Hourly Rates for independent flight instructors

FLYINGLSUTiger

FLYINGLSUTiger

New Member
I'm about to start giving instruction in a Mooney for a guys instrument rating. This is my first time being an independent flight instructor. I was wondering if anybody can give me some advice on what to charge for an hourly rate. The guy also mentioned he would let me use his plane anytime for only fuel cost so I may cut him a deal. Just looking for opinions and advice. Thanks
 
Whatever you think you're worth.

I wouldn't do it for less than $50/hour, but that's just me. I'd also tell him I appreciated the offer to fly for the price of gas, but I couldn't lower my rates because of it. But again, that's just me.

As long as you aren't intentionally undercutting other instructors, charge whatever you want.
 
Don't do hourly rates. Do day and half day rates. That way when he books you for a 4 hour block to do a lesson (which is pretty much right on for an instrument lesson including pre and post brief) and spends 2 hours on his cell/blackberry/i-phone, he'll understand up front that you're being paid from 4pm-8pm and at 8pm it's quittin' time whether he learns or spends the whole time on the phone/in the can.

-mini
 
Yeah I day dream of going independent and charging $50. I would charge in that ball park.

BUT - do you currently also work at a flight school? If he can go to the flight school and rent your for 35/hour, it might be hard to charge 50.
 
Douglas said:
BUT - do you currently also work at a flight school? If he can go to the flight school and rent your for 35/hour, it might be hard to charge 50.
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...and if he can, but doesn't, and your "boss" finds out you may find yourself not having gas money to fly his mooney (or eat ramen, pay the electric bill, etc.) very soon.

-mini
 
me? I think it depends on how you're marketing yourself and what your costs are. If you're covering insurance - let's say $500 / yr for CFI coverage, and taxes (of course) you need to take those costs into consideration.

For example, if I charge $50/hr (cause its an easy round number) I can expect 15.3% to go to self employment taxes -you're already down to an actual salary of $42.35 / hr

I average about 1000 hours a year, so throw another $.50 an hour down the tubes for insurance. ($41.85)

Any supplies you need as a contractor need to be taken into account too, but for this example I'm going to leave them out.

So, by this rough example, if you worked 1000 hours a year as a contractor and charged $50/hour your annual net income would be $42,000

At $40/hr -> $33,500

$35/hr -> $29,500

remember - this is without ANY expenses other than Taxes and $.50/hr insurance policy,

Personally I wouldn't charge less than $45-$50
 
It all depends on where you live, what the market will suport in that area, and what your time is worth.
I live in an area with a very low cost of living, so my rates are still $40/hour $50/hour in a person's personal airplane, though I may raise them as I am busy. As others have mentioned, I charge in blocks of 3-4 hours for the most part. You may live in a high cost area where CFIs can demand and get more. Recently I had someone who wanted me to ferry an airplane- but balked at my daily rate. I told him I was sure he could find someone cheaper, but for me to spend 4 days away from my home and family, that was my rate. Otherwise it was not worth it.
Also, as an independent CFI you will want to get checked out in some airplanes. The Mooney (if you don't have time in it), is a great airplane but does have some different characteristics to it if you have not flown it. If you have not flown the avionics, autopilot... you'll need to at least read up on them which also adds time to your day. For example, the Mooney factory recommends stall training be done much higher than the 1500' in the PTS in case a spin develops. You'll also need to factor this time into what you charge.
Good luck, have fun and be safe.
 
minitour said:
Don't do hourly rates. Do day and half day rates. That way when he books you for a 4 hour block to do a lesson (which is pretty much right on for an instrument lesson including pre and post brief) and spends 2 hours on his cell/blackberry/i-phone, he'll understand up front that you're being paid from 4pm-8pm and at 8pm it's quittin' time whether he learns or spends the whole time on the phone/in the can.

-mini
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That holds true on an hourly rate too though. If you have a two hour lesson (4-6pm) and he shows up 15 minutes late and then BS's on his phone for another 20 minutes, He is still getting charges for two hours of my time.
 
subpilot said:
That holds true on an hourly rate too though. If you have a two hour lesson (4-6pm) and he shows up 15 minutes late and then BS's on his phone for another 20 minutes, He is still getting charges for two hours of my time.
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Just make sure he understands that ahead of time.

-mini
 
minitour said:
Just make sure he understands that ahead of time.

-mini
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I always did this with all my students, something like this. Listen you are booking me from this time to this time, that means you are getting charged for that block. If you show up at the start of the block and I have to sit around while you preflight, plan, get weather, etc than guess what, you get charged for it. Moral of the story, be here prepared and ready to work and get here early to do it so you maximize your dollar and my time. I always charged 0.1 less than block as well just for bathroom break/water and such that I would take in that 1.5 hour period.
 
Charge top dollar.

If/when you goof up, tell the customer, "I did not give you top value today, that lesson is on me"

Good product, top-market price.

They will be back.

Cordially,


b.
 
Ok so here's the deal we worked out...I told him 50 dollars an hour and I explained i was going to have to pay for insurance so I could instruct him and he said if he would pay for my insurance what would I except for an hourly rate? I told him 40 dollars an hour if he paid for my insurance. Now, as for the flight time in his airplane, for every hour in the mooney i spend flying for personal reasons, is one hour of my flight instructing time. I pay for fuel. But if I don't fly, I just make 40 dollars an hour and get my annual insurance paid for. Any comments?
 
FLYINGLSUTiger said:
Ok so here's the deal we worked out...I told him 50 dollars an hour and I explained i was going to have to pay for insurance so I could instruct him and he said if he would pay for my insurance what would I except for an hourly rate? I told him 40 dollars an hour if he paid for my insurance. Now, as for the flight time in his airplane, for every hour in the mooney i spend flying for personal reasons, is one hour of my flight instructing time. I pay for fuel. But if I don't fly, I just make 40 dollars an hour and get my annual insurance paid for. Any comments?
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That sounds like a good deal to me...however I would look into the insurance. Pay special attention to the amount of liability you have.
 
FLYINGLSUTiger said:
Now, as for the flight time in his airplane, for every hour in the mooney i spend flying for personal reasons, is one hour of my flight instructing time. I pay for fuel. But if I don't fly, I just make 40 dollars an hour and get my annual insurance paid for. Any comments?
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Maybe I fried too many brain cells this weekend, but I don't really understand what you're saying or asking in the above quote
 
FLYINGLSUTiger said:
Ok so here's the deal we worked out...I told him 50 dollars an hour and I explained i was going to have to pay for insurance so I could instruct him and he said if he would pay for my insurance what would I except for an hourly rate? I told him 40 dollars an hour if he paid for my insurance. Now, as for the flight time in his airplane, for every hour in the mooney i spend flying for personal reasons, is one hour of my flight instructing time. I pay for fuel. But if I don't fly, I just make 40 dollars an hour and get my annual insurance paid for. Any comments?
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When I worked with a flying club they requested a $5/hr break on my instructor rates if I wanted to fly their planes around, if that helps.
 
So when you fly his plane, you pay for gas and give him a free hour of instruction?

If so, you're a better man than me.

-mini
 
FLYINGLSUTiger said:
Now, as for the flight time in his airplane, for every hour in the mooney i spend flying for personal reasons, is one hour of my flight instructing time. I pay for fuel.
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Wat?

If you are paying for fuel why would you be doing a free lesson at the value of $40/hour?
 
If I'm not totally retard this is how I read it.

He gets paid 40/hr w/ his insurance paid.

Every hour of flight instruction he does he gets to take the airplane on his own for an hour and only has to pay for fuel.

If this is the case then it sounds like a good deal.
 
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