Freelance Flight Instructor available for travel to anywhere in Canada.

Fly with an enthusiastic, personable, and experienced instructor. 100% record of student pass on first attempt to the flight test.
Take advantage of the summer months and earn your Pilot licence!

Even if it’s been a while and you’re just looking to get refreshed and recurrent, you can become comfortable flying safely again.

References available

FreelanceInstructor@Hotmail.com

Are you a Class 1?

Tango01 wrote:Are you a Class 1?

Check Pm's

***Suggestions for those considering employing a freelance instructor***

1) Make sure all the terms of the costs that will be incured during your training are discussed. This includes both in air time and briefing time but also any travel and lodging/living expenses that might be intended to be charged. Some of the services may or will have to be outsourced that are required for your private licence or recreational permit training. This includes, but not limited to: issue of a Student Pilot Permit, groundschool requirements, Designated Flight Test Examiner services and End licencing.

2) Make sure there is a plan on how to aquire those aforementioned outsourced services. In addition you will also have to aquire a Radiotelephone Operator's Restricted Licence (Aeronautical). Find out where your nearest Industry Canada office is to aquire this.

3) Ensure that the flight instructor is qualified to teach on the aircraft intended to be used.

4) Ensure that the aircraft to be used for teaching fulfils the requirements for the desired training to be accomplished. To this end make sure especially that the insurance people are satisfied. If the aircraft is unable to accomplish all the required lessons (for example: Spins) make sure there is a plan to aquire the use of one for this training, or outsource that training.

5) Keep records of all training and monetary transactions relating to the training. You should be keeping a Pilot's Log book and your instructor be keeping a Pilot Training Record of your training. It is very important though that you keep posession of both of these. Never surrender your Log Book, and the Pilot Training Record will be kept with you until it is submitted to your nearest Transport Canada office for the issue of your licence. Demand receipts when you pay for services rendered.

6) If a Flight Training Unit is going to be used for the outsourcing of some of the licence requirements, ensure that they are fully informed of your and your freelance instructor's activities in regards to the use of their personell or facilities.


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Shiny Side Up wrote:***Suggestions for those considering employing a freelance instructor***

Hey Shiny Side Up, Thanks for the input and suggestions for students and Pilots. I agree with everything you have written and am curious if you had any bad experiences with freelance instructors in the past? I get a little bit a feeling of you almost suggesting to people to re-consider using a freelance instructor from your post. I hope too many people aren't discouraged as freelancing is a way of making a living I really enjoy and a great way for my students to have dedicated and focused instruction.

Rest assured I uphold all the standards from when I instructed at a flight school, maintain a good rapport with Transport Canada and inform students of how freelancing is different from going to a flight training unit including the costs involved. As part of the service of freelancing however, I don't expect a student to have to find out where the nearest Industry Canada office is or expect them to find out everything required as this is the leg work I do. Along with ensuring all your other helpful suggestions are met much the same way you can walk into a flight school and have them show you whats required. But again, you're right, it is a good idea for everyone to consider these points.

The reason I have chosen freelancing is because I found a need for people who desire to become a Pilot but don't have access to flight training units and still want to get up flying and a large number of general aviators who don't fly anymore because of re-currency issues or confidence.

That is why I make my self available for travel so I can go to these communities where flight schools do not have enough of a demand to run and yet keep aviation alive, happy, and safe across Canada. I would appreciate any support I can get from the rest of the aviation community and am open to any suggestions you also might have for me as a freelance instructor if you have some ideas that would help keep aviation strong.

Hey Shiny Side Up, Thanks for the input and suggestions for students and Pilots. I agree with everything you have written and am curious if you had any bad experiences with freelance instructors in the past? I get a little bit a feeling of you almost suggesting to people to re-consider using a freelance instructor from your post.

While I personally have not had any bad experiences directly with freelance instructors, I've had to clean up the mess that many have made. As an authorized person, I've seen many people come to me "ready to be licenced" and not meeting the requirements. Many have also turned to the services of a FTU after having parted ways with a freelance instructor they had employed - with some very angry. Its very tough to explain to someone who has all the skills ready to be a private pilot that since there is no record, they're back at square one. In the worst case scenario I seen the freelance instructor had done all the work with a commercial student but since all the training was paid for by cash under the table and the instructor had both the student's log and PTR... As far as I know that person is still trying to track down their instructor - out about $15,000 worth of flying.

I'm not suggesting not to use a freelance instructor, I am mostly suggesting that they use them wisely and look out for themselves.

Flight training in Canada is a dirty game. Your best bet to avoid getting ripped off is to fly at a FTU, never put money on account, do not sign contracts, etc and demand your PTR to be certified. This however will not protect you from the farmers that love to milk!

Tango01 wrote:Flight training in Canada is a dirty game. Your best bet to avoid getting ripped off is to fly at a FTU, never put money on account, do not sign contracts, etc and demand your PTR to be certified. This however will not protect you from the farmers that love to milk!

if you know of anyone who couldn't get a PTR certified, they should call TC. the FTU is obligated to certify it and give it to the student if they plan on leaving.

I hired a freelance instructor off avcanada to do my night rating, but he never showed up and it turns out he had another full-time job. Also he only ever gave me his first name, and no email or phone contact details (even though I gave all my contact details to him).

It makes me slightly suspicious that you have a hotmail address and aren't giving your name. If I was going to hire another freelance instructor I would be looking for someone who looks like a professional, i.e. has a corporation, website and email address, and gives out contact details here. In fact, I would probably just go to a flight school if I wanted training in future, even though it's a pain in the ass and more expensive.

Flight training in Canada is a dirty game. Your best bet to avoid getting ripped off is to fly at a FTU, never put money on account, do not sign contracts, etc and demand your PTR to be certified. This however will not protect you from the farmers that love to milk!

Flight training is no more a "dirty game" than anything else. The same suggestions I gave above could be tweaked to apply if you were hiring any other skilled person. A freelance golf coach, fitness trainer, mechanic. The same can also be applied if you're going to a Flight Training Unit as well - I've had a fair ammount of horror stories and bad luck cases where schools with an OC have folded up and left students stranded - often with no records to be had.

Remember that the only one who ultimately will make sure your poop stays in a group is you.

True, but at least at a flight school you have a daily flight sheet and they provide an invoice at the end of every flight, which can help you in a case against TC. Sure most FTU suck, no doubt, but that's just the culture in general.

Plumber, mechanic, etc? I don't think people dream of becoming these trades. The system F**cks with your dreams, and that's how they get to people's wallets.

Plumber, mechanic, etc? I don't think people dream of becoming these trades. The system F**cks with your dreams, and that's how they get to people's wallets.

Umm, I didn't say you would hire one to become one. For example you might hire a mechanic in a "freelance" sort of way to do some specialty work on your dream car, you might hire a golf pro so you can shoot that perfect back nine. By the way, many people should dream of these things, they make far more money than pilots do.

And don't sell the industry that short, there are plenty doing a good job of it out there. The few bad eggs, like anything else, give the rest of us a bad name. If you do think flight schools are bad, then you obviously haven't visited the local autobody shop, garage, contractors {insert trade service here} and seen how badly they hose you.

Even if you were going to a good FTU I would make the same recomendations as above to a new student - you never know - a bit of bad luck might put you out a lot if you haven't been keeping track of your own stuff. Who knows? Maybe their office will burn down tomorrow - where are your records then?

Edit: Although we've been looking at this mostly from a customer's perspective, as per Mr. Freelance Instructor (Or Miss, whichever it happens to be) My best suggestion would be to make sure you're not out there selling yourself short - the customers aren't the only ones who can get taken. Canada's a big place to go trucking across to find work, make sure you've got a deal before hopping aboard the bus. Rural Canada is no place to find yourself with a few disillusioned townsfolk or to discover yourself flying a less than airworthy aircraft and some people wanting you to fly it. IF you're going to be out and about, make sure you get the blessing of the nearest flying school and aviation community.

_dwj_ wrote:I hired a freelance instructor off avcanada to do my night rating, but he never showed up and it turns out he had another full-time job. Also he only ever gave me his first name, and no email or phone contact details (even though I gave all my contact details to him).

It makes me slightly suspicious that you have a hotmail address and aren't giving your name. If I was going to hire another freelance instructor I would be looking for someone who looks like a professional, i.e. has a corporation, website and email address, and gives out contact details here. In fact, I would probably just go to a flight school if I wanted training in future, even though it's a pain in the ass and more expensive.

Just an update here. I've been talking to Freelance Instructor and he is a very experienced instructor with lots of real-life flying experience, and he is not the same person that I had a problem with.

Freelance Instructor

When I saw your posting I thought it was a pretty nice offer of your services and was expecting much more positive feedback from the readers. I am sorry you ended up being flamed instead.

I've been a successfull free lance instructor myself for over a decade in the past. By then I could do it with my Class II.

I hope you find some good customers and don't give up because of a few losers on this forum!

Cheers

Gilles

I agree, freelance instructing has excellent benefits. Also I believe that at many FTU's you miss out on the experience, there aren't many instructors with over 1500hrs anymore. Keep up to date with all the newest info and there isn't any reason why you should be any different than a flight school. If anything, you are probably more compariable to a CFI because of your knowledge and interest in instructing.

CD

Tango01 wrote:True, but at least at a flight school you have a daily flight sheet and they provide an invoice at the end of every flight, which can help you in a case against TC. Sure most FTU suck, no doubt, but that's just the culture in general.

Why can't a freelance instructor provide an invoice? Whats so good about having a daily flight sheet?

What difference would a Daily Flight Sheet make for freelance?

Freelance instructing, there should be a signed entry for each
flight in the journey log. And, in your PTR. And, in your personal
log. And likely, in his personal log. That's FOUR frigging logbook
entries for one crappy training flight. How much paper do you
want?!

A Daily Flight Sheet only has an operational advantage when
many, many flights are made in one day on an aircraft - usually
with different pilots - and the FTU wishes to make just one daily
entry in the journey log with the air time, for maintenance purposes,
instead of an entry for each flight.

You aren't doing that, freelance. Each individual flight should be
logged in the journey log.

Hedley wrote:A Daily Flight Sheet only has an operational advantage when
many, many flights are made in one day on an aircraft - usually
with different pilots - and the FTU wishes to make just one daily
entry in the journey log with the air time, for maintenance purposes,
instead of an entry for each flight.

Only thing I can think of on top of that is operational control and flight following.

When I freelance, I always let someone know what I am planning to do. A responsible person you could say.