Free instruction!!???

[shotgun172]

I just joined yesterday, and I was disgusted at what I found in the classified ads. There were three individuals offering their services as a pilot or instructor for free. We've all helped out a friend or co-worker in covering for them when they couldn't take a trip or fly with a student due to scheduling screw-ups or whatever. But to blatantly advertise your professional services for free is a disgrace to our profession. How can we expect to be paid and respected fairly when those among us undermine our efforts? Employment in this business has become bad enough, but choices like these will make it worse. Why should a business or individual hire a pilot or instructor when they can get some guy to do it for free? Every time some jerk does this he slits the throat of an honest professional pilot who's trying to make a living.

 

[Wowjack]

Getting screwed

Everytime someone puts there foot down some snot-nose rookie instructor will be there to stab you in the back. I'm digusted with this whole thing! Unfortunately, there are too many people out there that will rather starve just to get some time, if you need time so bad why don't you just pencil it in! Don't go out and shaft your fellow CFI for what few dollars we already make.

 

[larry]

That is the nature of the the aviation industry, but I'd add, you get what you pay for.

I work part time as a CFI and I always try to make sure I charge the same rates as the full time guys as I wouldn't want to undercut them!

Check out the classified adds at AOPA or www.wingsonline.com
Titles include:
I want to be your Pilot!!!
Dedicated Hard Working Pilot
CMEL/CSEL/CFIA/CFII/MEI seeks flying opportunities, build multi time or instruction or pilot for pay.
Commercial Pilot looking for stable employment

So the real question has ANYONE ever actually gotten a job like this. Anybody ever actually received a job offer after posting a resume at www.findapilot.com? I'm guessnig no way!

Don't worry about what other pilots do. Look for a job. If you find one great, if you don't, fly for fun and find a different line of work. Whining about other pilots will get you nothing!

 

[GEUAviator]

Isn't it Disgusting?

I JUST got my CFI last week (9/26) and while it may be disheartening to not have a job waiting for me, I absolutely refuse to take the route of Free Services.

I worked too long and too hard to get that dang CFI rating!

What kind of "professional" offers free services just to gain a few more hours?!

I think in the long run, this type of "business" will not last.

Imagine yourself as a brand new flight student meeting for the first time this CFI who is "whoring" himself out for the general public.

Would you want to fly with this guy? It reeks of desperation!

Enough Said.

GEUAviator

 

[Steve]

Its a free country..........

 

[Wiggums]

No, it’s not really a free country, economically speaking. If our labor market was free and 100% efficient then quite a few people in this country would be hurt, especially pilots. Things such as unions, scope, and government regulation protect jobs and earnings. If flight instructors were farmers the government would be paying them right now to stay at home instead of whoring themselves out for flight time.

Flying for free doesn’t work. You’ll never be treated as a professional if you work for nothing or a cut rate. Students will no show you, cancel at the last second, and generally abuse you since they know that you’re desperate. Other instructors will despise you for giving away a valuable service for free. You might think people don’t notice, but others notice what your up to and it may come back to bite you one day. That includes the guy that keeps putting advertisements on my windshield from Accelerated.

 

[willi7]

Aviation is a very very small world. The descisions that one makes in their career will return to bite them in the a@#... The flight instructors your screwing now, will be the guy interviewing you in the future.. And make to many of your higher time collegues upset and you will have no one to walk your resume into an airline or wright you a letter of recomedation, but hey who needs that you can get hired on your own.... It's a free country right.....

 

[fly4ever]

These are the same people that will pay the 10K or 20K for a right seat with an airline and then accept wages that can't even match a McDonald's job when the company says they'll let you fly CRJ's if you'll do it for 10 dollars an hour thereby taking our profession to a new low. They are just getting a head start on their low-life ways by doing it to the instructing profession. At least it is true - you get what you pay for. If you're in it only to build time then you will not give the customer what they need and deserve. You will be cheating them as well as others in the profession. I instructed for ten years - I saw this happen then and I see it happen now in the airline business.

As far as airlines go, remember that when you get your job with a regional you may never have the opportunity to advance to a "major" carrier. The price you pay whether it be "buy-a-right-seat training contracts", contract concessions or the "I'll do anything to fly a CRJ mentality" to get the "coveted CRJ job" will be what you have live with and on for years to come.

The ramifications of undercutting your profession are huge and are felt by everyone who is participating in the profession.

 

[TwinTails]

You get what you pay for.

 

[airludy]

Whoever posted that should be shot.