Instructing at a major academy - hours

C150J

C150J

Well-Known Member
Hi guys -

I was wondering if those of you instructing at major academies would mind sharing what an average day entails. When does your day usually start and end? How many hours a week are you flying? Aside from the pay, do you find enough time to live a fairly normal life?

Let me clarify my last statement:

I currently work (non-aviation) three 12+ hour shifts during the week (9AM-930PM) and one seven hour shift on the weekend, leaving me with three hard non-consecutive days off. However, after working three twelve-hour days, three days off really turns into 1.5 (with all the stuff I missed out on while working). The pay is better than CFIing, but that shouldn't be a shocker.

I'm mostly interested in non-accelerated academies, as I've heard that ATPs will work you like a dog. I'm assuming that hard days off might be hard to come by, but do you at least have some time AFTER work to unwind? My current QOL isn't desireable, as I have no time after work and am not flying. I realize that most aviation schools aren't the greatest employers when it comes to QOL, but what do you think?

I should add that I'm 22 with no dependents and plan on going to grad school in the near future. I have no immediate desire to rack up time and fly professionally....different career aspirations with collateral aviation duties. Currently at 500 hours and a C-ASMEL.

Thanks!
 
C150J said:
I realize that most aviation schools aren't the greatest employers when it comes to QOL, but what do you think?
Click to expand...

Remember, at the end of the day it's a BUSINESS! Call it what you want, a flight school or walmart. They are ALL the same and won't be happy until they drain you of all your money.
 
I'm not sure if you checked your post on flightinfo, here's my repost:

www.flightcareers.com

I worked 8-5 with an hour lunch. Decent $$ for a CFI - in just under 12 months I grossed ~$27k and had a side business that pushed me into the mid-$30's. While I was there the company starting paying overtime pay and paid meetings, something unheard of for CFI's. Also, the benefits are OK with nonrev travel on Mesa and America West mainline, as well as associated ID90/80/70 etc.

There was limited night flying. Although the CFI's could easily trade those flights with other CFI's who wanted the $$ and time. I got about 900 hours there in under 12 months. An average day for me would bill 6-7 hours depending on how much I flew or did ground and sim. Some days I billed over 12 hours (but they were extremely long) if I wanted to work that long, but you're only required to block out 8 hours of availability per day. The students scheduled themselves and handled all their own paperwork (all you did was check boxes on a lesson plan, and handed it back to them) which made it nice. You're guaranteed two hard days off a week, but you can opt to take them or not.

The downside is it's in the middle of nowhere, but it was dirt cheap to live. We had a two bed/two bath 1400 sq ft. townhome with garage for $700/month.

I've heard that the Japanese training facility (IFTA I believe) pays better with better working conditions, but MAPD sure wasn't bad for a subsidiary of Mesa. Heck, if it was in FL I'd of stuck around a bit more with the increase in pay. It was a good, solid, family friendly type J-O-B.

~wheelsup
 
Thanks WU, I appreciate it - so can I just apply without attending their program, or is that part of the deal? About to check out their website...Would love the flight benefits.

J.
 
Oops - just saw that they're in Farmington...

I should have really qualified my post a bit better - I'm looking at locations in the PHX area, specifically AirSafety Academy. I will be attending grad school there.
 
C150J said:
Oops - just saw that they're in Farmington...

I should have really qualified my post a bit better - I'm looking at locations in the PHX area, specifically AirSafety Academy. I will be attending grad school there.
Click to expand...

ASU has the MAPD program there as well.

http://eastair.east.asu.edu/

I think their program is different, where you do your CFI and instruct there going through the program. FMN was different, no CFI so they hired from the outside. I can send an email to the Chief instructor in FMN, who can contact the current (as far as I know) chief pilot down there for a heads up on hiring. He came from FMN as the Asst. Chief and was promoted down there to Chief Instructor.

From what I know it's a little bit different environment, not as much Bonanza and Baron flying. And hot as heck. But their Bonanza's were nice, I ferried a few to CO. They even had leather seats! I'm not sure how much their CFI's fly.

~wheelsup
 
Preach Brother!!

DCApilot2006 said:
Remember, at the end of the day it's a BUSINESS! Call it what you want, a flight school or walmart. They are ALL the same and won't be happy until they drain you of all your money.
Click to expand...

Kudos to you DCA PILOT!! Thanks for speaking up!!
 
Thanks so much WU, I really appreciate the information. Are you with AWAC? My former instructor/college friend (Cornell) is with you guys out of PHL (commutes from CHI)...he'll be upgrading soon on the CRJ.

I look forward to investigating MAPD and some of the other schools around here. Just basically looking for FAIR pay (in industry terms) and QOL.
 
C150J said:
Thanks so much WU, I really appreciate the information. Are you with AWAC? My former instructor/college friend (Cornell) is with you guys out of PHL (commutes from CHI)...he'll be upgrading soon on the CRJ.
Click to expand...

I am, based in ORF. I moved to base because commuting isn't worth it to me right now. This base is nice, it's not Florida but it's a good place to live. I think upgrades have dropped to the 2.5 year mark, and should fall a bit more before going back up. Attrition is starting to slow down, but I got in at the right time - I will be 50% up the FO list after 6 months or so. I'm not sure what I'll do from here, flying freight down in south florida in some old 727's might be coming up next. We'll see.

~wheelsup
 
wheelsup said:
I'm not sure if you checked your post on flightinfo, here's my repost:

www.flightcareers.com

I worked 8-5 with an hour lunch. Decent $$ for a CFI - in just under 12 months I grossed ~$27k and had a side business that pushed me into the mid-$30's. While I was there the company starting paying overtime pay and paid meetings, something unheard of for CFI's. Also, the benefits are OK with nonrev travel on Mesa and America West mainline, as well as associated ID90/80/70 etc.

There was limited night flying. Although the CFI's could easily trade those flights with other CFI's who wanted the $$ and time. I got about 900 hours there in under 12 months. An average day for me would bill 6-7 hours depending on how much I flew or did ground and sim. Some days I billed over 12 hours (but they were extremely long) if I wanted to work that long, but you're only required to block out 8 hours of availability per day. The students scheduled themselves and handled all their own paperwork (all you did was check boxes on a lesson plan, and handed it back to them) which made it nice. You're guaranteed two hard days off a week, but you can opt to take them or not.

The downside is it's in the middle of nowhere, but it was dirt cheap to live. We had a two bed/two bath 1400 sq ft. townhome with garage for $700/month.

I've heard that the Japanese training facility (IFTA I believe) pays better with better working conditions, but MAPD sure wasn't bad for a subsidiary of Mesa. Heck, if it was in FL I'd of stuck around a bit more with the increase in pay. It was a good, solid, family friendly type J-O-B.

~wheelsup
Click to expand...


LUNCH??? WHAT IS THAT? I get scheduled to death in the course of my day. All lessons back to back with seldom 5 mins between students. This doesn't allow us to give a proper Post-brief. (One of the most important parts of providing feedback to the students) You made 27K instructing in a year? I'll be lucky if I clear 7K for this past year. OVERTIME??? Really LOL now! I won't even go there. I suppose our flight benefits are the best in the business. The only trouble, I could go anywhere that Delta and it's fellow CH11 buddies go, the snag is once I get there, I'll have to sleep at the airport. NO $$$.
You got 900hrs in 12 months? I got 300. It should be apparent, I didn't make a wise choice when deciding where to go to school or to stay and instruct there.
 
And on top of all that, you might need to change your screen name. We aren't supposed to have that name at this site anymore. Request from that schools management....
 
Like they've got a lock on those three letters in that sequence everywhere in the universe.

For the sake of his job, Doug outta formally dissolve his ties to this website, sign it over to Kristie or something, then come back anonymously. Sad that it has to be like that, but there are some petty people out there pretending to be the thought police.
 
DCApilot2006 said:
It should be apparent, I didn't make a wise choice when deciding where to go to school or to stay and instruct there.
Click to expand...

I also instructed at two other flight schools before landing a job at MAPD. It wasn't an entry level position, just like IFTA isn't an entry level gig for CFI's. Average new hire CFI time was around 700-1000 hours.

I'm sorry you stayed to instruct at "that other school" but what do you expect? Sympathy? If you didn't like you job MOVE ON and get another.

~wheelsup
 
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