CFI Jobs Offer with 2 Year Commitment

The only company I'd give a 2 year commitment to would be IFTA in Bakersfield or Doss in Colorado. I'm still pissed I screwed up part of the ILS approach on the IFTA interview. Training only primary students for a year makes you rusty I guess. Would rather have worked there than Mesa.
 
2 year commitment as an independant contractor? what can they do if you leave before the 2 years is up? Ive never understood these jobs that basically make you into an indentured servant. If you want to quit, I cant see how they can stop you ...especially if you are going to be an independant contractor!
 
I doubt that there is any legal way they could hold you to a contract like that. Regardless any place that wants to attempt to hold somebody like that isn't worth getting involved with!
 
Cessna414JJB said:
"Looking at what we discussed today, would you feel comfortable signing this?"
Oh how easy, just lean back and read... perfect closer.
Applicant reads and thinks he/ she can - lets talk further. (The paper is likely signed and disappears)
Applicant declines or asks for time to think (a week) - and "we'll be in touch"
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I think that someone who signs a contract within minutes of seeing it may not be doing so in a well informed state. Always take the contract to review it.
 
I made a verbal commitment a while back to my current employer to stay on for at least a year. I get benefits and a weekly salary, so it was perfect for me. If I was forced to be an independent contractor and paid hourly, I wouldn't have accepted it.

What is the benefit for you? Remember, the employer isn't doing YOU a favor, it is the exact opposite.
 
mojo6911 said:
I made a verbal commitment a while back to my current employer to stay on for at least a year. I get benefits and a weekly salary, so it was perfect for me. If I was forced to be an independent contractor and paid hourly, I wouldn't have accepted it.

What is the benefit for you? Remember, the employer isn't doing YOU a favor, it is the exact opposite.
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That changes. Nobody is doing nobody a favor by being uncommitted. Thats part of the problem, not the solution. There is a multitude of good, well experienced CFI's available. Just gotta look in the right corner.
 
Cessna414JJB said:
That changes. Nobody is doing nobody a favor by being uncommitted. Thats part of the problem, not the solution. There is a multitude of good, well experienced CFI's available. Just gotta look in the right corner.
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If an employer wants a two year commitment, they have some sort of want/need, especially in this market. If a company isn't willing to give the same commitment back to me, then I don't feel its worth it.
 
Thanks a lot for all the advice/input.

I also question how these flight schools get away with this with the IRS. I've done a bit of research on independent contractor law versus just being an employee and it seems like the vast majority of independent contractors at flight schools should probably be legally categorized as employees. I guess that's aviation for you.

Anyways, I now have the contract in my hand and about a week to look it over. Myself, I have no problem staying for the two years if I'm busy and getting an appropriate amount of flight hours. If it for some reason becomes dead, my general impression of the place is that they would be okay with me leaving.

Thanks again guys
 
From the IRS website.
"An independent contractor is generally free to seek out business opportunities. Independent contractors often advertise, maintain a visible business location, and are available to work in the relevant market."

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html it's questionable if CFI's can be considered independent contractors as it is according to IRS regs. Throw in a 2 year contract and restrict their ability to provide services on the open market and the line between contractor and employee has clearly been crossed.
 
mojo6911 said:
If an employer wants a two year commitment, they have some sort of want/need, especially in this market. If a company isn't willing to give the same commitment back to me, then I don't feel its worth it.
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I was presuming a certain amount of maturity on both sides of the table.
The argument is older than dust. I used to work temporarily in a transport companies dispatch department. We had "employed drivers" doing dedicated tours and we had "sub contractors" paid per load or day.

Sure, when planning a truck around you need to know it's capacity and you need to make sure you get the truck back on the lot before the drivers maximum working time is reached. If I called one of my employees I would always know what they had on the truck (weight & volume) but with the contractors you never knew. They could drive their own accounts. Our chief dispatch noodle was frequently upset about the contractors as they skillfully avoided bad loads.

If you are a contract CFI (total outsider, bringing & teaching your own students) then there cannot be interference from me. If the CFI has a better gig somewhere else, so be it. Done. Todays students try to avoid constantly changing faces. It's special to them to have ONE CFI who's not gone next week. If someone cannot see this far into our industry whats the sense of being a CFI?
 
I made a commitment (last year) to stay at my Skool O' Flite for a semester. I stuck with that even though I was offered a class date at Airnet. I'm still here. I'll let you know in a few weeks how wonderfully I got repaid for the work I did and my loyalty to the school :-\
 
Roger said:
I made a commitment (last year) to stay at my Skool O' Flite for a semester. I stuck with that even though I was offered a class date at Airnet. I'm still here. I'll let you know in a few weeks how wonderfully I got repaid for the work I did and my loyalty to the school :-\
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LOL! I certainly hear and understand you! It's a two way street. Problem is that schools are treated like a stepping stone & that CFI's are treated like they are a endless resource. Wait... they are! I wonder how many pilots who never thought they would "have to" instruct a single day in their awesome airline careers are running for the CFI ticket right now.
It's not about the quality anymore and only very few and selective schools will be successful in the end. Same goes for the CFI's in the game. My understanding was always that you do not hold up travelers and CFI'ing is certainly not for everyone.
 
minitour said:
:yeahthat:

-mini
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I get the (slight) drift to single me out for being a bit hard headed on the contract thing. I have never entered, nor will I ever enter a contract when it is presented to me, and have never expected anyone to do so without proper review.
Whatever a contract entails needs to be reviewed before signing it. However, if you ask applicants if they would consider a contract or "gentlemens agreement" and they run, you have likely not lost all that much as a flight school.

After having spent a fair amount of time with students who got dislocated within 1-4 weeks of their CFI's starting to teach at their schools, and from having seen the effects of "stepping stone only" instructors I feel that it is neccessary to find out about the applicants ability to be committed. A mere 3 months at ATP won't swing.
 
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