Any news on instructor pool?

pscraig

pscraig

Well-Known Member
Funny that I am asking this and I live on the FSI campus, but information just doesn't flow well around here. I heard that some people were hired at Cape Air and Chataqua over a beer at Riverside...one would think that information would be more widely publicized. And I know about the TV monitors....updated annually:)

What I am really interested in is how big the CFI pool stands now. Last I heard was no more stan classes until further notice, and no more ASA classes until further notice.

So...Where are people going when they finish? If anyone here has finished recently, how helpful was career placement services? I see all the posts from climbto350.com on the board, but what else are they doing for you? I'm thinking a bit long-range (I'm in Step 2) but want to have a plan in place.

Mood on campus seems a bit subdued lately...
 
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Mood on campus seems a bit subdued lately...

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Yeah...I haven't been around in a while.
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I heard that some people were hired at Cape Air and Chataqua over a beer at Riverside...

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That's my kind of interview!

'canfly
 
Since January, 8 IPs have been hired by various companies. According to my IP there are no plans for a stan class. The last I heard on the pool was three weeks ago when a new hire was told he was 78 on the list and expect 18-24 months for a stan class date.
 
Lastest I have heard is that the IP pool is some where around 70-80. You have to factor in that not all those people will actually come back for a position. I talked to someone who is around 25 on the list and knew everyone ahead of them. Supposedly if a stand class where to be held next week only 6 of those people would accepted a slot. (rumor)

Career services probably won't be a great deal of help in landing a CFI position, I haven't seen any info that isn't readily availible over the web. They are much more successful in working contacts and sending out resumes for IP's and higher time people. If you go talk to them they will do everything the can for you. That said, they can't work miracles and find airline jobs for pilots with 2-3 hundred hours in todays climate.

I think a lot of people are having luck finding CFI positions on their own (remember that first flying job is often the hardest to get) and other things are out there, I had one student who lined up a job flying twin otters before he was done with step 2.
 
He thinks only 6 of the 25 people in front of him would accept the slot??

I'm in front of him, and I WOULD accept a stan class spot. I know of one other that would definetly take a slot. But I know of others who wouldn't. I'm in the middle teens (wait list #) and I imagine I might be in the next class held. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I can't wait to instruct down there, great motivated students, great weather, great aircraft.
 
I received a PM from a person who claims to be near the bottom of that list, and this person was also told to expect up to 24 mos, but realistically 18 for a stan class. A casual poll of CFIs I know indicates it will take 18-24 months to complete the contract, assuming at least 2 students which is optimistic.

Not good.
 
You guys are really starting to draw a bleak picture for me. I plan to begin FSI in September, so hopefully there will be some magical upturn in the industry.

Not to sound like a traitor, but are any of you looking into CFIing at the other local academies?
 
It would be my guess that other academies need outside instructors about as much as FSI does now. Obviously, the answer to our situation would be more students, but how can/should FSI go about that?

Personally, I'm still happy that I decided to go here. I was receiving excellent instruction at my local FBO, but I really like the immersion factor. But that's just me. I'm not saying it's for everybody. Of course I'm going to say that FSI is the best (and I believe it). Otherwise, I'd leave and go somewhere else. That is an easy option here. I control my account and for me that was a huge factor in my decision.

I'm sure that it's starting to get over cliché, but it's a personal decision for every person's unique situation.

I'm most likely going to finish out my CFI here and apply for a position as an instructor. Assuming I'm hired, I'll go elsewhere and build time while waiting for standardization. Maybe I won't want/need to come back when my number comes up. Who knows? I’m sure as hell not going to sit on my ass waiting.

Would I work for the "competition"? Sure, why not? But like I said, I doubt that they'll be hiring outside any time soon either. For that matter, I don't think that FSI would hold it against you if you did. That would be retarded.

Dave
 
I have heard of a couple guys going down to Pan AM doing a couple hundred hours of instruction and then jumping ship when FSI called. It actually worked out pretty well for them, right after single engine stand they were able to go directly into multi engine stand because they already had 200 hours dual.
One guy I know went over to Paris air another is flying a king air for sunjet (FSI called him and he was like forget it) Local jobs are out there it just takes some effort.
 
I agree there are jobs out there, and I intend to find one. My problem is that the callback time has grown from 6-8 months to 18-24 just in the last few months. Combined with actually working here as a CFI to fulfill the contract, I'm looking at a 3-4 year timeframe. I'm starting to think that I might want to find other opportunities to occupy the next 3-4 years of my life.

I have also learned that the CFI ground school isn't quite what it used to be since the departure of a certain instructor. These facts combined with the exorbitant cost of the CFI course ($8300 for CFI-A only) have me looking for alternatives for CFI training.

To the school's credit, they are implementing some tools to help the higher time instructors gain employment elsewhere. There is an ATP written ground school now, and the internship Chunk has described will be underway shortly.

Still, the view from the bottom of the ladder is not inspiring. I had wondered when or if students would start leaving because of this, and just this week a very good friend disenrolled and went home.
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The cfi is actually less than that. The pro forma you are looking at has a lot of costs in there that you've already paid for...uniforms, whiz quiz, etc. etc.

The disenrollee...anybody I know?

Chunk
 
I finished the CIME program in May of last year. After that I moved back to Ohio. My crew partner however stayed and did his CFI and the interview and was hired and put in the pool (6/02). He called me yesterday (2/20) and they told him that there would not be another stand class for AT Least 24 months. Student enrollment is very low right now and there are not very many instructors with full student loads. Your best bet is go elsewhere. There are many oppertunities down there, you just have to get lucky and find the right one. Try the smaller airports in the area and see what's open. Melbourne, Valkariya, Ft. Pierce. Good Luck to all of you in the pool.
 
Holy crap. Yeah you scared me enough to get the official poop from the big wigs at school. Here's the info that I got.

Standards classes aren't set in stone yet, but as you said - around 3 months or so.

Current status as of today...

10 instructors have been hired and are byebye
10 have interviews

there are curently about 90 instructors and they plan on starting another class when they get to the 70 point which by their estimation is about three months.

Currently there are about 69-70 waiting on the list. How many are still interested is anyone's guess.

The bad news though is that interview selection has become more difficult. I got an estimate of around 50% of the people who interview get hired. I guess on the positive side, that might mean that new students would be getting the cream of the crop...

Let's all keep our fingers crossed for those 10 who have interviews as that will put us closer to having stan classes again!

Obviously if ACA or some other regional(s) come to scoop up instructors (as they have done in the past) things will be looking a lot better, but you can't really count on that. Throw in a war with Iraq and you're really starting a guessing game.

Thank god it's not 24 months! hehe

Later,
Dave
 
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The pro forma you are looking at has a lot of costs in there that you've already paid for...uniforms, whiz quiz, etc. etc.


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True, but the single engine add plus the CFI is still around $9-10K total. Good to hear that a stan class is at least on the horizon.
 
Just checked my records and my SE Add & CFI last summer together cost just over $7700.

The enrollment agreements suggest that it should have cost $11209 for both!!! As chuck mentioned the agreements list a number of items you would have already paid for if you did everything else at FSI. If I just subtract the things I had already paid for earlier in the program (that I did not pay for a second time) the price drops to $8600. I know my instructor billed very light for all of the brief time so that helped a bunch (looks like almost $900 worth of help).

Again these are numbers from summer 2002 agreements.
 
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It would be my guess that other academies need outside instructors about as much as FSI does now.

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Academies yes, but you might have better luck at a mom-n-pop FBO flight school.
 
There are CFI job available. I finished my CFI certificate last week and have had three job offers/interview offers since. It is just a matter of deciding where I want to re-locate to and how much I am willing to accept as a pay. The jobs are not at academies. They are at FBOs and they are scattered around the country. The internet is your best resource as well as the Marketing Department at FSA.

Having CFI training from FSA is a definite advantage. It has come up in conversation with two of the three employers and they both said they recognize the quality CFIs that FSA produces. Don't choose another school because of the CFI wait list here. FSA is great training and if you are willing to leave Vero when you are done, there will be a job waiting for you.
 
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