I can't flight instruct

[stearnst]

NOBODY EVER WANTS TO FLIGHT INSTRUCT...

I'll go out here on a limb and say that I honestly enjoy instructing. I never did, and still don't picture myself as a stellar CFI, but as has been mentioned by others already, after the first 100-ish hours of dual given, things started to fall into place and it began to feel like any other job I'd ever had...except I was being paid to fly!!! The teaching really does get better the more you do it, and you really start learning about flying when you have to teach someone else how to do it. Whatever route you end up choosing, good luck, but I'd recommend going the CFI route to anyone that's asking.

 

[Nindiri]

I always enjoyed instructing but I guess it's not for everyone.

If you are that determined not to do the CFI thing, then fork over the money and buy your multiengine time somewhere like ATP or Gulfstream. You'll miss out on a lot of good stuff by not instructing, but on the other hand you'll probably get to the right seat of an airliner a lot sooner. Whatever works for you.

 

[COOPERVANE]

It does take some practice. Your first student will probably not get as much from you as your later ones. But remember, to a
One of my friends BOUGHT a 172 and hung flyers around lots of airports wanting to split time in it for $40.00/hour. He was swamped with people wanting to fly with him. Since he was an instructor, he logged PIC and the "other" guy logged PIC sole manipulator received. Just like at ATP.


Is that legal????

Is it LEGAL for a flight instructor to log PIC? I hope so, I have 1500 given. Did my private/Commercial students log PIC while I was instructing them? I hope so.

What did you log with your intructor? SIC?

 

[Thurman Merman]

TRAFFIC WATCH, the most fun I had flying airplanes 1000 feet agl at the highest. Dodging helicopters, flying 5 days a week for about 30 hours.

 

[Mentor]

You need to instruct. You got the license...your already there...the school knows you and it will help you develope as a pilot.

 

[ArcticFlier]

If you want to learn something.............teach it. I did. For three years, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It was the best learning experience, and I mean that.

Also, I thought I was done instructing when I got hired to fly for a regional. I was............until I upgraded. When I made captain, I was instructing all over again. That's the way it is, and having been a CFI (with all the bells and whistles) helped a hell of a lot.


Do it.


AF


BTW..........some of my best flying stories are from my CFI days...........

 

[dcramer16]

I have had a lot of great advice today, thanks everyone. As I said in one of my earlier posts, I had no idea that what I am feeling, every new flight instructor goes through. I also said in one of my posts that I would love to flight instruct as long as some student wasn't getting screwed in the process...lol Seems like the general thought is everyone should at least try it, and you never know, I might surprise myself. Thanks for the advice today, I'll put in my resume.

 

[pgcfii2002]

The few dual I have given has been a blast...and hope to return at some point next year.

 

[007]

Just the fact that he is doubting and evalutating himself, tells me he is gonna be a good instructor.

Forget about the Forest Service dude, you need ATP mins to do those jobs even on a contract basis. I know I used to do it.

Getting on with the Goverment is even harder, I have been trying with the USFS for years and I have 4000hrs 2900 multi and 2200 PIC and contract experience and I can't get in.

TEACH.....you will be fine...

 

[sflax]

One thing you need to do is stopping being a little girl. You think the first time I fly a jet I was like that was easy or my first CATII or my first emergency. Or the first time a captian screwed up. It is all about experience, and screwing up a few students, you will find that most students are screwed up before you get them, so you probably can not do much more damage.

 

[dcramer16]

No need for name calling, that's rude and immature. If you would have read my last post a couple posts up, you might have a little more information to go on.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

of course I do...there's plenty to go around imp:

What! Do u have something against big black women? My g/f is in my avatar and loves KFC! She just got kicked out of office though so she is pi$$ed

 

[007]

Or the first time a captian screwed up.

You don't screw up???

 

[snap145]

Cramer,
i completley understand where you are coming from and everything these guys are telling you is right on. When i got my CFI in college.....i can garauntee you that I was more nervous than my students on my first few flights.....trust me when i say confidence is key. If you dont have confidence in yourself your students wont have confidence in you. Thats where you can get yourself into trouble. With that being said, I can honestly say that I learned more in 2 years of flight instructing than I ever did as a student in flight Training. More importantly than that....there were times when i thought i was ready to go to the airlines at 400 or 450 hours (this is not a slap at you)...BOY WAS I WRONG!....the learning curve in a 121 training program is simply too high for some people at that expirience level....not too much for all but it sure was for me....you sound like a competent guy just by the things your saying here on this thread....i think youd be surprised....go try the CFI thing for awhile....it can only help....youll thank yourself in the long run....you are waaaaay more marketable to a regional with a descent amount of dual given and multi time than you are flying banners around at 80 knots in a pacer. If you instruct for awhile and get your confidence, expirience and knowledge base up...then start shooting out those resumes..youll see good things....GOOD LUCK!

 

[Chewbacca]

I spent 11,000$ on a lear type to get out of flight instructing. It was my unused college money. Worked out well. Lear type is the best out there, covers the 20,30 and 50 series jets, so there are TONS of planes out there to fly with 1 type.

 

[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