Time Building Flying - Non CFI

Connections are everything. I am in the same boat as most however I have logged over 200 hours in the past 100 days just doing CFI stuff. I only have 3 students and I work out of a flight club where I am not employed rather just self employed trying to build those hours. I do BFR’s, IPC’s taking first timers up…Its all fun.
On top of that I am in Wings of Mercy where we fly all sorts of planes from single to twin. You don’t get paid but you don’t pay. It’s a way to just volunteer your abilities and feel good about helping others.
I would recommend getting your cfi. It will pay off. It is a lot of hard focusing work, but it is still flying and it is still a lot of fun. It sure beats my main job of fueling airplanes.
Keep your chin up; I think the upward movement is not far away. I would also keep your resume up to date… you never know.
 
Joe Gremlin said:
Then the absolute last thing you should do is teach. I might be unpopular on this board in my opinion of this, but if there is one thing we need less of in aviation, its flight instructors who don't really want to be flight instructors. There is absolutely nothing worse than trying to learn from a teacher who doesn't want to be a teacher. Its a disservice to your students and yourself.
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Very well said. Thank you.
 
Joe Gremlin said:
Then the absolute last thing you should do is teach. I might be unpopular on this board in my opinion of this, but if there is one thing we need less of in aviation, its flight instructors who don't really want to be flight instructors. There is absolutely nothing worse than trying to learn from a teacher who doesn't want to be a teacher. Its a disservice to your students and yourself.
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:clap:
 
Yeah don't teach if you don't want to. If you look really hard, shake hands and are willing to move anywhere, there are skydiving, banner towing and other really random things that 500TT can get. Heck I have 330 and I'm dropping meat missiles 4-7 days a week. Only been doing it a very short amount of time now, but my daily persistence and knocking on doors paid off after about 2 months.
 
z987k said:
Yeah don't teach if you don't want to. If you look really hard, shake hands and are willing to move anywhere, there are skydiving, banner towing and other really random things that 500TT can get. Heck I have 330 and I'm dropping meat missiles 4-7 days a week. Only been doing it a very short amount of time now, but my daily persistence and knocking on doors paid off after about 2 months.
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Agreed 100%

Joe Gremlin said:
Then the absolute last thing you should do is teach. I might be unpopular on this board in my opinion of this, but if there is one thing we need less of in aviation, its flight instructors who don't really want to be flight instructors. There is absolutely nothing worse than trying to learn from a teacher who doesn't want to be a teacher. Its a disservice to your students and yourself.
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Agreed 100%

bretthullrampage said:
To the original poster...Im in the same boat myself. My eyes are ears are always open regarding low time jobs; if I happen upon anything, I will let you know.
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Thank you Sir. Your words are kind.

Anewsted said:
Connections are everything. I am in the same boat as most however I have logged over 200 hours in the past 100 days just doing CFI stuff. I only have 3 students and I work out of a flight club where I am not employed rather just self employed trying to build those hours. I do BFR’s, IPC’s taking first timers up…Its all fun.
On top of that I am in Wings of Mercy where we fly all sorts of planes from single to twin. You don’t get paid but you don’t pay. It’s a way to just volunteer your abilities and feel good about helping others.
I would recommend getting your cfi. It will pay off. It is a lot of hard focusing work, but it is still flying and it is still a lot of fun. It sure beats my main job of fueling airplanes.
Keep your chin up; I think the upward movement is not far away. I would also keep your resume up to date… you never know.
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I have realized that. I guess i just have a fear in my heart. I think to my self, what if i do not become a good instructor? What if my student crash on me and i am unable to do anything? All these what if scenarios are my apprehensions. But i will go for my CFI for sure and hopefully will utilize my learning experience and help others in any way or form i can.
 
jhugz said:
Don't think of it that way. I'm what you may consider a time building instructor. I'm building time until something else comes along. However I give my students my all while there. Instruction makes you one hell of a pilot. I learn something new every day and my skill set is becoming better and better because my students challenge me constantly. I've been instructing for about a year and a half and I'm ready for the next challenge. However, I wouldn't trade in my time instructing for anything.

Good luck!
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That depends very much on the pilot. VERY VERY much. I've known CFIs that I wouldn't trust to fly their way out of a wet paper bag, that said, I've also known CFIs that I'd put my fiancee with any day.

Any particular kind of flying doesn't make you anything. Rather, what a particular pilot makes of a type of flying makes all the difference.
 
TopGunn said:
Agreed 100%



Agreed 100%



Thank you Sir. Your words are kind.



I have realized that. I guess i just have a fear in my heart. I think to my self, what if i do not become a good instructor? What if my student crash on me and i am unable to do anything? All these what if scenarios are my apprehensions. But i will go for my CFI for sure and hopefully will utilize my learning experience and help others in any way or form i can.
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Yeah true… It is a scary feeling. All you can do is your best. If you do get to that point, make sure you log all flight training and keep it in-depth. Make sure you complete all required pre solo, solo, check ride ect. before signing them off.
Some people have it and some don’t. If it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, it will most definitely reflect towards your students so make sure once you get your CFI you teach in a positive manner… I would personally rather be flying “rubber dog out of Hong Kong” but I put on that smile and thank them for the flight time. Besides, to me, it is real rewarding when that student solo’s and what not. Who knows, maybe you will stumble along a job trying to become a CFI and won’t have to worry about it. Or maybe one of your students will be extremely rich and hire you to fly with him in his eclipse or king air or what not… (Happened to my friend)….
All-in-all good luck.
 
z987k said:
hmmm, don't know if you are contradicting yourself, but whatever.
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I was thinking the same thing.

You say you don't really want to teach. I tell you that if you don't really want to teach, you really shouldn't teach. You 100% agree and in the same post, you say you're probably going to suck it up and teach. Ummm.... ok. Whatever. :rolleyes:
 
Joe Gremlin said:
I was thinking the same thing.

You say you don't really want to teach. I tell you that if you don't really want to teach, you really shouldn't teach. You 100% agree and in the same post, you say you're probably going to suck it up and teach. Ummm.... ok. Whatever. :rolleyes:
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Dont worry, you wont be my student. I don't want to teach, but if it ends being my last resort, i will teach. My feelings does not constitute my lack of commitment toward students, career or flying. Whatever i do, whether i enjoy it or not, i devote 100%. We all end up doing something in our life that we may not really enjoying doing, but it may very well be a stepping stone to our goals.
 
TopGunn said:
Dont worry, you wont be my student. I don't want to teach, but if it ends being my last resort, i will teach. My feelings does not constitute my lack of commitment toward students, career or flying. Whatever i do, whether i enjoy it or not, i devote 100%. We all end up doing something in our life that we may not really enjoying doing, but it may very well be a stepping stone to our goals.
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The thing is, everyone says they devote 100% no matter what. Its been my experience that when you actually want to do something, the 100% ends up being bigger and much more enthusiastic than the 100% you put into something you're doing because you feel you must even though you'd rather be doing something else. I think that's just human nature. So if your 100% is really the same in both cases, then you're either a freak of nature or your 100% isn't all that much even when you want to do what you're doing. No offense intended, but that's just been my experience with people time and time again.

Either way I wish you all the best and I don't begrudge you doing what you feel you must. But don't say you agree with me 100% when you clearly do not.
 
to get back to the thread...

banner towing was it for me, it got me a lot of hours in a little time, i eventually went and got my cfi, but never have used it much. there are plenty of banner outfits out there...
be prepared to be bored and scared at the same time, but its a good gig if you know when to say no. PM me if you want some names, its a little late in the season, but there are a lot of outfits and a lot of higher time guys are dropping out for 'better' things.
good luck!
 
Banners was my way of avoiding going the CFI route as well. In the height of the season I used to log 45 to 50 hours a week, every week. Plus you'll never again be scared of stalls or slow flight.
 
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