CFIs Needed

[rossy1163]

Has anyone actually done the interview with Sierra? I am going out to Sierra within the next two weeks to interivew and from what I can gather its a panel interview, sim-ride and written exam! I am curious if anyone knows if its a ONE-STRIKE your out kinda thing? If anyone has any inside info that would be awesome!!!

 

[flyguy]

Unless things have changed in the last few months there is no sim ride, just a written and an HR/technical. The written is very long but not too difficult. It's really more of a right of passage than an evaluation. I'm not even sure if they grade it. As for one strike, that's a big negative. You have to royally screw up the interview to not get an offer. After reciveing the offer you are on probation, and must successfully complete standardization, but I don't know of anyone who has failed standardization. Pretty much if you show up and aren't an ass, you'll get an offer. Things may have changed since I was out there though, but as desperate for instructors as they are, I'd really doubt they have any kind of "one strike" deal.

 

[rossy1163]

Thanks FlyGuy! Im flying out next week! I guess I am just a little nervous. How r the Regionals treating you? Im still not sure what route I want to take but hopefully after 10 months at Sierra I will have the TT to make a good decision! Thanks agian for posting this Thread otherwise I wouldnt have known about this and theres not much opportunity out my way for year-round flying!!

 

[butt]

Has anyone actually done the interview with Sierra? I am going out to Sierra within the next two weeks to interivew and from what I can gather its a panel interview, sim-ride and written exam! I am curious if anyone knows if its a ONE-STRIKE your out kinda thing? If anyone has any inside info that would be awesome!!!

oh please. I just showed up, had George show me around, he asked me a few questions about where I want to go work for next, where I did my training, etc, then showed me my room. A few days later I started my standardization, and have been going ever since. No test, certainly no panel interview, and definitely no "one strike, you're out" kind of thing.

All though I almost "failed" the standardization, but that was more due to miscommunications about their ###### standardization process...

 

[rossy1163]

oh please. I just showed up, had George show me around, he asked me a few questions about where I want to go work for next, where I did my training, etc, then showed me my room. A few days later I started my standardization, and have been going ever since. No test, certainly no panel interview, and definitely no "one strike, you're out" kind of thing.

All though I almost "failed" the standardization, but that was more due to miscommunications about their ###### standardization process...

Sounds good Butt,
I am flying out there on Wednesday to check things out!! Thats funny George told me on the phone there was a written exam, sim-ride and all this other business! Maybe they did away with it cause to many people were failing out.. LOL!! Are you enjoying working for them?? and r u making good money??

 

[FlySmiley]

Why won't this thread just die already? Seriously.

And to add something useful to the thread.... the MER experience:

You'll fly a lot
The grass is green near the dorms
Most of the instructors are/were ok
Students suck
MX sucks
Airplanes suck
Food sucks
Management sucks
Dorms suck
Atwater sucks
Curriculum sucks
"The (local) women look like mountains" - according to a student that is probably no longer there
Accurate Nick? Did I miss anything?

Turn down the sucks and turn up the rocks already Sierra. If you decide to go there.. shudder.. enjoy.

 

[Nick]

Why won't this thread just die already? Seriously.

It won't die already because people are still getting 140 hours a month and $2,000 paychecks every other week without having to pay anyone rent.

Or at least that's why the thread wasn't dead last summer when a bunch of CFIs were doing that.

I am not agreeing with you or disagreeing with you. But this is why there is interest in the job.

 

[WAFlyBoy]

Why won't this thread just die already? Seriously.

No, like an Alarus, it will just cough and burp until somebody just pulls the mixture.

You'll fly a lot
The grass is green near the dorms
Most of the instructors are/were ok

Agree to all.

Students suck

But (most of them) try very hard and can be quite charming in their own little ways.

MX sucks

Agree.

Airplanes suck

152's and PA-44's are as good as the maintenance they receive. The Alarus can burn.[/quote]

Food sucks

But it's free. Hell, with the money you can make and the free housing, it's no big deal to buy your own food, right? At least some of it.

Management sucks

In a sense, yes. But I remember when I was there, an instructor pretty much had complete autonomy over the training of their students. Fly when you want, where you want, as long as you can find a plane. The freedom did not suck at all.

Dorms suck

No rent, no utilities to pay, no commute to work. Shared bathroom, very basic decor, poor lighting. Pros and cons.

Atwater sucks

Agree.

Curriculum sucks

Disagree.

"The (local) women look like mountains" - according to a student that is probably no longer there

Sounds like something Maxwell would say. Agree for the most part.

My buck-oh-five: I did my 10 months and moved on. I did a ton of flying, had some good times, had some frustrating times. All-in-all, time well spent.

FlySmiley, do I know you?

 

[Nick]

No, like an Alarus, it will just cough and burp until somebody just pulls the mixture.

LOLOLOL

 

[Nick]

"The local women look like mountains"

Sounds like something Maxwell would say.

:rotfl:

Funny thing is, I really did have one of them say something exactly opposite. While I was in Yosemite hiking Half Dome with Huang Tao he looked at a mountain to the south and told me it looked like a woman. "That shape on that mountain looks like breasts."

FlySmiley, as far as you thinking the students suck -- that is true for some students but for most of them it depends on how they are treated by their instructor.

My most recent e-mail to a bunch of the ones I flew with basically yielded ten replies to a standing invitation for them to show me around China on their time off. I showed them Yosemite and San Francisco. I will eventually take them up on their offer in their hemisphere.

Find me three CFI jobs that pay as much, give you as many hours including multi-engine time, and let you live a five minute walk from the fleet for free.
1)
2)
3)

 

[flyguy]

I have to agree that a major part of what makes a student is how they are treated by their instructors. I have seen a lot of students mistreated out there. The FOI stuff you learn preparing to become a CFI, and never think you'll really use, I got to see in full force. If they are uncomfortable in their learning environment, they will not learn. They will have a miserable time and their instructors will have a miserable time trying to teach them. When many of the instructors started to leave for the airlines, I ended up flying with a lot of different students. I also got some of the "problem sudents". However, after a few weeks with me, they became some of the best students we had. I didn't do anything special. I just treated them like human beings. I taught them that flying was fun. Once they started having fun, they started learning. And if they are having fun, so am I. That's what I loved about instructing, was passing on my love of aviation. The most challening part about instructing these students however, is not the language barrier, but their lack of motivation, most likely due to being sent to Atwater as a result of being part of a communist government rather than chasing a lifelong dream. Passing on my passion for flying was very dificult, but after a year and a half of instructing those students out there, I got the hang of it, and it was a rush, and I really miss it. Although flying jets is awesome too.

Anyway, yeah, there's a lot of stuff that sucks out there. But its what you make of it. All in all, I love flying, and out there I got to fly as much as I could phyisically handle. I got paid a lot of money, and I didn't have any bills (except for food, because the free food out there reaaaaalllly does suck). I made a lot of good friends, and as much as it sucked out there, it was one of the best times of my life. However, that being said, I am done with the place and wouldn't go back there unless they offered a 6 figure salary, but all in all I'm glad I did it.

 

[Nick]

Oh man I think I figured out who FlySmiley is! We don't need to explain any of this to him!


So I'll veer off course and ask: at what other flight school can you cancel you entire day (night) of flying because you simply feel like having a bender barbecue with a bunch of other instructors!

Good times.

 

[FlySmiley]

Oh man I think I figured out who FlySmiley is! We don't need to explain any of this to him!


So I'll veer off course and ask: at what other flight school can you cancel you entire day (night) of flying because you simply feel like having a bender barbecue with a bunch of other instructors!

Good times.

I was just making broad generalizations... it had its good parts, probably more bad parts, but that was made up for in the $$. Nick and WA check your PM's.

 

[rossy1163]

Just arrived home from a 2 day interview at the Atwater campus! The food is okay but I was only there for 2 days:laff:!! FYI any instructors applying for the postion.. STUDY YOUR BUTT OFF the written exam is insane and took me about 5 hours. The panel interview was alot of Jet Aeordynamic questions and IFR stuff! There was also a Sim-Ride in thier new full motion King Air Sim!! Good Luck to anyone applying and let me know if I can answer any questions.. There sending me a letter, so I have no idea if I have a job with them or not yet!!! If not I WILL be re-applying in 6 months and will know what to study for that written! This looks to be the best CFI GIG currently around:nana2:

 

[flyguy]

Just arrived home from a 2 day interview at the Atwater campus! The food is okay but I was only there for 2 days:laff:!! FYI any instructors applying for the postion.. STUDY YOUR BUTT OFF the written exam is insane and took me about 5 hours. The panel interview was alot of Jet Aeordynamic questions and IFR stuff! There was also a Sim-Ride in thier new full motion King Air Sim!! Good Luck to anyone applying and let me know if I can answer any questions.. There sending me a letter, so I have no idea if I have a job with them or not yet!!! If not I WILL be re-applying in 6 months and will know what to study for that written! This looks to be the best CFI GIG currently around:nana2:

WOW!! I guess thaings have changed. That is surprising. What's more surprising is they finally got that King Air sim up.

 

[WestIndian425]

Oh man I think I figured out who FlySmiley is! We don't need to explain any of this to him!


So I'll veer off course and ask: at what other flight school can you cancel you entire day (night) of flying because you simply feel like having a bender barbecue with a bunch of other instructors!

Good times.

I think I figured out who it is too.

WOW!! I guess thaings have changed. That is surprising. What's more surprising is they finally got that King Air sim up.

Not only that...they have a King Air now!

I will say this, like Nick, my students are telling me I need to visit China and they'd be happy to show me around. The joy of seeing them pass their checkrides was in deed something I cherish, as well as the night flying as groups to several places.

Pros and cons with the job, but I have no regrets.

 

[aviatormar]

Ok, I will offically say that I'm not exactly fond of this place, but being from BOSTON (hope you guys can figure out who I am) and being stuck in the valley sucks. But this job will land you hours out the arse, the people here you work with are mostly rad, and the students are what they are. This last weekend I went to San Deigo, got paid over 200 bucks for the time, and ohh wow, never paid anything. Let's see, sit on the beach and look at women, tough job.

 

[cfii2007]

Ok, I will offically say that I'm not exactly fond of this place, but being from BOSTON (hope you guys can figure out who I am) and being stuck in the valley sucks. But this job will land you hours out the arse, the people here you work with are mostly rad, and the students are what they are. This last weekend I went to San Deigo, got paid over 200 bucks for the time, and ohh wow, never paid anything. Let's see, sit on the beach and look at women, tough job.

I agree....being a CFI is sometimes a lot of fun.

 

[flyguy]

Ok, I will offically say that I'm not exactly fond of this place, but being from BOSTON (hope you guys can figure out who I am) and being stuck in the valley sucks. But this job will land you hours out the arse, the people here you work with are mostly rad, and the students are what they are. This last weekend I went to San Deigo, got paid over 200 bucks for the time, and ohh wow, never paid anything. Let's see, sit on the beach and look at women, tough job.

You got any multi time yet Boston?

 

[aviatormar]

dude, of course not, I'm a sierradiser for life, how skywest these days man?