Leaving Instructing

shamrock104 · Post by **shamrock104** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:17 pm

Got out of Instructing at the weekend after only a year and a half.
I was getting tired of the constant running about after students as well as missed and cancelled flights etc etc and found myself getting groutchy with students. It wasnt fair on myself or the students. I feel that the experience has improved my flying overall and has hopefully encouraged a few students along the way.

Miss Mae · Post by **Miss Mae** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:20 pm

What type of job are you moving on to?

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:59 pm

perhaps a break? lol

Pugster · Post by **Pugster** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:55 am

I found instructing (especially IFR) gave me a solid base of experience when I made the jump to a multi-crew IFR airplane - and I sure can sympathize with the negatives of instructing. Hopefully you've made a jump where you can realize the benefits of an instructing background...

You get on to something bigger, or just give it up entirely?

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:18 am

After a full year of the same kind of instructing you've probably pretty well learned all you're going to learn, as an instructor. Time to move on.

Perhaps after a while, you might consider doing some part-time instruction. I know you're probably pretty burned out right now, but down the road, if you can keep your instructor rating current, you can pass on very valuable real-world experience to the newbies.

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:58 pm

You did the right thing. Staying in instructing too long is not fair to you or your students. Far too many instructors stay too long. And that's a diservice. Did I spell that right?
Now, some guys stay instructing forever. If that's their "thing", they make the best instructors out there!

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:11 pm

from my perspective if you're not going to make instructing your career, then based on what everybody here on avcanada says, instructing for a year or two till you hit that magic 1 k mark or 1.5 k hours and then move on. I believe you can start somewhere in the regionals with that... please correct me if i am wrong.

bob sacamano · Post by **bob sacamano** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:44 am

shamrock104 wrote:Got out of Instructing at the weekend after only a year and a half.
I was getting tired of the constant running about after students as well as missed and cancelled flights etc etc and found myself getting groutchy with students. It wasnt fair on myself or the students. I feel that the experience has improved my flying overall and has hopefully encouraged a few students along the way.

Many go through that same feeling, you're not alone. It usually is around that mark as well, 2 years seems to be the norm.

Moved on to something bigger and better? If so, congrats, if not, you will soon

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:27 pm

I've never been an instructor so we can come to the conclusion that i've not gone through that feeling. But I guess the thing that could make ya feel better is that now you know you've accomplished a rather major pore of your career, now you're onto bigger and perhaps more sucessful phases of flying that will tice up your excitement to work with people at your equivalent if not higher level of experience. I don't know about you guys, but I think it's rather cool and good for one to look up to somebody at all times. It sets you off on a modivation to reach a goal, and after that another goal and after that another goal.

Right now the major people I am looking up to right now are 3 guys. My instructor, a very good buddy of mine flying for airliners, and another guy at my flight school i've been buddies with for some time. With these three guys that i am looking up to, i just enjoy the experience i get out of all of them.

But then again, these are the words of a student sitting at 40 hours, so maybe you guys up there don't think quite the same way.

Pugster · Post by **Pugster** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:24 am

C182, you hit the nail on the head.

After a couple of years instructing, most guys are yearning for new challenges, and new people to learn from. That's why most that I know who made the jump to a 2 crew environment were really happy to start working with more experienced pilots.

Still haven't found out if you got a new gig Shamrock!

shamrock104 · Post by **shamrock104** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:27 am

Started with a charter company.

Highflyinpilot · Post by **Highflyinpilot** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:54 pm

good luck with the charter ops. hopefully it works out better than instructing.

P.S see the problem with forums is there is no emotion, so if i was the original poster i would think "this guy's being sarcastic, what an a$%ho&^.
but im not bing sarcastic.

Good luck

Pugster · Post by **Pugster** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:24 pm

Best o' Luck!

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:35 pm

I like charters. I think they're a great way to get multi crew experience that leads into major mainline flying, if that now is your eventual goal. Again, being in touch with guys bigger than you in the industry gives you such a wonderful opportunity to squeeze out so much info out of them to make your decision making a lot better on what to do with your career.

Personally, my proposed way of doing my overall build up of getting to where I want to be in a decade is getting my training done in the next 2 years. If the school i Currently go to is in need of instructors, get my instructor rating there, cause it is a wonderful flight school, with wonderful staff, and i figure I will know the hang of it at that school by that time, after instructing go to some regional/charter airline, in the mean time of instructing get my float rating. Also in the mean time of instructing or perhaps working take up some course on Engine or Aircraft Maintenance so i know the technical aspects of an aircraft, of course, with all this, complete a university degree in flight engineering or business, and by the time i am 25 or 26 with hopefully good amount of hours, all these different courses, and ratings should be able to automatically create a rather good and fit resume to enter the mainlines with, not to mention a few connections even add to the spark.

But as i am sure all of you agree, there are a ton of ways to drive through in the industry, and that drive way includes a few bumpy sections, but it's all what makes your skills (not just flying, but everything, like social, multi task, and etc) stronger and more reliable for your career.

So to summarize that all, GOOD LUCK !

More Hawker Than Sidley · Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:12 pm

Good Luck Shamrock 104. If I can offer a note of advice (free of course) Try to remember the good aspects of the Instructing gig as best you can. Why?...for many reasons, but the one I think that is the most important is this. Regardless of what company you are flying for, there will always be an opportunity to teach someone something...especially when you become Captain and you wind up teaching a newbie FO. The Instructing experience is invaluable in that AC on most of its last Interviews asked the candidates if they had Instructed and what was their take on it...don't shoot it down as AC is now in the process of setting up training FO's and training Captains and this Instructing background will help your career for sure. mhts

Chuck D · Post by **Chuck D** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:18 am

I got out of instucting after 2 years. Believe it or not, it was some of the best flying I have ever done. The secret to instructing is to mix it up with a little variety. A few PPL's, CPL's, night, Multi IFR's, simulator and ground instruction. I used to enjoy teaching different people with different motives of wanting to learn to fly. Some were career oriented looking for the full package, others were weekend flyers who just enjoyed flying and the club aspect.

The experience gained was valuable for the next step flying large multi crew aircraft.

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:36 am

i guess the key is that you fly by the rules and don't bend it a lot like they do up north

helps a lot in the airlines when you're used to working under structured work frames, this case being teaching the right curriculum meaning that you need to know it well before being able to give any info to any body else.

shamrock104 · Post by **shamrock104** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:56 pm

I may possibly do the Cadet contract next Summer

Pugster · Post by **Pugster** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:46 pm

C182 wrote:i guess the key is that you fly by the rules and don't bend it a lot like they do up north

Common misconception C182...some of the most professional operators out there (read: they don't bend) work in the North. I worked up North (not that far North, mind you) for an operator that didn't tolerate violation of Air Regs or putting the crew or aircraft at unecessary risk. Pick your employers wisely if you can!

Not jumping on you (in fact - if you're a student still you seem to have a pretty good grasp on stuff) - and ya - "bending" happens a lot up North - but it also happens a lot everywhere else (especially in 703 ops). Sometimes the nature of flying up North means you have to cover your ass that much more...

And, as you put, you can never go wrong following the rules and flying the aircraft by the numbers - especially when you're starting out in a multi-crew SOP'd machine.

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:02 pm

shamrock...

no time to read the entire post (sorry), but a humble thing you did. Congrats and good luck in the future.

Front. · Post by **Front.** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:55 pm

thanks for the clarification pug

if you don't mind me calling you that haha

Pugster · Post by **Pugster** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:36 am

Actually, the pug thing is an old nickname...long story

So no, I don't mind!

looproll · Post by **looproll** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:27 pm

if you have a real job now, why go back to a summer contract with cadets? Don't become a lifer! If you have the cadet itch, take vacation and tow for 2 weeks. They were pretty desperate in prairie this year and a lot of my friends did 2 week stints.