stormchaser
Well-Known Member
Well, just got out of the office with the boss. I was recently hired on as a new CFI for a bustling flight school just under four weeks ago.
One month...32 hours later...and almost $900 in my pocket (yes, that IS a $10,800/year job. Below poverty, sure, but I'm flyin' airplanes! The smile is still there.)
Anyway, the convo was friendly, but we both knew what went unspoken for the first 15 minutes.
"Andy, we don't have students."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
"Andy, we need at least 40 for a school like this. We have 15."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
"Andy, this is the first time I have had more apps than employees."
[by this time we are both thinking just get to it]
"Andy, I'll be frank. You're not flying."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
And so it went.
What can I say? I'm friendly. I've stuck out a 9-hour-a-day job where I sit and hope for students. I flew under 2 hours last week...but put 50 hours into office time. I was paid $27 for the entire week.
Anyway, this isn't a rant. Not a complaint. Just a shared experience.
To be totally honest, I would stick out this 30 hour/month job if I knew it would stay that way. I have thought about goin' to another full-time non-flying job (I hear the motorcycle business is booming...ha!), but right now, as a low-time pilot, the simple fact of the matter is that hours are pure GOLD to me.
I flew 30 hours. At the $142.00 rate, that's equal to $4260.00 that I would have to pay any flight school to build those same hours if I rented. So I could get a 40-hour non-flying job, make $30,000 to start (maybe) and fly on the side for fun (yes, that DOES still exist...for me anyway!).
But $30,000/year is equal to $2500.00/month. Hmm. Even if I only flew 30 hours/month (at the $4260.00 cost to ME), I am losing money. What to do, what to do...
I need hours, and yet I can't get it even as an instructor at a flight school. I'm between a rock and a hard place. But my head is high. Sure, I live off of $2.50 boxed microwavable meals, but by golly, I fly airplanes. Isn't that worth smilin' for?
One month...32 hours later...and almost $900 in my pocket (yes, that IS a $10,800/year job. Below poverty, sure, but I'm flyin' airplanes! The smile is still there.)
Anyway, the convo was friendly, but we both knew what went unspoken for the first 15 minutes.
"Andy, we don't have students."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
"Andy, we need at least 40 for a school like this. We have 15."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
"Andy, this is the first time I have had more apps than employees."
[by this time we are both thinking just get to it]
"Andy, I'll be frank. You're not flying."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
And so it went.
What can I say? I'm friendly. I've stuck out a 9-hour-a-day job where I sit and hope for students. I flew under 2 hours last week...but put 50 hours into office time. I was paid $27 for the entire week.
Anyway, this isn't a rant. Not a complaint. Just a shared experience.
To be totally honest, I would stick out this 30 hour/month job if I knew it would stay that way. I have thought about goin' to another full-time non-flying job (I hear the motorcycle business is booming...ha!), but right now, as a low-time pilot, the simple fact of the matter is that hours are pure GOLD to me.
I flew 30 hours. At the $142.00 rate, that's equal to $4260.00 that I would have to pay any flight school to build those same hours if I rented. So I could get a 40-hour non-flying job, make $30,000 to start (maybe) and fly on the side for fun (yes, that DOES still exist...for me anyway!).
But $30,000/year is equal to $2500.00/month. Hmm. Even if I only flew 30 hours/month (at the $4260.00 cost to ME), I am losing money. What to do, what to do...
I need hours, and yet I can't get it even as an instructor at a flight school. I'm between a rock and a hard place. But my head is high. Sure, I live off of $2.50 boxed microwavable meals, but by golly, I fly airplanes. Isn't that worth smilin' for?