Instructor employment
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shamrock104
- Rank 8
- Posts: 831
- Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:16 pm
Instructor employment
Has anyone else come across a written test requirement followed by the Compass test for Instructor employment; any thoughts or views on this?
Re: Instructor employment
No, but not surprised. Instructing is a serious and dangerous job, as attested to by the many who die operating at or near FTUs. Just a few weeks ago there was a mid-air at Cornwall which killed a 172 student pilot.
Instructors are responsible for the lives of their students and their fellow GA traffic, in addition to requiring a pretty comprehensive knowledge of all things aviation related. It's not an easy job as is commonly believed, but it is a thankless (and underpaid) one.
I would look favourably at any FTU that implements rigorous screening when hiring instructors, they are probably a reputable school. This is currently done unofficially via gossip networks, where pilots just talk shit about other pilots they don't like. It makes sense to have an impartial test instead of gossip networks, so kudos to them.
Instructors are responsible for the lives of their students and their fellow GA traffic, in addition to requiring a pretty comprehensive knowledge of all things aviation related. It's not an easy job as is commonly believed, but it is a thankless (and underpaid) one.
I would look favourably at any FTU that implements rigorous screening when hiring instructors, they are probably a reputable school. This is currently done unofficially via gossip networks, where pilots just talk shit about other pilots they don't like. It makes sense to have an impartial test instead of gossip networks, so kudos to them.
Re: Instructor employment
I disagree.
The school I did my PPL at had one of the most rigorous flight training and interview processes there were.
I didn’t like it. It was too stifling. So I went to a mom and pop for my CPL and instructor rating and eventually became an instructor there.
Every single plane at the former school that I flew has crashed—except one. The latter one didn’t have a single crash.
“Gossip networks” aren’t for saying bad things. They are for quantifying good things. I became an instructor at that school because they saw my flying and my knowledge and knew I was a good pilot.
The other school was so big that they had no way of knowing their upcoming pilots on a personal level, so they just assumed that anyone who could pass their gauntlet of BS was good enough.
The school I did my PPL at had one of the most rigorous flight training and interview processes there were.
I didn’t like it. It was too stifling. So I went to a mom and pop for my CPL and instructor rating and eventually became an instructor there.
Every single plane at the former school that I flew has crashed—except one. The latter one didn’t have a single crash.
“Gossip networks” aren’t for saying bad things. They are for quantifying good things. I became an instructor at that school because they saw my flying and my knowledge and knew I was a good pilot.
The other school was so big that they had no way of knowing their upcoming pilots on a personal level, so they just assumed that anyone who could pass their gauntlet of BS was good enough.
Re: Instructor employment
Sure, gossip can be good. But humans being humans, it generally isn't. There is a certain level of dignity and social bonding that is required for "productive" gossip, and assuming you're not an expat you can see how societal cohesion has gone down the toilet in the past decade in this country.
So all else being equal, an FTU that doesn't know a candidate will put them through a rigorous interview process. That doesn't mean their process is perfect, but as I said earlier, instructing is a deadly serious job and they have to do something to screen applicants. If they know the candidate then it can be annoying, but just like check rides it is a necessary filter for competence.
All this said, most FTUs only hire their own instructors exclusively, or students who go elsewhere to complete their instructor rating and then return to the school as Class 1s are rare these days. Only rarely will a fresh class 4 with no experience get hired at an FTU without any connections, because it is just too much of a risk to let someone loose with students without any idea of who they are.
Pilots are as diverse as any other group of people, and we have some very interesting characters who have no place being anywhere near an airplane. Yet they somehow manage to sneak through anyway, and get people killed regardless. There are no barriers to entry for becoming an instructor. No university degree, no work experience, nothing other than TC exams and check rides, which can easily be gamed if you know the right people. Just a flaw in the system that can be easily exploited.
So all else being equal, an FTU that doesn't know a candidate will put them through a rigorous interview process. That doesn't mean their process is perfect, but as I said earlier, instructing is a deadly serious job and they have to do something to screen applicants. If they know the candidate then it can be annoying, but just like check rides it is a necessary filter for competence.
All this said, most FTUs only hire their own instructors exclusively, or students who go elsewhere to complete their instructor rating and then return to the school as Class 1s are rare these days. Only rarely will a fresh class 4 with no experience get hired at an FTU without any connections, because it is just too much of a risk to let someone loose with students without any idea of who they are.
Pilots are as diverse as any other group of people, and we have some very interesting characters who have no place being anywhere near an airplane. Yet they somehow manage to sneak through anyway, and get people killed regardless. There are no barriers to entry for becoming an instructor. No university degree, no work experience, nothing other than TC exams and check rides, which can easily be gamed if you know the right people. Just a flaw in the system that can be easily exploited.
