the path to CFI

[Earl Williams]

I'm (hopefully) a few weeks away from my Commercial checkride, and have been pondering what to do/where to go with regards to my CFI training. The advice I've always heard is to try and do your CFI training at a school which you would like to instruct at. In the "good ol days", there was a pretty good chance that the school would hire you with wet ticket in hand. This makes sense...they obviously can vouch for your abilities having trained you. Of course, I realize times have changed, and what applied a couple years ago...may not apply today.

Due to the lack of opportunities in my immediate area, I'm willing to relocate to a FBO/school that can, first and foremost, offer me the highest quality training...yet I'd obviously like to have the potential (key word) of employment there after I earn my ticket. I doubt any school or FBO could even offer a half-hearted "guarantee" on hiring their CFI graduates with the way things are now...and even if they could, I'd probably be in a hiring pool for the next year.

With this being the case, I guess my question is...would it be wise to do my training at the most reputable place here LOCALLY (with little, if any, chance of getting hired afterwards). Or, should I still look into schools elsewhere that may offer a better opportunity to get hired on afterwards? (if there is such a place)

...either way, I really can't wait to finally start instructing!

Thanks for everyone's thoughts...and fly safe!
-Earl

 

[BamBamJet]

training...

Congrats on getting close to the hardest rating that you will ever have to work for!

You brought up a great question because that is probably running through the minds of a lot of people in your position. So, here I go...moving or not is up to you and your finances/other barriers. If you can afford it, I would try to get on with a well named school. The problem with that is you have a lot of CFI positions being filled with experienced people and furlohees. Times are tough to get a job being a CFI. I went through the American Flyers 30 day academy. It was good and I also got hired on . They generally hire the top 2 in their class. Not to mentioned I got my other ratings their so that gave me an edge. Some will argue that a name is not marketable for applying to airlines, I beg to differ. Its experience and th type of flying however companies no what flight schools are doing what kind of training.

So with that said, if you can afford it, go somewhere where they can offer you a job and also (help yourself out) make sure they have a twin. If you need to see if they will sign a contract dependent on your skills throught the program.

I hope this helps and good luck!

 

[SpocksBeard]

Good advice - but something else to consider as well - Many schools who garuantee their students CFI jobs after their training is completed often have way too many flight instructors and not enough students to go around. That type of situation can get ugly because all of the CFI's are desperate for students; it can get pretty cutthroat. I think Mankato State in MN is like that (or used to be)(somebody correct me if I'm wrong). At my flight school in St. Cloud, MN we used to get CFI's from MKT wanting to work for us because they couldn't get any time down there.

 

[Earl Williams]

I definitely want to try and avoid a situation like you mentioned, whereby I'm one of a bazillion instructors at a school that fights for every student coming through the door. I'm not sure how things are for CFI's in places like Arizona or SoCal right now, but I can only assume that CFI's dramatically outnumber students. Unfortunately, I guess that can be said for almost any school/FBO in the times that we're in.

I guess it can't hurt to ask schools that I'm interested in whether or not they would be willing to hire me after I've completed my CFI training with them, yet I understand that it's all conditional with the way the economy is right now. I just don't want to move myself across the country only to find this lesson out the hard way!

...either way, I guess I've got some decisions to make!

Thanks again everyone!
-Earl

 

[lucky2Bflyin]

Earl-
One thing you might want to consider is that the BEST place to complete your CFI training may not necessarily be where you WANT to work. Let me give you some examples:

I went to a very reputable Part 141 aviation university and was very happy with the training I got, but I did not want to work as a CFI there for very good reasons (had nothing to do with the quality of the flight school). Instead I am working for a VERY GOOD employer in the Bay Area. What sold me on the flight school I work at now is the ATTITUDE of the instructors, mechanics, and other staff. Marginal attitude at the other place which I know, for me, would bring me down in the long run.

Another example is something a very wise chief pilot told me. He said that it does not matter where you train (big aviation universities, flight academies, etc), but it matters with WHOM you are training with. If you know or meet someone that has a lot of practical experience as a CFI, or someone with whom you feel very comfortable with, GO WITH THAT PERSON! There are a few "senior" flight instructors that probably could have saved me about 100-200 hours dual given worth of mistakes!

Point I am trying to make is that "airline" or "professional pilot training" or whatever the big flight schools sell these days may work for private, instrument, com, etc well, BUT it is NOT NECESSARILY the BEST CFI TRAINING...there is a difference!

After nine months of working as a CFI, I am beginning to see that there are many trade-offs YOU, the CFI, must face when choosing a fight school. Now this is just based on my experience, but I believe you should focus on the BEST place to work your hardest on your CFI training, then worry about the rest...especially now, nobody is going to guarantee you a CFI job after training...sorry but nobody can really afford to do that right now.

Lots of luck and PM me if I can help you further!

B

 

[bobbysamd]

CFI school/employment opportunities

You have to strike a balance between quality training and employment. Of course, you want good training because you'll need it to do your job. I probably would lean toward a place that would give me a job, even if work is sparse. It's better to be employed by an aviation company and doing at least a little flying than being on the outside looking in. It's always easier to get another job in aviation if you're currently employed in it than not.

Hope that helps some more. Good luck with your upcoming practicals.

 

[Earl Williams]

I suppose my dillema is whether it would be wise to move somewhere based on conditional employment ("guarantees" in aviation seem to be an oxymoron, especially right now). I'm just skeptical if ANY FBO/school can look a few months into the future and predict employment opportunities...even with "good faith". I would hate to end up getting bumped with wet ticket in hand by someone coming back to instruct after being furloughed, or whatever the case is. I realize that's a possibility anywhere, and at any time...it would just be difficult to have justified spending the cash on a move only to find this out...only to turn around and spend the money on moving elsewhere (which can get a bit costly!)

The only viable option I have locally has a waiting list of around two dozen CFI's that did their training recently with this particular school. I did my primary training there, and was planning on doing my CFI there as well, yet being low man on the totem pole in this pool makes me think otherwise. It used to be that this school essentially guaranteed employment if someone did their training with them...but not anymore. I assume that's the way it is for a lot of places now.

I guess I'll just have to ask the question to schools I'm interested in training/working at on whether employment is a good possibility, and live with the consequences if things don't work out. Heck, what's the fun of life without a few more risks!

-Earl