Best places to look for local freelance CFI?

BoulderBill

BoulderBill

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Mar 20, 2017
Messages
18
Display Name
Display name:
BoulderBill
I really like the idea of pursuing my PPL by joining a local club for access to lower rental rates on planes and then seeking out a part-time freelance CFI to pay directly for training (and maybe even barter for some of it using my stellar engineering skills!).

My question is two-fold:

1. What are some recommended places to seek out private, freelance CFIs in my area? Do I just go creep around at the airport until I see someone giving flight lessons? Are there great local resources/clubs/forums for this search?

2. For anyone in Colorado with any association to BDU, LMO, or BJC, do you have direct recommendations? I've already been acquainted with @denverpilot and @coloradobluesky through another post they replied to here. Maybe you guys have thoughts? Although, I don't think you're strictly in my area necessarily.

Bonus question: Is it common for freelance CFIs to also rent out their own plane for training purposes? I would imagine that could be the best value for an aspiring pilot on a budget and potentially the best value for the CFI.

Cheers.
 
Do you have a lead on a prospective club to join? If so, I'd start by asking the people within the club. One of the members might be an instructor or the current members might have an instructor recommendation that is approved to teach in the club planes.
 
2nd the Idea of Clubs, they will tend to attract the Freelance instructors. While some instructors do instruct in their own airplane it is probably the exception. Insurance requirements really just make it prohibitive to do so in most cases.

Best place to find a freelance instructor is just start asking as many pilots as you can find. Hanging(creeping if allowed) out at the airport and being exceptionally friendly can help a lot for this.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
I'd ask here and on other forums, word of mouth/keyboard is always your your best bet
 
Hi BoulderBill,
Please PM or email me. Let's grab a beer or coffee and talk about airplanes!

20+ years in Boulder. Have flown out of KBDU, KBJC, and KLMO.

I think very highly of Tracey Spence and his flight school, Journeys Aviation. My primary PPL trainer was there last I heard and he's excellent. We are geographically very fortunate to have four good airports closeby and many good training and rental options at good prices.

And Welcome to POA!
 
Thanks @G-Man! Just PM'd you.

I've seen Journey's but haven't contacted them yet.

I do have a couple flying clubs I'm looking into and that's a solid idea several folks had - to just "ask around" the clubs.

And the CFI with insurance for students makes a lot of sense too. Didn't think of that.

Tried Gleim the other day, but most of the results were from over 10 years ago and most links didn't work.

Not to stray too far from the topic, but do people have opinions on training at non-controlled airports (KBDU and I think KLMO) vs. controlled airports (KBJC)? My initial thought was the simplicity of non-controlled from comm perspective was a plus, but the other day someone mentioned the safety factor - and KBDU has some pretty busy airspace for a non-controlled area - including lots of sailplanes and paragliders.
 
BoulderBill said:
Not to stray too far from the topic, but do people have opinions on training at non-controlled airports (KBDU and I think KLMO) vs. controlled airports (KBJC)? My initial thought was the simplicity of non-controlled from comm perspective was a plus, but the other day someone mentioned the safety factor - and KBDU has some pretty busy airspace for a non-controlled area - including lots of sailplanes and paragliders.
Click to expand...

If I could go back and do it again I would train at a non-towered field that is very close to a busier airport. Not having to wait for wake turbulence, extending down winds, longer trips to the practice area, longer taxi times, etc. could easily have saved me 10+ hours on the Hobbs over the course of my training.
 
BoulderBill said:
Not to stray too far from the topic, but do people have opinions on training at non-controlled airports (KBDU and I think KLMO) vs. controlled airports (KBJC)? My initial thought was the simplicity of non-controlled from comm perspective was a plus, but the other day someone mentioned the safety factor - and KBDU has some pretty busy airspace for a non-controlled area - including lots of sailplanes and paragliders.
Click to expand...

There are a number of local people on here that will have more detailed information about your airports but I'll give you my overall opinion.

Flying in and out of a quiet nontowered airport can minimize the amount of time spent on the ground taxiing and also minimize the amount of distractions when near the airport learning to takeoff and land. On the other hand, a busy nontowered airport can be a mess sometimes and not conducive to learning.

The towered airport will improve your radio skills and often will improve your flexibility with flying non-standard traffic patterns/approaches. You may solo later but I think doing at least part of your training at a towered airport will make you a little bit more well rounded as a pilot.
 
G-Man said:
Hi BoulderBill,
Please PM or email me. Let's grab a beer or coffee and talk about airplanes!

20+ years in Boulder. Have flown out of KBDU, KBJC, and KLMO.

I think very highly of Tracey Spence and his flight school, Journeys Aviation. My primary PPL trainer was there last I heard and he's excellent. We are geographically very fortunate to have four good airports closeby and many good training and rental options at good prices.

And Welcome to POA!
Click to expand...

I've also not heard bad things at all about Journeys either @BoulderBill

Boulder is excellent to fly out of but folks saying they want a "quiet" non-towered airport, Boulder isn't it. The place goes insane with sailplane ops in the summer. But it's all well defined and they'll be over on the north side and the towplanes will be in the middle in the grass and you'll be on the south side.

And when it comes time to get you some towered airport experience, BJC is literally minutes away by air. No problem doing that.

I haven't heard what's going on at EIK these days, but it was one of the places I learned to fly in the early 90s. If you don't mind the drive over there, that airport has been consistently a bit cheaper than anywhere else in the metro for 25 years, but they've also had training businesses come and go.

Front Range has also been cheaper over the years and I'd say comes in second place in that regard overall, but it's a haul of a drive for you.

LMO I don't know much about.

BJC and APA will be the most expensive but also have the widest variety of aircraft, instructors, and big clubs. Technically one huge club owns schools at both and that can be neat if you want access to a bunch of different types to fly and try out. Checkrides needed, of course.

I suspect because of my weird location at home where I'm about equidistant between APA and FTG I could teach at either place fairly easily, eventually. One I head back in through Parker to get there, the other I zip up the Kiowa-Bennett road. I'm in northeast Elbert County. Even KFLY isn't that bad a drive from here on the back road. In summer. Winter, depends on the day. Most would be easy.

If you get started this spring/summer and you're around Boulder, let us know. I have a friend who's twisting my arm pretty hard to come up there and finish my sailplane rating(s) after all the CFI fun is put to bed. I could hike across the airport and say hi. (His name is Bill too, ironically. And no, for the other CO folk, not the Bill who's a mountain and SE/ME CFII. Different Bill. Ha.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top