Career CFI?

GulfstreamG4

GulfstreamG4

Well-Known Member
hey guys, been lurking here a few years. I currently own and operate my own business, did alittle bit of flying back in high school but ended up stopping with around 28 hours. I have been going back and fourth with the idea of getting back in to flight training, but have been discouraged every time I come on this site haha. I don't have much interest in becoming a regional or airline pilot. I would love to make a career of being a CFI, even though everything I have read on here implies they basically make peanuts. I personally think it could be a great career just for the simple fact that nobody ever really views it as a career, but more as a stepping stone to build hours. As a business owner myself, what incentive would I have to hire a person knowing full well that he/she is only here to ultimately "use" me as a stepping stone? Let alone give them promotions. I feel that if I got on board with a school that knew that this was my career goal, I would have a much better chance of getting a legitimate career offer over the person that is just there to build hours. If anyone else on here actually has been successful being a career CFI, please feel free to chime in because I would love to hear if this is a feasible thought. If anyone else wants to put their insights in, feel free as well. Thanks guys.
 
People do become career CFI's. Even if a flight school knows that it is your intention chances are you will not get a "career offer" beyond a Chief Flight Instructor gig. Those typically don't pay that well except at larger schools. I believe going a university route would likely be the best way to be a career CFI. Perhaps over time you could become a DPE. They can make some pretty good money if you are in a good area.
 
The few career CFI I have met do very specialized flying. Such as Bud Davidson who is the premier Pitts checkout pilot. Generally they own the flight they teach for so income comes in there. You just have to be creative.
 
tiredcfi said:
^this
There are usually opportunities to move up to chief instructor and/or professor with the proper qualifications.
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That seems like a good route. I'm assuming you need a 4 year degree for that though? I went to school for a year and half and stopped to continue growing my biz. I am not looking to cleanup and make crazy money, just enough to make a comfortable living.
 
GulfstreamG4 said:
That seems like a good route. I'm assuming you need a 4 year degree for that though? I went to school for a year and half and stopped to continue growing my biz. I am not looking to cleanup and make crazy money, just enough to make a comfortable living.
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A 4 year degree at minimum. At some point you will probably need to get a masters degree as well.
 
tiredcfi said:
A 4 year degree at minimum. At some point you will probably need to get a masters degree as well.
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jeez. what are the prerequisites for CFI's and charter pilots? I remember back when I was doing my training, you didn't need a degree to be either of those.
 
GulfstreamG4 said:
jeez. what are the prerequisites for CFI's and charter pilots? I remember back when I was doing my training, you didn't need a degree to be either of those.
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Depends on the shop really, some want a degree, others don't care. Typically a CFI at a university will either need a degree, or be a student there. That could vary by school though. (that was the case where I was at)
 
I mean... To be honest, I don't see how it would be feasible to make a real career out of being a CFI anymore unless it is something you have been doing for a while already. The reality is that in my city, the number of people actively pursuing flight training is down by about 50% across the board. I've talked to the DPEs in my area and they have confirmed this. There are individual flight instructors who are steady (I wouldn't call it busy) but like I said, they have been around a while. You could work at a busy 141 school with foreign students but you won't make very much per hour compared to some places and you will work your tail off (and believe me, the burn out will come eventually no matter how much love you have for the profession). Those places maintain the contracts they have with these foreign students based on the business model of low prices, lots of hours, and low pay for instructors. They usually want the instructors to get the time they need to move on to something else and then do just that. So long story short, I think you would be choosing to be poor for a long time if you want to be a career flight instructor. And I don't even think you could "live well" for a long time on flight instructor wages. I would suggest (if you are serious in this endeavor) finishing your private pilot rating, perhaps look into buying a cheap aircraft (152 or something), do all of your training in it, then instruct freelance on the side in that aircraft. You could even look into doing a lease-back with a flight school so you can build up clientele and the airplane stays busy. Then eventually I would look into working on your A&P to help offset the cost of maintenance on said aircraft. Just my .02 so take it for what you will... But that is the route I would pursue if I had the desire to do this for a career.
 
A career CFI at a university is different than at a mom and pop school. I would imagine a masters would be required.
 
In my experience, the vast majority of CFIs that make peanuts work for schools that take a 70% cut of the hourly rate for instruction. It's possible to make a fairly decent wage as a CFI but you need to either work for a school that wants career instructors or make it on your own, which is difficult if you establish yourself as an independent contractor. I'm sure there are people on here who know the good avenues.
 
I heard from a "friend" that there is a cirrus outfit in south Florida that pays very well for cirrus CFIs because they deal with wealthy clients who want quality training for their investment. I don't know the specifics but it is possible to make more than peanuts.
 
My school has a fair amount of career CFIs working there. I am amazed at their commitment and passion for the students to learn and to continually teach students decade after decade. I really love my job. It beats anything else I could be doing by a long shot, but for me it is a stepping stone in my career. Even though it is a stepping stone, I cherrish my job and do the best that I can at it and I devote my time to the here and now rather than disrespecting my student's time and money by just having SJS written all over my face. Most, if not all schools understand that for a lot of flight instructors, they have big career goals. Most schools at the same time seek some sort of commitment since they know instructors leave.

If you truly have a passion to do nothing but teach, you really enjoy flying, and you want to teach others to fly. Then I'd say go for it, but the passion has truly got to be there.
 
1. The CFI who uses the flight school as a stepping stone actually plays an important role. Don't discount him/her.

2. Not to be a party pooper, but I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself here. You say you've got 28 hours. You still have a bit to go to become a private pilot, and you're pretty far from getting a CPL. After that, you've got to go get your CFI, and then decide if you like it. When I had 28hrs dual given, I still wasn't sure how the hell to teach people how to fly.

3. In terms of being a career CFI, it is workable. I know a few guys who make pretty darn good money (for a CFI) as career instructors. They have a rich aviation background though, and their reputation precedes them. They've seen just about everything once. I'd echo the advice given above, and go with the bigger name flight schools like universities. They're going to be more stable, and while the hourly rate probably won't be the highest, will probably offer a more competitive benefits package. Of course, location is very important. Pick somewhere with good flying weather all year round.
 
Another thing to add, if you want to be a career CFI, you should really go out and get at least one REAL flying job so you will have some ACTUAL experience. Some Roger Roger JustinS of you are familiar with what happens when you don't have any actual non-cfi-flying-for-a-living experience and then pretend you do. #practiceareahero Don't be that guy!
 
My former CFI is a lifer. He's young and has well above 121 mins. He is a people person and probably has one of the best work ethics I've ever seen. Id imagine those qualities are a major factor for his success. He has a way with infecting folks to have a passion for flying. I asked him once if he would go the 121 route and he said "No way, I love flying airplanes too much"
 
I would suggest working at a 142 training center if you have a passion and gift for instruction. The schoolhouses are flush with inept instructors. This is one of the things I had to learn as a young inexperienced guy. I always had this vision of ultra-competence in the jet instruction world. Let me tell you that it is no different than instruction at a 141 or 61 school.

There really is a dire need for quality instructors in 142 schools, plus you can make money and have a life.
 
GulfstreamG4

Being a CFI was in my opinion one of the most rewarding jobs I ever held. Seeing a student progress from not even knowing what a magneto or trim tab was to seeing the joy on their very first solo flight just tops some of the moments in my life. I was a CFI at a university for 2 yrs, I made peanuts as you say ($10/hr). SOME universities do a lot better than this, but most do not because turnover is so high since most of the cfi's are products of the school and intend to move on. This, just like the regionals, is why they pay so low. If you would truly like to become a career CFI my advice would be somehow set yourself apart. What I mean is don't be just another Cessna 172 instructor. If you could specialize your set of skills to a population that would be willing to pay a little extra simply because there are not many of the type of instructors around that they are looking for.

For example. Someone mentioned becoming a Certified Cirrus Instructor. I know from personal friends who do this, they can make some really good money simply because, as mentioned above, most of the clientele who you would be dealing with are the ones who are looking to buy one of these aircraft and have money. Some of these guys make up to $85/hr. And remember, most of these guys already have their licenses, so you are teaching them how to safely fly their new aircraft and probably for their insurance requirements. So lots of cross countries and etc. Other specialties could include tailwheel, glider, float-plane.

Next. I believe that the day is coming for the return of the career CFI. With enrollment the lowest that it has been for flight schools in the last decade, less and less CFI's are being produced. This is great news for someone who wants to make a career from being a CFI because the power of supply and demand comes into effect.

Anyway, good luck Gulfstream. I hope you are able to follow your dream to make this happen. Just remember that once you do, you are providing a service that not a lot of other people can provide so don't ever take less than you feel that you are worth just to get into an airplane.

Cheers!
 
Finding a niche and specializing can earn you quite a bit as a CFI. My job teaching G1000 pays quite well (>50k).
 
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