial i can't even get in a taxi request in the same 10 minutes.

starwest itself is still the best establishment on the field, bar none.

 

[troy]

Looks like all the CFI positions at Starwest are "contract". Have to bring in my own students. Don't think that's for me.

 

[Standby 1]

they put in a tower last spring. the hippies and ultralight guys still hang out there and do their thing, but it's a lot better than it used to be. still beats the hell out of centennial. i get from the ramp to the practice area in 10 minutes. sometimes at centennial i can't even get in a taxi request in the same 10 minutes.

starwest itself is still the best establishment on the field, bar none.

Wow, a control tower. Times are a changin'. As I recall, Denver was a very tight market for flying....used to be that you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting 10 out of work pilots. There were two flight schools on the field then - Action and AeroFlight and everyone was a contract cfi. I got lucky and was hired into a salaried position as chief instructor for AeroFlight and we later became StarWest when we acquired the Navajo's. Between the two flight schools there were a half-dozen of us who worked our arses off -- we were out there 7 days a week, answering phones, getting students and busting our butts. And man, did we fly...racking up close to 1000 hrs a year. I did a TON of mountain checkouts and lots of multi engine stuff because the Seminole was so cheap. Of course, it was also a mx nightmare at the time....I got used to coming back to the field on one engine.

But for those of us who put in the hard work, it paid off (in a dubious sense, if you consider working for any 121 carrier these days a pay off).

Is Shane still running the mx department? Neat guy -- his wife was one of my students. Walter (ex-Great Lakes) ran Action Aviation, but he left for Florida last time I heard. All in all, it was a great place to work and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

 

[roundout]

market is still the same in denver. tough to make a go of it.

shane is still the mx boss. that's one of the only reasons i fly there - like i said, the planes are safe. there's a third school on the field now, daedalus. they always seem busy. action is small but stoic. they have a mooney that rents for like $75 wet. i think that one airplane may keep their whole operation running.

 

[bustinmins]

Fellow Denver Pilots! OOORRAHHHH!

I would look into BJC and Centennial. BJC has several flight schools and a club or two. I am not that familiar with Centennial's opportunities as I live on the north side.

At BJC, you have McAir Aviation, Journey's, Western Air Flight Academy and flight club. Personally, I like the "feeling" of the others beside McAir but McAir does a healthy business. Since it is all about flight time and getting your rear into a seniority based system as soon as possible(assuming airlines), then go where the flying is abundant and push hard until you get it all lined up.

 

[ePilot22]

I flight instruct at Jeffo Airport and it's just like everyone else has said. I have also flown at many of the other flight schools. Star West is good, although the price of the seminole went up to $150/hour from $139/hour, but it does have an ADF and HSI (the seminole at my school does not!). There are also other airports depending on where you move. Up north has Boulder (1V5), Longmont (2V2), Erie-Tri County (48V), Fort Collins/Loveland (FNL) and Greely (GXY). There's not much south other than Centennial and then further south is Colorado Springs (COS).

KBJC:

www.journeysaviation.com

www.mcairaviation.com

www.westernairflightacademy.com

www.airwestflyingclub.com

KAPA:

www.flights-inc.com

Links to other flight schools at Centennial Airport

KFTG:

www.starwestaviation.us

www.actionaviationacademy.com

www.daedalusaviation.com


Good Luck.


Side Note: If you instruct at McAir you can have the cool call sign of "MCAIR 12345"!


eP.