I'm a flight student at Florida Tech about to graduate this Saturday. From what I know, F.I.T. Aviation, LLC, the airside subsidiary to Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, is on a downhill slide with respect to University student enrollment, which accounts for a large chunk of its business, in addition to over-the-counter services and training. However, they may or may not be attempting to secure an ab initio FAA/JAA training contract of sorts with an overseas flight school that may potentially boost primary flight training numbers (Private/Commercial) as soon as January. In addition, a new Director and subsequent management shuffles have changed the structure and operation of the place very recently. Rumors in the mill are that part-time instructors may be let go and an army of full availability instructors may be picked up, but I have no evidence to support that claim.
The fleet has been partially updated with a mixed-age fleet of Cadets/Warriors, Arrows, Seminoles, and some specialty aircraft like a Citabria, Cirrus SR-22 G2, and some Cessna's on the ramp on lease-back from private owners. The forecast plan is to eliminate the Arrow from the fleet since the University Board of Directors has elected to revise the syllabus on campus so that students earn a Commercial (AMEL) initially to advertise our graduates have more multi time and therefore the school has no need for a retractable gear single. Presently there are 5 seminoles I think, 1 steam gauge and 4 Avidyne glass, and a slew of 30-40 Warriors, with maybe 5-10 of those with Avidyne glass cockpits.
There is also a new FBO complex being constructed as we speak and an optimistic ribbon-cutting may take place in the February time frame, at which point FIT Aviation will have a new home. A lot of changes are taking place but the University alliance keeps a relatively consistent supply of students available for the CFIs on staff. When a student finishes Private, they do their Instrument. Then Commercial. Then many go the CFI route. Present pay scale is in the ball park of $19/hr starting pay for an instructor with at least two ratings (CFI/CFII, CFI/MEI, CFII/MEI) with pay raises in 6 or 12 month intervals. In years past, flight instructors at FIT Aviation also qualified for tuition benefits at Florida Tech in the same way that a University employee receives tuition remission benefits. That has often been offered as a lure to bring people in and if supply is greater than demand, it may not be a part of the benefits package anymore.
From what I have been told, instructing here is "easy" in the Part 141 atmosphere because the majority of the flight students are deep in the books as a result of their on campus studies and most already know the majority of the ground knowledge necessary for each rating when their time at the flight line comes along. So ground time is a formality to meet 141 syllabus requirements for each lesson unless a student genuinely does not grasp something or breezed by a campus class without effort applied. Occasionally a CFI might come across a spoiled rich kid that expects to be spoon-fed everything and only wants to know enough to pass the tests, but you'll run into that scenario just about anywhere.
I have my gripes as well as my good memories, and can give insight into the employer from the customer's point of view for the past 3-4 years. PM me if you want more info. Cheers.