Reversing the Cash Flow

PhotoPilot

PhotoPilot

New Member
As small as the positive cash flow will be, the tide has changed!
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It will be a week or two before I'm standardized and start picking up students, but I'll be working as a CFI while finishing my CFI-I and MEI. I figure that I'll build a few hundred hours in the Tomahawk and put in an application for a captain's position at one of the majors . . .
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But seriously, we're seeing quite a changeover in instructing staff as our higher time guys move on (hence the job opportunity for me!
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). Are the rest of you also seeing evidence of hiring picking up or is it just a coincidence that we've lost a number of folks in the last few months? Things certainly aren't pre-9/11 status, but it seems more positive than it did just seven months ago when I started in September. For all of us, I hope that things stabilize and remain positive in the aviation industry while we're scrambling for footholds.

Good luck all!
 
On the CFI level, there will almost always be job openings somewhere, not necessarily because people are moving to the airlines, but because people get fed up with it after 18-24 months. Most CFI's at my flight school either resigned to try and find more charter work (didn't necessarily have a steady job when they quit), or moved to another flight school for a change of scenery. Flying from the same airport to the practice area and back 4 times a day for 2 years probably gets boring fast. There's only been one person that moved onto a regional from our flight school in the past 3 years, and that was because she had great connection through her dad (a very recently retired southwest captain).

I don't say that to disparage her ability as a pilot, but the fact of the matter is that she had less than half the total and multi time that most of our instructors have, yet she magically got the call for the interview. The "she" factor may also have played a role.
 
Well if people are also getting hired into the majors and regionals or not, we do now that it is getting better than from 9/11. Hopefully by the time I am where you guys are the industry will be hiring well. Good luck to all of you
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Hopefully by the time I am where you guys are the industry will be hiring well. Good luck to all of you
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I think we'll be using transporters by the time you're my age
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On the CFI level, there will almost always be job openings somewhere, not necessarily because people are moving to the airlines, but because people get fed up with it after 18-24 months.

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In our case, only one guy left for another, better paying instructor gig. We've had one go to Chautauqua (?), one to Eagle, and two to smaller gigs in the Caribbean. Two others just interviewed with Mesa and SkyWest and are expected to get class dates. There may be more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head . . .

And it's good to be back, DTA! Things were a little crazy while I was doing the CFI preparation. Aside from the long, relaxing weekend, it looks like it's going to start again as I tackle CFI-I and private students at the same time. Even so, I'll try to stay active on the boards. JDFlight can vouch for me when I say that, in the past two weeks, I've had zero free time!
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Unfortunately, Brian, I don't think that the aviation industry will ever be STABLE. It might firm up now and then, but it will always be rather touch and go (forgive the pun . . .
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Chautauqua (?)

[/ QUOTE ]Well done, you got it right.

Congrats on getting your CFI and the job. Still sorry we couldn't see you at SkiJC '04!

Good luck!
 
The school I attend lost 15 instructors in the last few months. They employee 50 full-time instructors total, broken up into three different locations. Most got hired on at regionals from what I have heard. So there is some movement. To be honest though, I don't know what their overall qualifications were.
 
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CFI = Commercial Flight Instructor.

Hours vary.

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And here I always thought it was CERTIFIED Flight Instructor
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