Gold Seal... 1 signoff left but at a regional...

higney85

higney85

Property of Scheduling
I need some opinions here... My CFI ticket expires at the end of november of this year... And I have 9 signoffs. I really want to get that gold seal but am currently employed at a 121 carrier so I can't do it for hire. I am looking for ideas as to how to get a student and get em to pass. I don't care about the money and technically can't make any off the work anyway, I just busted my tail to get the rating and to get the 9 signed off and I feel like a I am a failure for not pushing that much harder for #10. I have my CFI/II/MEI so I can do any of the training. Someone looking for an instrument or commercial would make sense because there is not the issue of insurance on a solo, but how to attract a student or get a flight school to be "ok" with me teaching for free (insurance issue?). Just curious on thoughts/solutions. I wouldn't want to short change another instructor out of a signoff/money/time but with all the "shortage" talk I imagine taking on a student wouldn't hurt anybody. I know this is just a random thread but I imagine there are some on here who still have that CFI ticket in the back pocket. I am in the Memphis area and there are a couple of airports with flight schools in the area.
 
Try checking with Jay King up at Downtown Aviation where Amy works. Jay is the owner and he didn't have a problem with me flying there with my student in their arrow if you remember when I had that problem. All I had to do was get an instructor checkout in their airplane to meet the insurance. I dunno if that helps but let me know if you need anymore info.
 
I don't know why you say you can't do it for hire because you work at a 121 company.......as long as you don't exceed your weekly, monthly and yearly limits for ALL commercial flying, you can do whatever you want. At my company we're supposed to get permission from the VP of flight ops.......whatever you do, don't do it for free.....
 
Well, not really - sometimes you can't do 'whatever you want', many, many flying jobs have clauses that say no outside flying for hire is allowed.

And second, having "been there, done that" with his current employer, I can pretty much guarantee that any outside flying probably would push him over some of the flight time limits.

Jason
 
Well I am flying 100 hours a month- scheduled for 99:17 this month with no delays... My current employer does prohibit outside flying "for hire" unless I get permission- and thats not happening. I am running up against 1000 this year unless something seriously changes around here. I am not doing this for the flight time- used the CFI for that in the past to get to where I am now. I am a firm believer in not doing anything for free- that is what that commercial entitled me to believe. What if I did get paid for it though as an instructor and just gave it to charity? hmm... While I would love the money as an FO, this desire to get the seal has nothing to do with money. I am a very goal oriented person and when I earned my CFI my goal was to get the gold seal. For 6K and a couple weeks of studying you can get a CFI/II/MEI, but you cannot buy a gold seal- it shows hard work and dedication. It may mean nothing on a resume or to a future employer but it means alot to me. I am just going to kick myself for the rest of my career if I don't even try for the last student- 9/10 just isn't good enough for me.
 
My old instructor did that for me. He works for your company and when he was off he flew with me and finished my instrument and comm. for me FOR FREE. It was great for me and great for him to get a foot back in GA and refine his touch with flying a 172 after flying the RJ so long. I know a few people around here who are doing and finishing some training right now, so if they need someone ill be sure and let you know.
 
Alright maybe I'll be the guy to say it, but even though it's your goal to have a gold seal, when you teach someone for free (unless it's a buddy or something) you're taking food out of a CFI's mouth.

How would this be any different than Gulfstream? (Oh man I wanna fly that so bad I'll do it for free! Heck I'll pay ya!!)

I understand your goals, but there is a time to figure out you've either moved on and don't need to worry about that one, or recieve the appropriate compensation for your work.
 
If you read the beginning post you will see that as one of my concerns with the "for free" aspect. While I am not in it for the money it used to chap me to see someone instructing for free when I could have done it and made a little money. I would love to have "a buddy" in search of a signoff but that is not the case- so how to do it if not "for free"... we are right back where we started. And I would not compare this to Gulfstream- I advocate the use of the commercial even before the CFI ticket, but I am not PAYING to fly (gulfstream). We are all in this to MAKE MONEY, even if it is a hobby career. I just can't figure out a way to make this work but I have the time, skills, credentials, and the desire to get it done....hmm..:panic:
 
Right, and now that you have the time, skills, credentials, and desire - you should either get paid for it, or forget about it.

So gulfstream would be fine if the guy did it for free?

I read your concerns about doing this for free, however you have to realize you're putting your wants above what's right.
 
averyrm said:
Right, and now that you have the time, skills, credentials, and desire - you should either get paid for it, or forget about it.

So gulfstream would be fine if the guy did it for free?

I read your concerns about doing this for free, however you have to realize you're putting your wants above what's right.
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I hate it when others agree with the voices in my head.... The idea of the thread was to see if my thoughts were the wrong ones.. I just don't wanna let this go and I only have a few months left..
 
averyrm said:
Right, and now that you have the time, skills, credentials, and desire - you should either get paid for it, or forget about it.

So gulfstream would be fine if the guy did it for free?

I read your concerns about doing this for free, however you have to realize you're putting your wants above what's right.
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with providing services for free. Unless I intentionally take business from another CFI, what price I set for my services is my price, and it cannot or should not be dictated by anyone. I just did an aircraft checkout last week for free. (It was very last second, and actually the guy paid the flight school for my time, but I didn't accept the money from the flight school.) Again, this is my prerogative. I would have done it totally for free, but I figured the flight school would like the money.

Lawyers can do pro bono work. Gas stations can undercut their competitors. Airlines can sell $1.00 tickets to Hawaii. Capitalism is about freedom to set prices as you see fit. You may not like that fact, but that's life in America. As pilots, we forget about capitalism/market forces since we are so heavily unionized.

As far as this case, I'm not sure why he doesn't want to charge. It makes no difference per the FAR's if he does or doesn't charge for the instruction. It still counts toward his commercial flight time limits.
 
So, if say a lot of low time guys went to the regionals and said "We'll fly these things for free!" they're "setting their own price?" I don't buy it. They're undercutting those that should be getting paid to do a job, which is EXACTLY how I feel about a CFI giving instruction for free (unless, as stated previously, it's for a friend). I know I'd wanna go ballastic if some kid walked in and asked how much I would charge for an hour of instruction and another CFI piped up and said "Hell, I'll do it for free!"
 
Kell, I know what you are saying- been there myself. A commercial is to get paid to fly for hire, and I would still CFI on the side (for $) if I could, but we technically can't. If I didn't need just 1 signoff I wouldn't have even put thought into it, but I am soo close...:banghead:
 
higney85 said:
Kell, I know what you are saying- been there myself. A commercial is to get paid to fly for hire, and I would still CFI on the side (for $) if I could, but we technically can't. If I didn't need just 1 signoff I wouldn't have even put thought into it, but I am soo close...:banghead:
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So you are offering this service to a friend for free? Sounds like a good opportunity for a JC'r for him to "pay it forward"!
 
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