How to get students as a CFI?

[Pilot-To-Be]

I recently became a CFI and got hired at one of the local flight schools, which is arguably the best and certainly biggest in the area. Other than the usual stragglers that book me on occasion, I’d like to know how I can advertise myself so to speak to get more students who become regular. The other CFI’s who are more full time than me seem to stay quite busy.

Any advice? It seems this time of year is slow, so hopefully things pick up more after the new year.

Of the students I’ve flown with so far, I’ve tried to give the best instruction possible and go above and beyond the others and really put my passion into it. Just need some advice to get more folks on the schedule.

 

[RyanShort1]

I recently became a CFI and got hired at one of the local flight schools, which is arguably the best and certainly biggest in the area. Other than the usual stragglers that book me on occasion, I’d like to know how I can advertise myself so to speak to get more students. The other CFI’s who are more full time than me seem to stay quite busy.

Any advice? It seems this time of year is slow, so hopefully things pick up more after the new year.

Work on your own personal quality as a CFI before you get flooded with students. If you are recognized as a good instructor, depending on your location you'll have as much work as you need from recommendations.

A good place to start is here: https://stan.store/flywithdabney

 

[Sierra_Hotel]

This is definitely the slowest part of the year for most. When I was instructing mostly full-time in the summer, I was lucky to get half that this time of year. As mentioned above, use this as an opportunity to refine your teaching, the rest will take care of itself as it swings back the other direction after the holidays.

 

[pfarber]

post a free weekly hour group chat online or at the FBO. Make content for future student use. make some free pamphlets with some FAR or ACS tidbits for students and see if you can put them on airport bulletin boards. Join some clubs and go to meeting or do presentations.

if you don't put effort into it you will not get any results

 

[Jim K]

You might look into flying clubs in your area. I know the clubs I've been involved with are always looking for instructors, and especially instructors willing to to primary instruction.

 

[RyanShort1]

post a free weekly hour group chat online or at the FBO. Make content for future student use. make some free pamphlets with some FAR or ACS tidbits for students and see if you can put them on airport bulletin boards. Join some clubs and go to meeting or do presentations.

if you don't put effort into it you will not get any results

I see people putting out plenty of content - that is trash. Don't be that guy.

That's why quality and making sure that you KNOW the materials really well, and how to teach them, is more important.

 

[farangutan]

It's harder to get a job with just CFI, so I started volunteering at a club. Through there I networked and now I'm at a point where I probably have too many students..
So give that a shot. Ask about any kids events, EAA chapters etc. You will meet a bunch of pilots that may need flight review, an endorsement for HP or complex. Or people that want to become pilots. My buddy got a teaching gig when he went to look at a plane to purchase but ran into a guy that just bought a plane and wanted a CFI to teach him and his son in their new plane.

 

[Zeldman]

Does the flight school you are with have a ground school? If not get one organized, maybe with one of the other more experienced flight instructors and build a student base.

 

[farangutan]

That's a great point. I can't be the only person that much prefers in-person ground school.

 

[RyanShort1]

One more thing. The recent marketing for the airline pilot shortage has led to an absolute glut of low-time instructors. I've gotten several applications for my single-instructor, single aircraft tailwheel school that I didn't used to get. That's just the current environment - very competitive. Don't give up, but don't be surprised if it's a bit tough. The industry is cyclical and you'll eventually be ok, but don't be afraid to learn new skills, take on a sales job on the side, or do something that will give you added value and security if you ever fail a medical.

 

[StraightnLevel]

I recently became a CFI and got hired at one of the local flight schools, which is arguably the best and certainly biggest in the area. Other than the usual stragglers that book me on occasion, I’d like to know how I can advertise myself so to speak to get more students who become regular. The other CFI’s who are more full time than me seem to stay quite busy.

Any advice? It seems this time of year is slow, so hopefully things pick up more after the new year.

Make yourself available when other CFIs aren't. Be willing to book early mornings, nights, and weekends. Many "fulltime" CFIs only want to work 8-5 weekdays, which is fine for "fulltime" students.

Adult students. though, generally have a career that allows them to fund flight instruction. This implies that they work during those regular business hours, so being available during the off-hours adds a lot of value.

 

[Clip4]

I recently became a CFI and got hired at one of the local flight schools, which is arguably the best and certainly biggest in the area. Other than the usual stragglers that book me on occasion, I’d like to know how I can advertise myself so to speak to get more students who become regular. The other CFI’s who are more full time than me seem to stay quite busy.

Any advice? It seems this time of year is slow, so hopefully things pick up more after the new year.

Of the students I’ve flown with so far, I’ve tried to give the best instruction possible and go above and beyond the others and really put my passion into it. Just need some advice to get more folks on the schedule.

I suspect the reason you are not getting many students is you are the FNG and the CFIs with more time at the school are getting preference. I would have a chat with who ever in charge of student assignments.

If your school is Part 41, they already have an instructor for ground school. If the school is part 61 without a ground school, consider tossing together a power point for a ground school or test prep course.

 

[AvNavCom]

The most crucial thing you can do is making hard, prolonged eye contact after each flight as you intone "Here endeth the lesson" while tolling a bell. That's right out of the CFI FOI.

 

[brcase]

Make yourself available when other CFIs aren't. Be willing to book early mornings, nights, and weekends. Many "fulltime" CFIs only want to work 8-5 weekdays, which is fine for "fulltime" students.

Adult students. though, generally have a career that allows them to fund flight instruction. This implies that they work during those regular business hours, so being available during the off-hours adds a lot of value.

When you aren't working, hang out at the flight school/airport, Talk everyone you can, see what they are doing, offer to help. Most of my students are now referrals, but if I get a bit slow spending a few weeks just hanging out at the airport and talking to people will often get me a few students as well as just one off flights. Need a Flight Review? What are you doing right now. How about a checkout? And all kinds of other flights you can imagine just be being there when they wan't or weren't even expecting someone to be available

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[Tools]

Expanding on what @StraightnLevel said, I found the key to getting clientele was saying “yes”. It’s just that simple.

Maybe it’s the gray hair, but I get asked to fly with folks EVERY TIME I go to the airport. And I keep saying no…

When someone wants to fly, say yes. Especially during “off hours” when real people are available to do so.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Lots of good suggestions. I think most come down to making yourself into someone others want to fly with. That takes networking. It might be a long term commitment to making your self available, helping out, participating in airport activities (especially seminars and other educational activities).

Also, don't discount social media. That doesn't mean finding a local pilot group on FB and making "Hi, I'm a CFI. Hire me" posts touting whatever credentials you have. Rather, it's to create credentials. Answer questions - reliably. If it means researching something, do it. Be one who others recognize as providing good answers - it creates an aura of expertise that others want to take advantage of.

There's a book out there called "The Savvy Flight Instructor." It is mostly about marketing oneself as a CFI. It was last published more than 25 years ago, so it's pretty dated, but its basic lessons can be applied today.

Edit: the 2nd edition came out in 2016, so it' snot quite as old as I thought.​

 

[RyanShort1]

There's a book out there called "The Savvy Flight Instructor." It is mostly about marketing oneself as a CFI. It was last published more than 25 years ago, so it's pretty dated, but its basic lessons can be applied today.

Edit: the 2nd edition came out in 2016, so it' snot quite as old as I thought.​

Aaron Dabney's stuff is more up to date with the times, which is why I linked him above.

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

Does the flight school you are with have a ground school? If not get one organized, maybe with one of the other more experienced flight instructors and build a student base.

That's a great point. I can't be the only person that much prefers in-person ground school.

We stopped offering in-person ground school a long time ago. We were meeting twice a week at night, and if someone missed a class, it seemed they never caught up. We also found most of our primary students were doing online ground school with programs from Gold Seal, Sporty's, King Schools, etc.

 

[trenton]

Don't rule out:

Craigslist (I found my current airplane here)

TikTok/IG/YouTube/etc (film a discovery flight with a friend and post)

 

[po1212]

I recently became a CFI and got hired at one of the local flight schools, which is arguably the best and certainly biggest in the area. Other than the usual stragglers that book me on occasion, I’d like to know how I can advertise myself so to speak to get more students who become regular. The other CFI’s who are more full time than me seem to stay quite busy.

Any advice? It seems this time of year is slow, so hopefully things pick up more after the new year.

Of the students I’ve flown with so far, I’ve tried to give the best instruction possible and go above and beyond the others and really put my passion into it. Just need some advice to get more folks on the schedule.

At least you got hired. My son recently got his MEI no single CFI yet and cannot find a job.

 

[Mikey52]

Get one of those signs to put on your back. "New CFI, first 10 hours, half price."

 

[midlifeflyer]

At least you got hired. My son recently got his MEI no single CFI yet and cannot find a job.

Sorry to say that's not a big surprise. I can understand the desire to go straight to the MEI since that's the type of experience you really want to gain, but you are automatically limiting yourself to flight schools with twins which are, for various reasons, limiting themselves to CFIs who are insurable with a good track record.

 

[RussR]

Sorry to say that's not a big surprise. I can understand the desire to go straight to the MEI since that's the type of experience you really want to gain, but you are automatically limiting yourself to flight schools with twins which are, for various reasons, limiting themselves to CFIs who are insurable with a good track record.

I agree. Who wants to hire someone (whether you're the owner of a school OR a prospective multiengine airplane pilot/owner) to teach multiengine operations who has zero (or very little) dual given?

 

[po1212]

Sorry to say that's not a big surprise. I can understand the desire to go straight to the MEI since that's the type of experience you really want to gain, but you are automatically limiting yourself to flight schools with twins which are, for various reasons, limiting themselves to CFIs who are insurable with a good track record.

He has 500 hours of twin Cessna time so insurance should not be an issue...

 

[midlifeflyer]

He has 500 hours of twin Cessna time so insurance should not be an issue...

Point taken on the insurance piece. But there's still that track record thing. As @RussR points out, time as a pilot is not equivalent to time as an instructor.

 

[RussR]

He has 500 hours of twin Cessna time so insurance should not be an issue...

The last 5 words of @midlifeflyer 's post were "with a good track record". He may be a great pilot with a good amount of experience and easily insurable, but he has zero track record as a CFI.

Building that track record is one of the hardest things as a new CFI. The "easiest" way to build that track record and experience is to work at a flight school. If that's not happening for any reason, do you know anybody who owns a similar twin Cessna? Do they need some flight instruction? Recurrent training? Flight review? He has to get his foot in the door somehow. Then that person recommends him to a friend. Etc, etc.

But as already stated, not being a single-engine CFI is a major hurdle. There is a whole lot more single-engine CFI work out there than multi. And at a flight school, the people teaching multi are generally the more experienced instructors, because of course that's the more desirable time.

Not being able to teach instruments, for an IPC, etc., is also a hurdle. There are a ton of owner/pilots out there that run out of instrument currency ALL THE TIME. A whole lot of my CFI work, currently and in the beginning of my career, is this type of training. And that gets your name out more than just about anything else - because airplane owners have airplane owner friends.

 

[po1212]

The last 5 words of @midlifeflyer 's post were "with a good track record". He may be a great pilot with a good amount of experience and easily insurable, but he has zero track record as a CFI.

Building that track record is one of the hardest things as a new CFI. The "easiest" way to build that track record and experience is to work at a flight school. If that's not happening for any reason, do you know anybody who owns a similar twin Cessna? Do they need some flight instruction? Recurrent training? Flight review? He has to get his foot in the door somehow. Then that person recommends him to a friend. Etc, etc.

But as already stated, not being a single-engine CFI is a major hurdle. There is a whole lot more single-engine CFI work out there than multi. And at a flight school, the people teaching multi are generally the more experienced instructors, because of course that's the more desirable time.

Not being able to teach instruments, for an IPC, etc., is also a hurdle. There are a ton of owner/pilots out there that run out of instrument currency ALL THE TIME. A whole lot of my CFI work, currently and in the beginning of my career, is this type of training. And that gets your name out more than just about anything else - because airplane owners have airplane owner friends.

He is going to start instructing someone to get a multi rating in a Cessna 310 so that should help him with other opportunities.

 

[Sierra_Hotel]

And that's how it starts. He'll be fine once he has some dual given hours. Just going to be slow going initially.

Being only a CFI and not having my II hasn't been as much of a hindrance as I expected, but getting the II is first on my list when I get back from this trip to the desert.