CFI working conditions

[Aspiredtofly]

Can some current instructors tell me about how your working conditions are (from how your day starts till the end) and how many hours do you average on flying and briefing throughout the whole month with what you can potentially earn to live. For former instructors what would be the things that you warn when doing this job or the red flags and mistakes that we must look for to avoid plus when is the best time to move towards the airlines or flying up north?

[photofly]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

[Aspiredtofly]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

[photofly]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

Again, there's no such thing in Canada as a certified flight instructor. Are you from the US?

[Aspiredtofly]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

Again, there's no such thing in Canada as a certified flight instructor. Are you from the US?

No not from the US and I'm talking about the flight instructor who trains students in a flight school

[JHR]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

Again, there's no such thing in Canada as a certified flight instructor. Are you from the US?

Give it a rest, twat

[Aspiredtofly]

Can we get back to the topic now. If there's someone who's willing to provide me with some info for what I ask first then that would be great

[Donald]

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

Again, there's no such thing in Canada as a certified flight instructor. Are you from the US?

Give it a rest, twat

Seems like a reasonable question for photofly to ask, after all advice about Canadian conditions wouldn't have mattered if the OP was indeed in the US.

[JHR]

You too...

[photofly]

Actually keeping this thread alive until someone with the information the OP seeks can chime in. Thanks for helping with that.

[firstofficer]

CFI means Chief Flight Instructor.

Hmm.. sorry I forgot to acknowledge that it's the US term. Pardon me I mean to say a certified flight instructor

Again, there's no such thing in Canada as a certified flight instructor. Are you from the US?

Certified flight instructors exist you technical twat.

What you going to say next? Airworthiness certificates don’t exist? But certificate of airworthiness do? Mug

[photofly]

In the US, the FAA issues airman certificates to pilots and flight instructor certificates to flight instructors. In Canada you get a pilot licence, and a flight instructor rating.

Both countries issue certificates of airworthiness for aircraft.

[JHR]

Twat

[Aviatard]

Certified flight instructors exist you technical twat.

That’s true but they’re not called that in Canada.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I would suggest the OP's question is hard to answer in the general. What "YOUR" work experience will be can vary dramatically depending on the school. The best way to find out is visit a few schools and talk to the instructors.

As a general comment with hiring picking up in every sector, schools are starting to lose instructors so there is more opportunity than in the last few years where COVID stopped the movement up and out of schools. Now there are a lot of instructors with enough hours for an ATPL and who want to move on.

Personally when I was a new hire instructor I practically lived at the FTU. I was often the only one there when somebody walked in the door thinking about learning how to fly. I had a good sales pitch and consequently built a relationship with new students who wanted me as their instructor. I ended up very busy right from day one and did quite well as an instructor.

Always being around also got me pop up maintenance test flights, airplane retrievals, ride alongs etc etc all of which built my experience base.

At the end of the day the instructor jobs is like any other entry level job, it will be what you make of it.

[DanWEC]

Certified flight instructors exist you technical twat.

That’s true but they’re not called that in Canada.

Not true. I've definitely been called that!

[Aspiredtofly]

I can't comprise it but I'm genuinely confused if you guys are laughing/trolling just because I made a mistake by putting the term CFI as a certified flight instructor instead of saying it FI for flight instructor

[Aspiredtofly]

I would suggest the OP's question is hard to answer in the general. What "YOUR" work experience will be can vary dramatically depending on the school. The best way to find out is visit a few schools and talk to the instructors.

As a general comment with hiring picking up in every sector, schools are starting to lose instructors so there is more opportunity than in the last few years where COVID stopped the movement up and out of schools. Now there are a lot of instructors with enough hours for an ATPL and who want to move on.

Personally when I was a new hire instructor I practically lived at the FTU. I was often the only one there when somebody walked in the door thinking about learning how to fly. I had a good sales pitch and consequently built a relationship with new students who wanted me as their instructor. I ended up very busy right from day one and did quite well as an instructor.

Always being around also got me pop up maintenance test flights, airplane retrievals, ride alongs etc etc all of which built my experience base.

At the end of the day the instructor jobs is like any other entry level job, it will be what you make of it.

Good one. I appreciate what you've said there, thank you much. Once thing to ask is how you managed to live in the FTU for the whole day practically, isn't it tiring as you have students constantly coming in every hour asking to go on a scheduled flight or probably ground school?. Since you've mentioned that you were busy and stuff how many hrs did you get to fly and do ground school an average a month. And lastly if there's any more advice that you would give a student pilot then what would it be

[digits_]

It would be best to find a salaried position. Or at least a monthly guarantee. Otherwise you're spending way too much time and brain power on finding (and keeping) students.

For an hour's flight you're likely looking at an hour of pre flight briefing stuff, which includes getting the plane ready, an hour of flying and half an hour post flight stuff. Likely only 1.5 hours of that 2.5 hours is billable, but that depends on your school.

A CFI in Canada is a Chief Flight Instructor.

It might seem pedantic, but if you use the term cfi on a resume to find that first job, you're unlikely to get a call.

People make fun of you a bit here because of that mistake, but it is an important distinction if you want to make a good first impression in a job interview process.

[Conflicting Traffic]

For an hour's flight you're likely looking at an hour of pre flight briefing stuff, which includes getting the plane ready, an hour of flying and half an hour post flight stuff. Likely only 1.5 hours of that 2.5 hours is billable, but that depends on your school.

It should all be billable. Why would you do an hour of pre-flight briefing and not get paid for it? If you're at a school that expects you to work for free, move on as fast as you possibly can.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I would suggest the OP's question is hard to answer in the general. What "YOUR" work experience will be can vary dramatically depending on the school. The best way to find out is visit a few schools and talk to the instructors.

As a general comment with hiring picking up in every sector, schools are starting to lose instructors so there is more opportunity than in the last few years where COVID stopped the movement up and out of schools. Now there are a lot of instructors with enough hours for an ATPL and who want to move on.

Personally when I was a new hire instructor I practically lived at the FTU. I was often the only one there when somebody walked in the door thinking about learning how to fly. I had a good sales pitch and consequently built a relationship with new students who wanted me as their instructor. I ended up very busy right from day one and did quite well as an instructor.

Always being around also got me pop up maintenance test flights, airplane retrievals, ride alongs etc etc all of which built my experience base.

At the end of the day the instructor jobs is like any other entry level job, it will be what you make of it.

Good one. I appreciate what you've said there, thank you much. Once thing to ask is how you managed to live in the FTU for the whole day practically, isn't it tiring as you have students constantly coming in every hour asking to go on a scheduled flight or probably ground school?. Since you've mentioned that you were busy and stuff how many hrs did you get to fly and do ground school an average a month. And lastly if there's any more advice that you would give a student pilot then what would it be

I did 879 flight hours in my first year and taught the navigation section of the ground school in the evenings (2 nights a month). There were lots of days that had a poor forecast but turned out to be flyable. I would call students and tell them the weather was flyable and there were plenty of airplanes available. So the instructors that cancelled all their flights and stayed home made nothing and I got at least a few billable hours. Over the year it added up, not to mention the students that decided that they wanted to fly with me not their present instructor....

As for advice to students, I give them the same talk. How much the course is going to cost and how long it will take is directly related to how much effort you put into. Show up rested, on time, and prepared for their lesson and they will spend the least and get finished the fastest.

[Aspiredtofly]

I would suggest the OP's question is hard to answer in the general. What "YOUR" work experience will be can vary dramatically depending on the school. The best way to find out is visit a few schools and talk to the instructors.

As a general comment with hiring picking up in every sector, schools are starting to lose instructors so there is more opportunity than in the last few years where COVID stopped the movement up and out of schools. Now there are a lot of instructors with enough hours for an ATPL and who want to move on.

Personally when I was a new hire instructor I practically lived at the FTU. I was often the only one there when somebody walked in the door thinking about learning how to fly. I had a good sales pitch and consequently built a relationship with new students who wanted me as their instructor. I ended up very busy right from day one and did quite well as an instructor.

Always being around also got me pop up maintenance test flights, airplane retrievals, ride alongs etc etc all of which built my experience base.

At the end of the day the instructor jobs is like any other entry level job, it will be what you make of it.

Good one. I appreciate what you've said there, thank you much. Once thing to ask is how you managed to live in the FTU for the whole day practically, isn't it tiring as you have students constantly coming in every hour asking to go on a scheduled flight or probably ground school?. Since you've mentioned that you were busy and stuff how many hrs did you get to fly and do ground school an average a month. And lastly if there's any more advice that you would give a student pilot then what would it be

I did 879 flight hours in my first year and taught the navigation section of the ground school in the evenings (2 nights a month). There were lots of days that had a poor forecast but turned out to be flyable. I would call students and tell them the weather was flyable and there were plenty of airplanes available. So the instructors that cancelled all their flights and stayed home made nothing and I got at least a few billable hours. Over the year it added up, not to mention the students that decided that they wanted to fly with me not their present instructor....

As for advice to students, I give them the same talk. How much the course is going to cost and how long it will take is directly related to how much effort you put into. Show up rested, on time, and prepared for their lesson and they will spend the least and get finished the fastest.

That's some great effort and experience to have especially in the first year of instructing. It was nice meeting you, thank you very much...

[Aspiredtofly]

It would be best to find a salaried position. Or at least a monthly guarantee. Otherwise you're spending way too much time and brain power on finding (and keeping) students.

For an hour's flight you're likely looking at an hour of pre flight briefing stuff, which includes getting the plane ready, an hour of flying and half an hour post flight stuff. Likely only 1.5 hours of that 2.5 hours is billable, but that depends on your school.

A CFI in Canada is a Chief Flight Instructor.

It might seem pedantic, but if you use the term cfi on a resume to find that first job, you're unlikely to get a call.

People make fun of you a bit here because of that mistake, but it is an important distinction if you want to make a good first impression in a job interview process.

Good advice. I'm not very much concerned or offended just cause of that but atleast you could be nice to people right?

[digits_]

For an hour's flight you're likely looking at an hour of pre flight briefing stuff, which includes getting the plane ready, an hour of flying and half an hour post flight stuff. Likely only 1.5 hours of that 2.5 hours is billable, but that depends on your school.

It should all be billable. Why would you do an hour of pre-flight briefing and not get paid for it? If you're at a school that expects you to work for free, move on as fast as you possibly can.

I'm not describing what it 'should' be, I'm describing what the situation was in my area when I was instructing.

An hour before the flight likely consisted of half an hour PGI/preflight briefing, then finding the plane, possibly fuelling it, walk around etc. Not all of that could be billed at the FTU I was working at.

[photofly]

I've never heard that PGI should be provided to a student for free, and If it's billed to the student, the instructor is paid for it.