Renewing FI Rating

[Diadem]

I'm a former instructor (my rating's been expired for less than two years), and lately I've been considering renewing. I currently work for a company which gives me plenty of time off and I'd like to put that time to good use, so I thought it might be a good idea to get back into instructing. I genuinely enjoy teaching, and the added hours and income wouldn't hurt either. However, I'm not sure whether it's worthwhile to go through the hassle and expense of a flight test without the guarantee of a job. I never advanced beyond class IV, and I didn't have many students, so I don't have a particularly great deal of instructional experience, although I have a relatively high amount of real-world experience compared to most instructors. Would it be worth it to approach CFIs and see if they would be willing to hire me on the condition of passing the flight test? Also, how many would be willing to hire someone working rotations who's out of town for a few weeks at a time?

[Shiny Side Up]

Also, how many would be willing to hire someone working rotations who's out of town for a few weeks at a time?

This is a big sticking point on hiring you as an instructor. You won't be able to keep any students, or in a lot of cases get any students if this is the case, and at the very least it makes it exceedingly difficult to meet your requirements to get your upgrade to a class 3. Not to say that its impossible, but you got some priorities to sort out. OTOH if you could say take two months off of your job to weather out a cadet program for a summer, then yes you should be able to find someone able to take you on.

The big point of the matter is, and lots of class 4s have trouble with this notion, is that whether you want to or not you have to look at working full time as an instructor to get that upgrade. Once you do, it then opens your possibilities significantly.

[tractor747]

From what I have read and heard, if you are a new class 4 instructor looking for work you have to work at the school as a dispatcher/fueler/tower/etc so the CFI can get to know you and maybe eventually hire you one day. I can't find any work as a class 4 and i am willing to be a permanent full time as well, but all the schools are hiring their own so until Air Canada hires hundreds of pilots I will not find any employement as a class 4 if my life depended on it.

My advise is , tell them you want to do this full time.

thanks

[KK7]

SSU is right, although I have known several class 4 instructors work part time in their off rotations (I work rotation as well), but don't expect to work full time. You'd be good as a fill in for busy times or to take on overflow. If you can be flexible and be able to come in at a drop of a hat in your time off you might be quite valuable to a busy flight school, particularly in the busy summer months. But the problem with this is you will not get your Class 3 any time soon as you won't have any consistent students.

If you work overseas and get a tax credit for survey or UN work though, be careful as this will void your eligibility.

[tractor747]

Would you ask every CFI at all the schools , "would you consider hiring me if I renewed my instructor rating at your school" or would that be too pushy.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Would you ask every CFI at all the schools , "would you consider hiring me if I renewed my instructor rating at your school" or would that be too pushy.

I think it is quite reasonable to be upfront with your aspirations, and if I were still a CFI, I would have no problem with that. But I would also tell you as a general comment I would be extremely reluctant to hire anyone who I had not trained myself, as unfortunately the quality of a lot of flight instructor training is unacceptably low.

[B-rad]

on a similar note, when renewing an instructor rating, does it renew back to the same class? or do you start over again at class 4 and have to pass students and get recommends?

[tractor747]

Would you ask every CFI at all the schools , "would you consider hiring me if I renewed my instructor rating at your school" or would that be too pushy.

I think it is quite reasonable to be upfront with your aspirations, and if I were still a CFI, I would have no problem with that. But I would also tell you as a general comment I would be extremely reluctant to hire anyone who I had not trained myself, as unfortunately the quality of a lot of flight instructor training is unacceptably low.

I want to thank you Big Pistons Forever for being honest up front on your thoughts of flight instructors.
I trained at a school in Southern Ontario where the school I trained no longer exists so my chances of being hired by the instructor that gave me my instructor rating is obviously non existent.
Let's be frank here, with your statement that you wouldn't hire anybody that you did not train do you honestly think I have a chance of being hired as a brand new class 4 instructor with no previous instructing experience even though I want to be a permanent instructor and make this my second career.
Am I wasting my time re-newing my class 4 or is there a school that might give me a chance to teach even though they don't know me.

Big Pistons Forever, you sound like you have alot of experience in this area and I really want somebody to not beat around the bush and give me an opinion.

Thanks

[tractor747]

If you have never instructed yet because you can't find employment as a class 4 instructor and the time has come to re-new the class 4 flight instructor "on average" obviously it is based on each person's performance, will it take in flight time and ground time to be ready for the flight test.

I guess my question is directed to all the class 1 instructors and what they have seen in terms of time lines and flight times so I can have some sort of budget together.

Thanks

[tractor747]

Has anybody during their re-newal for their flight instructor rating such as a class 4 at the time of the flight test pass the "flight" test just by doing the ground portion due to weather or tried to sneak in a circuit or two just to satisfy Transport Canada. I have heard candidates do their entire class 4 renewal just in the circuit.

Curious that's all.

thanks

[Big Pistons Forever]

If you have never instructed yet because you can't find employment as a class 4 instructor and the time has come to re-new the class 4 flight instructor "on average" obviously it is based on each person's performance, will it take in flight time and ground time to be ready for the flight test.

I guess my question is directed to all the class 1 instructors and what they have seen in terms of time lines and flight times so I can have some sort of budget together.

Thanks

Obviously very person dependent but as a minimum I would say budget for 3.0 ground brief and 1.5 in the airplane.

[esp803]

Depends greatly on the flight school. I fly full time for a company and have been offered a part time instructing position. I would have jumped on it as I also love to instruct and now have something to give back, but unfortunately we are quickly approaching the busy season and I need my days off to reset my duty times. Just keep looking, if you are flying and have real world experience you will have several notches on your belt over the typical Class IV

E

[Colonel Sanders]

if you are flying and have real world experience you will have several notches on your belt over the typical Class IV

Absolutely! You would be perfect to train new commercial pilots, regardless of how many ab initios you have sent solo. You might also make an excellent multi / IFR instructor (depending upon what kind of 70x flying you do).