I can't flight instruct

[COOPERVANE]

Good post snap!! I agree 100%

Now just wait. There will be a 300 hour wonder saying "yeah, I will learn so much spending 1000 hours in the pattern in a 152" No way man.

What people don't realize is that instructing is also what YOU make it. An old timer once told me :

"you can fly 1000 hours of valuable, experience-building time......or you can fly the same 1 hour 1000 times"

It is VERRRY true. If you just sit there and drone along in silence in the pattern as your student repeatedly slams the plane on the ground, you will get nothing. If you truly want people to succeed and try to be a unique, good instructor, you will be rewarded with great skills and experience.

If you have done it you know what I am talking about. If not, you probably think you are ready for the jet NOW NOW NOW give it to me NOW!

 

[flyhighordie]

this is the most ridiculous post i had ever seen. my friend, your flight instructing gig pays you more per hour than the regional job when you factor in your duty time. the average salary for an fo once you factor in the 12 hour duty day is about $6/hr. i know plety of regional pilots that miss the flight instructing job. enjoy it, learn, its a good place and a true test if you have the heart for this industry, believe me, wait until you have to get a day off at the regionals, its called a scheduled sick day because you can't be honest that you have to take you kid to the doctor. so if you think times and money is tight now, see how commuting as a reserve line holder for 1 yr or 2 and that $6/hr will look more like $4/hr.

BIG CLUE::::: if you want the money this is not the job for you, avg college grad starts at 36K saw it published last week, our work week exceeds 4o hrs.

good luck
don't mean to be an A__ __ but i think a lot of guys will agree with me

 

[check6]

Everyone who has typed something positive about instructing is absolutely right. If I could quote this whole board in this one post, I'd have something to say about each point. I'm now a regional pilot, but instructing was one of best experiences of my life. I made friends (both students and fellow instructors) as well as contacts. If I didn't leave my instructing job for my FO job, I probably would be flying "part-time" in the right seat of a citation by now. But noooo, I had to try the airline thing out, and to be honest, it's fun but only for so long.

I smile when I watch a Single Engine aircraft takeoff. I just wish I could get in and spin the heck out of it sometimes, or just take a student on their first flight and give them a smooth ride meandaring across the countryside. It's the freedom and flexibility of the job(part 61 of course) that makes it great.

 

[IdRtherBsailing]

Everyone who has typed something positive about instructing is absolutely right. If I could quote this whole board in this one post, I'd have something to say about each point. I'm now a regional pilot, but instructing was one of best experiences of my life. I made friends (both students and fellow instructors) as well as contacts. If I didn't leave my instructing job for my FO job, I probably would be flying "part-time" in the right seat of a citation by now. But noooo, I had to try the airline thing out, and to be honest, it's fun but only for so long.

I smile when I watch a Single Engine aircraft takeoff. I just wish I could get in and spin the heck out of it sometimes, or just take a student on their first flight and give them a smooth ride meandaring across the countryside. It's the freedom and flexibility of the job(part 61 of course) that makes it great.

AMEN, Dats my point

 

[Stifler's Mom]

You don't like my girlfriend?

Does Duh Angelo know you have a picture of his mom? Oops, never mind. He's gone, and we'll never know the answer.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

And to the original poster. Go to ATP, you'll learn more as an instructor than as a student anyways. You'll be logging tons of multi time, and if you instruct on the ATP side of the operation, you'll learn alot from your students. Plus the pay is good compared to anything else you qualify for.

 

[Tailwheelman]

Like I said, it has nothing to do with me being all high and mighty to be a "lowly" flight instructor. I would love to be a flight instructor to build hours, but only if I feel confident in being a good teacher. I know my stuff, I just have a hard time explaining it. To be a good teacher you have to be good at teaching, I am not a good teacher. That is why I am looking for an alternative. I can get a job as an instructor, but I would feel awful being an instructor that is only there to build hours. I know of a couple instructors that suck at being teachers but do it anyways just to get the hours. I don't want to do that because it isn't fair to the students.

Nobody thinks their going to be a good instructor....mainly because when you finish your CFI you still really don't know anything about teaching. And for the first 10 or 20 hours you will feel like yo don't know what the he11 your doing. If you want to be a good teacher...then you will be. It just takes a little time to learn your craft. Ask the more senior guys for tips and tricks they use and before you know it you'll have 7 different ways to teach the same thing. Just relax and have fun with it.

 

[Rekks Inbound]

You'll be fine as an instructor, and all of the previous posts are right on. You start out with a little bag of tricks, and after a year or two you'll have 3 or 4 bags full. Taught for 4 1/2 years and don't regret any of it; you will be a better pilot for all of it.

Interesting correlation: When you finally make the left seat of that coveted airliner, you'll be able to tell which of your FO's worked as instructors, and which didn't.

Those who didn't teach don't take criticism very well, constructive or otherwise.

Peace.

Rekks