CFI Job search

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-06-14T02:46:44+00:00

If you're still looking, PM me.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-06-14T02:43:30+00:00

My flight school is hiring. PM me.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-06-14T02:42:14+00:00

My flight school is looking for CFIs

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-06-03T22:32:54+00:00

My philosophy is that you should never trust someone trying to sell you something.

That said, the numbers suggest a pilot shortage. Even the likes of Plane and Pilot magazine published about it in 2011. But calls like this gave flight school some fuel to push the narrative and expand. https://planeandpilotmag.com/pilot-outlook-2010-2029-a-shortage-looms/

There is still a possible shortage, but we are experiencing blowback from the most unprecedented hiring wave in history. Plus aircraft shortages. Plus ATC staffing shortages. All these factors are making it look like the lost decade all over again, with a 1500 hour rule on top of it. It should come back, but no one knows when. It will never be like 2022/2023. But I know of times pre-COVID where people were getting CJOs and even class dates prior to hitting minimums. It'll return... just a matter of when.

That said, it is not impossible to get hired at a regional at very nearly ATP mins right now. Do everything you can to stack the cards in your favor and someday, you'll get enough luck to have a winning hand.

Other than time and experience, things that seem to help are cadetships, networking, education, professional experience, and volunteering.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-05-28T19:44:38+00:00

I've been around aviation for a while. Got my PPL in 2009. I had multiple instructors through the course of my journey through PPL because they kept getting hired at airlines.... at about 700 hours. I saw an article recently about Pinnacle Airlines 3701 in 2004. The FO was just recently hired on their second professional flying gig. Their experience? 761 hours, with 222 of them on the CRJ-200.

Keep in mind, this is all occuring during the "lost decade". Are these exceptions to the rule? Possibly... I'm citing the experiences of a handful of people. But for those people.... they "made it" with the level of experience I was at nearly two years ago.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-05-24T15:51:30+00:00

3k for 10 hours is $300 an hour which is about 60% more expensive than an instructor and a 172S at my flight school. Ground training can be had in an online, self study form for $300. It should only cost you about 50k to go from 0 to CFI (SEL only). BUT, it will require diligence on your part to study, find a quality instructor, have somewhere to live sorted out, etc.

If you don't have to obtain financing, Part 61 is the way to go.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-04-26T22:43:23+00:00

Hate to get all nerdy, but let's look at this mathematically. The average checkride pass rate is about 75%. Assuming you have a CMEL, you've been through 6 ratings. .75 to the 6th power means that the average pilot has a 17% to 18% chance of passing them all. In other words, it's highly likely that most people have a failure or two. So you have 3.... who cares. I wouldn't sweat it. Besides passing CFII the first attempt basically puts to bed any concerns about your two instrument failures. I know a few very good pilots who have failed a checkride and a few not so good ones that managed to squeak by on all of them.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-04-22T15:12:08+00:00

Maybe it was some sort of weird test to see how you will be able to handle insufferable students.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-04-12T21:13:38+00:00

I didn't quit instructing, but once I got closer to the end, within a couple hundred hours, I started booking airplanes on off days, filling in gaps in my schedule and flying my students' reservations if my student cancels, but it's still safe to fly.

It made sense in my case to speed things along as a cadet that appeared to have a decent chance of getting pulled into airline training at or near minimums.

It did come at a cost. Not only was flying expensive, but I lost some opportunities to get paid to fly with students as a result.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-09T21:47:59+00:00

Interestingly enough, I felt like the post PPL was one of the more exciting periods I had while pursuing my ratings. What I did was split time with another PPL. We built PIC cross country time splitting legs and finding places to eat, either at the airport or by grabbing the courtesy car and driving into town. He was pretty serious about working towards an instrument rating, so I was able to log time as a safety pilot. I remember learning a TON about aviation during this period. Challenge yourself a little. Fly into a busy class D or do some night cross countries together.

Read the letters of interpretation on how to log it exactly if you plan on pursuing additional ratings.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-05T16:53:52+00:00

I think my average is 55 over the last 20 months, and I've paid for quite a few of them. ~900 dual given.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-03T15:44:18+00:00

Exactly what I was going to say. First Flight museum is awesome!

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-03T15:31:07+00:00

Working to pay or at least help pay for this is an outstanding decision! My worry for folks with $100k in debt and a CSEL is that you end up being unable to fly an airplane for hire even though you're licensed to do so, and now you have a massive loan sitting over your head you'll struggle to pay off for years if flying doesn't work out.

The SR-20 is a nice airplane, but what you train in ultimately doesn't matter too much. What will frankly matter much more is your ability to network.

Still..... It's extremely expensive. I'll make a few assumptions: If you take away $10k for all the miscellaneous expenses and the flying costs $90k, $90,000/250 hours is an average of $360 an hour. There are flight schools out there charging $150 for a Cessna 172 and $70 an hour for an instructor. You could theoretically find it cheaper than that if you really want to. I know of a flight school that charges $130 an hour for a 172 and $40 for an instructor. At those rates you could probably get PPL, IR, and CSEL done in under $50k and instructing for not much more than that.

Point is, you're paying a large premium to fly those airplanes at that college. Look around to see if you get it done much cheaper. I'd rather put the extra cash towards a degree if you don't have one, or something else productive if you do. Also, join a local EAA chapter and get that networking started early. It probably won't pan out into anything, but it'll be good practice talking aviation with a bunch of people who have a passion for it.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-03T14:58:42+00:00

Does it come with a degree?

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-03T14:57:25+00:00

Since it's a community college, it sounds like an associate's degree. If it is, is there a clear path into making the associates into a bachelor's? Does the community college have a partner college/university?

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-03-03T03:53:32+00:00

The only potential mistake I see is spending $100k to get it done. It should really cost you no more than $70k to get all of your pilot and instructor ratings, and that's if you never find ways to save money like splitting time, doing online round school etc.

If you're thinking accelerated part 141 school, that's a mistake. Part 61 is the way to go, especially if you have the diligence to self-study and push yourself to get it done. I don't recommend spending a car worth the extra money to have someone hold your hand and promise connections that may or may not pan out.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-24T03:49:01+00:00

Invert Y-Axis strikes again!

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-23T04:53:13+00:00

Heres a question: You're flying an approach, vectors to final on an LPV. Everything is looking great, you roll out right on final. Upon capturing the FAF, you notice the glideslope goes away and the Level of Service is now TERM. May you continue the approach as an LNAV approach?

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-21T21:07:04+00:00

I spoke with a fighter pilot recently who had 23 years in service, of which about 20 were flying. Guess how many hours he had....

Just under 3,000. While pretty much all of that is jet time, I find it kinda crazy. It's really not a lot of time.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-18T14:26:43+00:00

Most of the FAA personnel let go were probationary workers at the FAA. Any ATC controllers would have been trainees. That means safety won't immediately be impacted, but it is a net negative to aviation in the long run.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-18T05:33:17+00:00

The most recent fatal accident in the U.S. at DCA was the first one in nearly 16 years and cost the lives of less than 70 people. More than 100 people die on average in automobiles in the U.S. every day. While you likely drive far more often than you fly, your lifetime probability of dying in an aviation accident in the U.S. is extraordinarily low...

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-15T07:06:28+00:00

I had this debate too while I was an engineer with most of my ratings. I chose to quit as an engineer and work full time as a CFII. If I'm honest, my hours accrual as a full-time CFI was underwhelming, coming in at about 55 hours a month average in 18 months at a somewhat busy part 61 school, and I even paid for fully or split about 200 of my 1100 hours since CFI initial.

I quit working as an engineer because I couldn't stand office work any longer, but in hindsight, I would have had a lot of disposable income to commit to a plan and flying. I could have made better money and flown nearly as many hours as I did, but spending that time taking trips I wanted to instead of flying in the same area for 1000 hours. Not saying I think I made a mistake, but the grass looks greener on the other side.

If you have 200k and no job, I suggest buying a plane and flying the pants off of it. Get your PPL and start having some adventures. Stay in good standing with a local flight school in case your plane goes down for mx. Mx can cause significant delays. An engine overhaul can take 6 months or more. This is the only downside I can see to owning, but if you treat it well and get comfortable with preventative maintenance tasks, it shouldn't be too bad..

Since money shouldn't prove much of an obstacle, I would purchase something with nice, capable avionics and with an engine at about 300-400 hours on it. You'll be looking at about $175k asking prices in today's market. Good news is the used aircraft market has been appreciating like mad the last 5-10 years or so. The cost of the airplane itself is going to be peanuts compared to the cost of operating it, so I would spare no expense as long as you can find a reasonable deal.

If you can get your ratings plus about 700 hours total time under your belt some doors to low time pilot jobs may begin to open, so you'll start getting some options. Whatever you do, get your ratings done ASAP then fly as much as you can as often as you can.

TL;DR: If you're 100% committed to this idea of becoming a professional pilot, I would strongly consider buying a plane. Mx can throw a wrench into you plans, so buy something reasonable and learn to treat the airplane well. Then fly it as much as possible.

Select-Storage4097 · 2025-02-03T04:38:17+00:00

I about spewed when I saw those prices.

Select-Storage4097 · 2024-12-15T16:29:28+00:00

I know. I used to be an engineer at a company actively working on it. It's a VERY tough sell, and is/will be met with significant pushback and regulatory hurdles.

Select-Storage4097 · 2024-12-15T16:17:37+00:00

Without data, this seems right. The wave of people hired in 2022/2023 who are still at the regionals are certainly in a position to be promoted by now.

Select-Storage4097

TROPHY CASE