Getting paid like a professional...

L

lisboa

Well-Known Member
Let me tell you about the school where I work. We have 15 planes, all of which are IFR certified. (Including all of our 152's and Cherrokees.) All of our instructors are truely independant contractors. There are absolutely no minimum hours required to "sit around the office".

There are about 12 full time instructors and the average flight time is between 4000-8000 hrs. There are also several lower time instructors. (I'm one of them.)

We don't have enough instructors to handle all of the incoming business. Here's where it gets good...instruction is billed at $45/hr. The school keeps nothing; they make their money on the plane rental and they like to treat their instructors very well.

One of the instructors who just left for the regionals (idiot :sarcasm:) billed 110 hours last month. You do the math! :nana2:

If you would like to work in the Los Angeles area and have the Pacific Ocean as your practice area let me know.

I hope this helps someone!
 
I was having a discussion on this with some of my friends a couple of days ago.

I was explaining that flight schools charge 30-45/hr for instruction and many instructors are lucky to make 8-10/hr, I never see a place even give half to an instructor. You are lucky if you can find an 'independent' gig directly teaching someone; you can easily charge the same 30-45/hr and pocket it all.

It sounds like it's definitely a good opportunity for someone who wants to be fairly compensated!


Raise in CFI pay across the board = Raise in entry wages for regionals across the board. Obviously there is a delay.
 
Best pay that I have heard of near me so far has been around $20 to $25. The school charges $35 for the instructor, so that is a pretty good return I figure. The school makes its money on maintenance and fuel. Plus the instructors get 10% off of rentals.

I do know of one school that charges $40 for an instructor and the instructor pay is about $10..............what crap!
 
Understand, the FBO's have expenses. They have to pay liability insurance on the instructional staff. They provide office and classroom space for their instructors. There are probably other expenses I have not even thought of. That $45 an hour is not profit.
 
I've heard of this before. It seems to happen more in smaller airports. The only place I can remember that does this is Cameron Park by Sacramento, CA. I was talking w/ the owner of the FBO/'flight school'. The instructors are freelance, stay very busy w/ student schedules and bill $40/hr direct to the instructor's pockets. Good stuff. :)
 
I know of several flight schools that pay instructors good. There is no reason to take a job as a CFI making less than $20/hr in this day and age. And $20/hr is the bare minimum.

The only exception I can think of is a school that is giving you multi-time. It is not right but you are going to save thousands by not having to go buy the time yourself.
 
Maybe after I finish up ATP at Riverside I would look into this location. Would they hire someone with such low time though? Just under 300tt when I get done.

-Rob
 
lisboa said:
Let me tell you about the school where I work. We have 15 planes, all of which are IFR certified. (Including all of our 152's and Cherrokees.) All of our instructors are truely independant contractors. There are absolutely no minimum hours required to "sit around the office".

There are about 12 full time instructors and the average flight time is between 4000-8000 hrs. There are also several lower time instructors. (I'm one of them.)

We don't have enough instructors to handle all of the incoming business. Here's where it gets good...instruction is billed at $45/hr. The school keeps nothing; they make their money on the plane rental and they like to treat their instructors very well.

One of the instructors who just left for the regionals (idiot :sarcasm:) billed 110 hours last month. You do the math! :nana2:

If you would like to work in the Los Angeles area and have the Pacific Ocean as your practice area let me know.

I hope this helps someone!
Click to expand...


this is exactly how the school i teach at works. If you wanna be able to feed yourself this is the ONLY way to go. Plus, i like not having to work for some boss putting the pressure on you at a pilot factory.

by the way if any of you guys are looking for the same thing up in Portland we could use an instructor or two out here also.
 
"If you would like to work in the Los Angeles area and have the Pacific Ocean as your practice area let me know."

Does the place have a website?

I seem to have a lot of free time on my hands doing this reserve thing...
 
ulti
subpilot said:
The only exception I can think of is a school that is giving you multi-time. It is not right but you are going to save thousands by not having to go buy the time yourself.
Click to expand...

If you work it right, you can pay for NO multi time . . . not even the ratings!
 
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