Should I opt out of CFI program?

[Gonzo]

I've been thinking if I should opt out of the CFI program at my flight school. I'm still working on my PSEL. After looking how unhappy instructors are at my flight school, I myself would not like to instruct just to build time. I think flight instructing should be something you really want to do. I would save about 5k if I opt out and would still have a CMEL with about 260 hours of multi engine time. Do I stand a chence in finding a job back at home in NJ/NY/PA? What job optinons are out there in the tri-state area without a CFI?

You are at Ari-Ben in FPR. Everyone hates their life there. I know a lot of CFI's that love their jobs. It is all about finding a good place to work for. Don't let Ari-Ben and FPR kill the fun in flying.

Flying an IFR approach is childs play. Flying a visual approach is all skill.

Pass up on your CFI, and you WILL regret it.

I don't agree on that. If your training for a job that will include flying IFR most of the time, why spend it in the traffic pattern? I even asked this question to my instructor. He said we are all here just to build time and get the hell out. Being a flight instructor should be a career not time building.

Rob is a 121 pilot, and so am I. You can add me to the list of guys that will tell you a good visual is 100x harder then a ILS down to mins.

PS- Did Brian Bell ever get a class date at AMF.

 

[jtrain609]

Your opinion will develop after you get more than about 15 hours. Until that happens, consider the wealth of experience telling you to flight instruct.

Good luck finding that 135 right seat cargo gig.

 

[Stomp16]

I am an instructor looking to move on to newer better things. I have no intention of CFI'ing for a career. I do however care about my students and quality of work. Does this make me a POS?

I think you took what he was saying out of context AND itsnotalwaysaboutyou.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I am an instructor looking to move on to newer better things. I have no intention of CFI'ing for a career. I do however care about my students and quality of work. Does this make me a POS?

Just there for to build time and get the hell out is not the mark of a professional. If you dedicate yourself to the job while you do it, thats fine.

 

[Stomp16]

I'm 21. I just started my flight training here in FL. I have about 15 hours. I'm just saying that I would gain more experience flying PIC or right seat 135 cargo then supervising a student in cessna. This is just my opinion.

But, how are you going to bridge the gap between 250hrs and 135mins?

 

[jspeed87]

You are at Ari-Ben in FPR. Everyone hates their life there. I know a lot of CFI's that love their jobs. It is all about finding a good place to work for. Don't let Ari-Ben and FPR kill the fun in flying.





Rob is a 121 pilot, and so am I. You can add me to the list of guys that will tell you a good visual is 100x harder then a ILS down to mins.

PS- Did Brian Bell ever get a class date at AMF.

Brian Bell is still here instructing lol .

 

[jspeed87]

But, how are you going to bridge the gap between 250hrs and 135mins?

Right seat. I'm researching IBC Airways and other 135 companies that don't require any minimums to apply.

 

[jwp_145]

WHy are you wasting people's time on here asking them their opinion if you are going to argue with everything they say? Get a clue, you have 15 hours and quite frankly have no idea what you are talking about. As for getting a jo flying rightseat 135 cargo, yeah, good luck finding that.

 

[Stomp16]

Right seat. I'm researching IBC Airways and other 135 companies that don't require any minimums to apply.

Well, good luck with that. They don't require minimums to apply but I guarantee they have a specific demographic they are looking for. Guess what one of those probably are?

 

[Gonzo]

Right seat. I'm researching IBC Airways and other 135 companies that don't require any minimums to apply.

IBC is pay to play, and is a bottom feeder.
Look for all that is bad about Ari-Ben there is a lot of good. One of the things is a lot of people to network with.

 

[poser765]

This may sound kind of retarded but hear me out. When I had a wet commercial I thought I knew it all and could fly anything with a motor and maybe a wing or two. Then I started instructing. Boy was i ever so wrong. Flight instructing has brought me closer to understanding airplanes and how to fly them...And I have less than 500 dual given! In just a short few hundred hours I feel my understanding of this craft has increased exponentially.

INstructing is not just sitting in the right seat with your arms crossed saying "ok lets do some lazy-8s now. Good, back to the right." Any monkey can do that...well since monkeys can't speak, any monkey that can do sign language. What it forces you to do is think far more critically about what the student is doing to the airplane and how the airplane is reacting and why. What you learn there you can apply to your own flying and thus you become a better pilot.

Yes granted you won't get a lot of hard IFR teaching primary students, but you will eventually get some instrument students and have the chance. Same rules above apply. You may think you can shoot an ILS, but until you understand it enough to teach someone else how to do, you are very likely just blundering through it.

Your arguments sound very similar to a guy I know who did what you are thinking about doing now. He has managed to beg borrow and steal flight time to the point where he has around 900 hours and he JUST NOW got his first flying job (he started flying in 97). His job is flying a mooney around for a farmer for around 200 hours a month. When not flying to has to help on the ranch.

 

[poser765]

Right seat. I'm researching IBC Airways and other 135 companies that don't require any minimums to apply.

Dude I'm sure what 135 outfits there are that are hiring SICs are really not going to be interested in someone with 250 hours and a wet comm cert. I can think of about half a dozen people i know who have 135 PIC hours and would still apply for an SIC job. think about that.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I am an instructor looking to move on to newer better things. I have no intention of CFI'ing for a career. I do however care about my students and quality of work. Does this make me a POS?

You just cant stand someone else taking the beating can you?

 

[beasly]

No, No, a thousand Times No.

Here are a few reasons/observations.

1. Chicks dig flight instructors.
2. Teaching somebody else to fly, really helps YOU learn to fly much better.
3. It's like graduate level students--they work their butts off for no pay but in the end they are better for it
4. You meet some amazing people and the cadre of talent is a privilege to be around (granted, there are some losers in the field)
5. You get admitted to the jetcareers "area 51" that doesn't appear on the menu until you prove you are a CFI (we have a secret handshake)

Let me expound on point 1. above.


I was at Johnny's Filling Station yesterday doing my Sunday ritual of baseball, beer and country music on the juke box and both the barmaid and the owner came up to me and asked, "are you alright?" Normally, I am very happy, and outgoing, but dadgummit, I was actually depressed for the first time since I was in my 20's and I am 47 now. Job market STINKS, I am 4 months behind on the rent, a.c. is broke and can't afford to have it fixed, I haven't flown in a year, can't get a freelance computer job and I am reduced to cooking for $8.00/hr part time and taking the bus to work, stinking like a burger flipper because I can't afford to renew the tag on my car.

So, where does this have to do with flying?

Everything

You see, there is a GORGEOUS babe that works as a teller at a branch that I walked in into last week to cover a check, stinking like a cook, unhappy, and bummed because there is NO WAY I could ask her for a date and that REALLY ticked me off. (Thinking about it, I guess that's why I was depressed). Well, today, I go into the same branch to cover another check I had floated over the weekend and she is there, but another cute woman started chatting with me asking how I was doing.

I mumbled that things were bad, couldn't get a paying job for squat, and handn't flown in a year, and I get the ,"..oh! your a pilot?" and I say, "yeah".

Well, Miss GORGEOUS at the next teller sort of perks up a bit if you know what I mean!

Now I feel better.

I look like a bum,
I smell bad.
broke.
but, dad gummit I AM SEXY!

And without my CFI, I could not say that.

b.

 

[jhugz]

You just cant stand someone else taking the beating can you?

I just don't understand Ryan's logic on his instructor is a POS. I don't enjoy instructing but I do it because it puts food on the table...kind of, and it is a means to an end. Like I said before, I don't go into lesson's checked out. I give the lesson's 100% and try to teach my student to the very best of my ability.

That is all I was trying to say so hop off some...k?

 

[seaav8tor]

I don't think I would be doing my job with dedication. Besides I think the experience gained from being a flight instructor is worthless(At least on primary training.). I wanna fly lots of hardcore IFR. That to me would look better on a resume.

I will not get into the should you or should you not CFI. I will say lack of deep rooted, brain stem understanding of stalls, taught in primary training, that you have labeled as "worthless" just killed everyone aboard Colgan 3407. Your first name isn't Marvin is it? I hope not.
:bandit:

 

[matt152]

Do I stand a chence in finding a job back at home in NJ/NY/PA? What job optinons are out there in the tri-state area without a CFI?

I am sure you could find a job in the food service industry in the tri-state area without your CFI. But you might get weeded out due to your attitude.

 

[Goonie]

I just don't understand Ryan's logic on his instructor is a POS. I don't enjoy instructing but I do it because it puts food on the table...kind of, and it is a means to an end. Like I said before, I don't go into lesson's checked out. I give the lesson's 100% and try to teach my student to the very best of my ability.

That is all I was trying to say so hop off some...k?

Huh? You took what I said way to personal. Do you treat flight instruction like like it's only a time building tool? Do you tell you your 15 hour students that pay you that they are only hours in their logbook to you?

I don't know how you twisted up my logic so bad.

 

[jspeed87]

I am sure you could find a job in the food service industry in the tri-state area without your CFI. But you might get weeded out due to your attitude.

So I take it you also got weeded out of the food industry for being an ass? awesome.

 

[Douglas]

I remember a time...it was long ago. A random gentleman came on this forum and asked for our opinion. Our opinion wasn't what he wanted to hear but he accepted it for what is was worth, then moved on.

It was magical.
I cried a little that day.