Tell me about being a CFI.

cowman

cowman

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Cowman
So I'm kind of looking for something I can do on a flexible part-time basis(preferably independently so I'm in full control) that will bring in a little extra income. I keep kicking this around in my head but I don't really know enough about it. My home field does have a flight school but they've pretty much abandoned pilot owners. I was hoping to target existing pilots in my area for BFRs, currency/proficiency work, endorsements, etc. Ever since I moved here I've been frustrated with the flight school- all college aged kids who are building hours to get hired and disapear within a year or two. Every time I need a CFI I have to go meet someone new, I feel like having a go-to for those of us not seeking a career in the area would be a good niche to fill. Not against having primary training students, just less sure of who will rent us a plane.

I do own an aircraft, a Piper Lance but I don't really think it's ideal for training(and I'd rather not let anyone else land it). That might be the rub- there are other airports in the area that might rent, I doubt the flight school wants my competition. Am I going to need to figure out a way to buy a trainer of some kind? As fun as that sounds, it also might sink this whole ship economics wise. Speaking of which I *ONLY* have time in a PA-28-181, a PA-32R-300, and a tiny bit of time in the rental 172s I started on. Is my lack of experience with different types an issue?

Last I've hired a CFI, midwest pricing had hourly rates in the $30-$50 range. Other than the whole potential world of expense buying another plane would come with, what are my expenses? I know there's insurance but I have absolutely no idea what that runs or anything else.

Currently I'm a PP-ASEL with instrument rating.
I know a multi-engine rating isn't a requirement but how much of a handicap would not having it be?

How much harder is it to get the II? Worth it?

Is the whole idea nuts? Would I make more money at the local Mc Donald's?
 
First off you'll need a commercial, instrument (unless you want a vfr restriction), then the CFI. It would be nice to have a TAA airplane of some sort, so your students could get their commercial without a retract. I found and enjoyed teaching the commercial and instrument students more than circling around the pattern. It also easier on whatever airplane you get. More cross country stuff.
 
Well, since you asked, I'll offer my 2¢...

Owning a Lance you can easily knock out a CP and CFI. But, it sounds like you're looking to fill the gap of CFI's for pilot owners, so who would you use as a CFI? Catch 22 situation? If you're considering training students in an aircraft that you own, you're going to need to view being a CFI as a full time gig if you want to even come close to making a profit, let alone make some extra income. You would also need a steady pipeline of students, are you in a market that would supply new students?

But the biggest question is what does the risk/reward matrix look like? When I pondered this question several years ago I decided becomming a CFI wasn't worth the risk. If your matrix looks good, go for it!
 
I enjoy teaching, and I sneak whatever I can in on the side, but if you really want to help a given student, you'll need to carve out regular time commitments to help them out, such as being available every Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as weekends. It's not good when you have a student close to solo and your other job keeps you too busy to help them for three weeks. That's why most of what I do is tailwheel, transition, recurrency type stuff. I have one PPL student who's plane is at a bit of a remote airfield, and I really hate it when I can't carve out the time to help, but one has to take care of the bread and butter and family.
 
I'm up for renewal on my CFI insurance actually so I can at least answer that bit. Here's the NAFI quote from Avemco

1696485119829.png

I think I can ratchet non-owned up to 50k? but I usually meet the OPW so 5k should be enough to salve a deductible, and 50k isn't fixing a gear-up or anything else, so I leave that. Liability is at its max offered, which might buy some lawnmower chick a new tractor but not a new head.

Be one of the national Lance experts. Ferry em around, teach the new owners and have a ball. Primary is for the birds -- those dudes will kill ya, and as you note, no money in it.

I make half the rate as tech, and maybe appx 300 hours/yr, so it's not gonna replace anyone's career. But it's fun and keeps me out of the pubs, and this is a community I don't ever want to detach from in whatever form I can.

$0.02
 
schmookeeg said:
Primary is for the birds -- those dudes will kill ya, and as you note, no money in it.
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When I was an active CFI/CFII I found that primary was a mixed bag. Some of my students made teaching fun, others made it hard work. Primary was always billed lowest which was hard to fathom when a few of the students could help me die, but advanced training rates were higher because the instructor brought more to the table.

To the OP, if you have the motivation to get the additional ratings and the talent to teach you can get it done. But, in order to avoid the challenges mentioned above (e.g., time commitments) you would have to have control over who, where, and when you instruct. That can appeal to a certain audience but not everyone.

You’re lack of experience in various types can be a disadvantage, but it really depends on what kind of instruction you do and who your customers are. If your student owns a Mooney or Bonanza, is experienced in type, and you are simply providing instrument training, than it’s not an obstacle of concern.

Being a CFI/CFII is not for everyone. I would put more evaluation into the workload, motivation, and the heart for teaching you may have than the financials side (after the initial cost) of being an instructor.
 
It is possible in some areas to work with a flight school as an independent part time instructor. That may be more true currently with the CFI shortage generated by the pilot shortage. I've been doing that from the day I earned my CFI almost 25 years ago. It started with the school where I earned my CFI and expanded from there. The key is having something to offer other than a warm body. In my case, I was in a full time non-aviation job and was available on weekends when the full timers needed a break. So I got calls for flight reviews and checkouts. And I probably fed more business to the schools than I received.
 
schmookeeg said:
I think I can ratchet non-owned up to 50k? but I usually meet the OPW so 5k should be enough to salve a deductible, and 50k isn't fixing a gear-up or anything else, so I leave that
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I assume you know that the only person the OPW protects is the owner and that, whether they exercise it or not, the insurer has the right to go after you for the full cost of repair. The insurer doesn't care about the deductuble. The flight school, FBO, and owner are the ones who do.

I'm not challenging your decision. Assessment of risk exposure evaluation and acceptance is personal. Just mentioning something that goes into the calculation.
 
Mikey52 said:
First off you'll need a commercial, instrument (unless you want a vfr restriction), then the CFI. It would be nice to have a TAA airplane of some sort, so your students could get their commercial without a retract. I found and enjoyed teaching the commercial and instrument students more than circling around the pattern. It also easier on whatever airplane you get. More cross country stuff.
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Except light sport, a CFI has to have both a commercial and an instrument rating.
 
Not nuts, I just started CFI training this week. Started in my bonanza but the throw over yoke and no brake on right side we decided to use flight school plane. Do it!
 
cowman said:
So I'm kind of looking for something I can do on a flexible part-time basis(preferably independently so I'm in full control) that will bring in a little extra income. I keep kicking this around in my head but I don't really know enough about it. My home field does have a flight school but they've pretty much abandoned pilot owners. I was hoping to target existing pilots in my area for BFRs, currency/proficiency work, endorsements, etc. Ever since I moved here I've been frustrated with the flight school- all college aged kids who are building hours to get hired and disapear within a year or two. Every time I need a CFI I have to go meet someone new, I feel like having a go-to for those of us not seeking a career in the area would be a good niche to fill. Not against having primary training students, just less sure of who will rent us a plane.

I do own an aircraft, a Piper Lance but I don't really think it's ideal for training(and I'd rather not let anyone else land it). That might be the rub- there are other airports in the area that might rent, I doubt the flight school wants my competition. Am I going to need to figure out a way to buy a trainer of some kind? As fun as that sounds, it also might sink this whole ship economics wise. Speaking of which I *ONLY* have time in a PA-28-181, a PA-32R-300, and a tiny bit of time in the rental 172s I started on. Is my lack of experience with different types an issue?

Last I've hired a CFI, midwest pricing had hourly rates in the $30-$50 range. Other than the whole potential world of expense buying another plane would come with, what are my expenses? I know there's insurance but I have absolutely no idea what that runs or anything else.

Currently I'm a PP-ASEL with instrument rating.
I know a multi-engine rating isn't a requirement but how much of a handicap would not having it be?

How much harder is it to get the II? Worth it?

Is the whole idea nuts? Would I make more money at the local Mc Donald's?
Click to expand...
Yea, as a realistic retirement gig you are fooling yourself.
 
Burn this phrase into your memory: “my controls”. It worked both times two different students pointed our C172 directly at terra firma and that one guy decided to go for the ditch. Only happened to me three times in 1000 hrs of instruction. The rest was smoothish sailing.
 
I was a part-time CFI for about 10 years, with a full-time day job. Started at the school I did my CFI training at to develop my CFI skills, then went independent, working with members of a local flying club, and then just solely with aircraft owners. Never have owned a plane to use for flight instruction, and haven't needed to. The CFI work did bring in substantial additional income, so don't let naysayers tell you otherwise. It all depends on you and the market you can develop.

Being a CFI-A-only (meaning, not a II) is somewhat-to-substantially limiting. Yes, some people have had success with this, but especially if you're looking at working with owners, having the CFII opens up a whole lot more opportunities. I do far more instrument refresher work than flight reviews, because it seems like no IFR rated pilots actually maintain their currency. And, since by definition they are already approved pilots in their own airplanes, it's a great way for you to build up experience in types of aircraft that you may never have been in before. For example, I have a few hundred hours in Bonanzas, but my left-seat time is likely low single-digits. The rest is various forms of refresher and instrument training.

This is especially important because, as you admit, your experience in different types is very low. This WILL hurt you in the beginning. A lot of independent CFI work is for insurance checkouts, and those usually require a CFI with significant time in type. So that kind of work will take some time and creativity to work towards. But you have to start somewhere, like with my Bonanza example.
 
If it were me, I would look more at it form the angle of going part time CFI for the existing school...at least at first. Build experience, eliminate the need to buy and maintain your trainer, have support on both the business side and from other instructors, use the time to also work towards getting the CFII.... You could still be that instructor on the field that isn't gone to the airlines next month, just doing it with support....

I was taking early steps to do this a long time ago. Passed my commercial written and was working on the Commercial training when a job relocation derailed the plan. My thought was from the perspective of a long time rental pilot who'd long bene frustrated by the inexperienced flight instructors that were not in it to teach. My thought was that working a full time regular job, I could only realistically fly weekends and some evenings but I could take on maybe 1 or three students with a similar schedule availability, as well as do the occasional checkout or review.... I thought it would give me a purpose to fly, and while not making me rich, it would be cheaper than paying to fly and stay current by myself! I still wish that my plan had worked out....
 
midlifeflyer said:
I assume you know that the only person the OPW protects is the owner and that, whether they exercise it or not, the insurer has the right to go after you for the full cost of repair. The insurer doesn't care about the deductuble. The flight school, FBO, and owner are the ones who do.

I'm not challenging your decision. Assessment of risk exposure evaluation and acceptance is personal. Just mentioning something that goes into the calculation.
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Yeah, it's actually a recent gap for me -- being an instructor for the Beech type club used to include an umbrella policy for outside instruction, but that became too expensive recently and has been nixed. I actually wish there was a way we could buy into that to get it back, it was great cover.

50k is the same as 5k in my mind. If I could find a policy that did, say, 250k, I might pursue it, but that seems to not exist out there. And the insurers don't seem to do named-insured status for free anymore, regardless of quals -- it's usually a few hundred bucks now :/
 
One of the flight schools here had a renter gear-up a Cutlass.
The investigation revealed that the gear warning systems were functional, and he just brainfarted it.
Story I got from flight school owner: Insurance went after him full force, and he did have to pay.
I don't believe he had renters insurance. If so, I hope it was more than 5k.

Not sure how common this sort of situation is but that story always influenced me to check out the fine print.

I also trained in that plane a bit before the incident, and wondered afterward how that would translate over to say, instructor and student both brainfarting a gear-up. I'm sure the finger is pointed at instructor, but what about subrogation in that instance.. policy dependent, or is it just a standard that when training it's pretty much all covered?
 
Skyrys62 said:
One of the flight schools here had a renter gear-up a Cutlass.
The investigation revealed that the gear warning systems were functional, and he just brainfarted it.
Story I got from flight school owner: Insurance went after him full force, and he did have to pay.
I don't believe he had renters insurance. If so, I hope it was more than 5k.

Not sure how common this sort of situation is but that story always influenced me to check out the fine print.

I also trained in that plane a bit before the incident, and wondered afterward how that would translate over to say, instructor and student both brainfarting a gear-up. I'm sure the finger is pointed at instructor, but what about subrogation in that instance.. policy dependent, or is it just a standard that when training it's pretty much all covered?
Click to expand...

I'd love to find a way to prove that out (I know it's impossible -- not doubting the story) -- my experience has been that subrogation is never pursued, even in egregious circumstances. Even with the flight school owner begging them to do so. :)
 
schmookeeg said:
Yeah, it's actually a recent gap for me -- being an instructor for the Beech type club used to include an umbrella policy for outside instruction, but that became too expensive recently and has been nixed. I actually wish there was a way we could buy into that to get it back, it was great cover.

50k is the same as 5k in my mind. If I could find a policy that did, say, 250k, I might pursue it, but that seems to not exist out there. And the insurers don't seem to do named-insured status for free anymore, regardless of quals -- it's usually a few hundred bucks now :/
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Maybe. I'm hardly an expert on this but I've come across a few things that make a difference for me.

One is to be named on the policy if there is a continuing relationship with the pilot. Not necessarily as an insured but as a pilot approved by the underwriters. That may or may not come with a charge because you are being evaluated personally and not simply as a generic open pilot. And the few hundred bucks extra might not hurt the pilot who is paying you [?] per hour. That may not protect you legally from subrogation (there's an interesting legal argument buried in there) but insurers I've spoke with say they are hesitant to subrogate against someone they have specifically approved.

The other is that subrogation claims against instructors are not easy (despite the FAA's position that an instructor is always "deemed" to be PIC on an instructional flight). If in the airplane, the causation question is whether you or the client/owner is responsible for the bad thing. If you are not in the airplane, there are the courts' dislike of "educational malpractice" theories and and basic legal rules of causation. I figure having a potential $50,000 to throw at the problem puts one in a much better settlement position than $5,000.
 
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Skyrys62 said:
One of the flight schools here had a renter gear-up a Cutlass.
The investigation revealed that the gear warning systems were functional, and he just brainfarted it.
Story I got from flight school owner: Insurance went after him full force, and he did have to pay.
I don't believe he had renters insurance. If so, I hope it was more than 5k.

Not sure how common this sort of situation is but that story always influenced me to check out the fine print.

I also trained in that plane a bit before the incident, and wondered afterward how that would translate over to say, instructor and student both brainfarting a gear-up. I'm sure the finger is pointed at instructor, but what about subrogation in that instance.. policy dependent, or is it just a standard that when training it's pretty much all covered?
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I was involved with one several years ago. In that case, the pilot, who owned a 152, was being trained in a Cutlass at a flight school. They landed gear up and the school's insurer subrogated against the pilot. The pilot's insurance broker said the owner's policy didn't cover it. That's where I came in. The owner's insurer accepted the claim and told the flight school insurer to pound sand.
 
It's tough to acutally make money in my niche (MEI) - I have to purchase the POH in many cases because my knowledge of the aircraft has to be equal or better than the owner's. I have quite a library. I suppose that an indirect benefit.

That is called, "Due diligence".
 
schmookeeg said:
I'd love to find a way to prove that out (I know it's impossible -- not doubting the story) -- my experience has been that subrogation is never pursued, even in egregious circumstances. Even with the flight school owner begging them to do so. :)
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I'd like to know for sure also. It always struck me as odd. I'm inclined to use the old cliche, "that's why we have insurance"...but I'm not an insurance expert by any stretch.

One other detail from the owner: The renter admitted he just brainfarted it, gear lights on, and horn blasting.
Not sure if that has any bearing, other than getting some mouths watering, but in my mind, it shouldn't. Now, him getting coverage, or reasonable coverage again, might be another story lol.
 
midlifeflyer said:
It is possible in some areas to work with a flight school as an independent part time instructor. That may be more true currently with the CFI shortage generated by the pilot shortage. I've been doing that from the day I earned my CFI almost 25 years ago. It started with the school where I earned my CFI and expanded from there. The key is having something to offer other than a warm body. In my case, I was in a full time non-aviation job and was available on weekends when the full timers needed a break. So I got calls for flight reviews and checkouts. And I probably fed more business to the schools than I received.
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Exactly how I was able to get into the last school I was at. Turned it into a full-time gig for a while but student loan debt and living out of hotels made for a difficult time. Looking forward to going back next summer when the financials will make it a much more enjoyable time.
 
So there's a lot more to it than just sitting in an airplane and flying. It requires a fair bit of hard work and dedication. More so than I originally anticipated but I've been enjoying it. And if you plan to actually teach consistent students from day one you will need to find consistent time to carve out of your schedule. You are your "own boss", but not really.

I've dropped a few students that I either felt we're not a good personality match, or simply weren't putting in their own time to study and advance. Some others simply don't advance. They make a teaching exhausting, so I dropped them. Remember you are liable for them. If you sign someone off for solo and they banged up an airplane they're going to come asking the CFI some questions..

At least where I am at there's a ton of demand. So I can be a little selective, I've had a lot of fun doing it. You meet cool people and you learn a lot about flying and yourself when you have to teach it on a routine basis

The flying though gets a little boring. The cross country trips are okay but staying within 100 or so nautical miles of home base gets a little boring..

If for nothing else it can be a good personal challenge. I certainly would not discourage you from pursuing it.
 
Are local flights scores geared to generating a VA funded commercial pilots. Which is fine but it doesn’t really fit my needs. I would love to have a reliable local independent CFII to handle my instrument currency and BFR needs. I know that there would actually be a huge a market for that where I’m at. if you don’t do any primary instruction, you can always do it in the owner’s plane which is what I would prefer. This would eliminate the insurance issue.
 
cowman said:
So I'm kind of looking for something I can do on a flexible part-time basis(preferably independently so I'm in full control) that will bring in a little extra income. I keep kicking this around in my head but I don't really know enough about it.
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If part-time and a "little extra income" is all you're looking for, there might be an alternative.

When I was within a couple of months of needing a BFR earlier this year, I received a card in the mail from a local instructor offering to give me my review in my plane. I called him, we discussed it, he was perfectly willing to tailor the review to meet areas I told him I was weak in, we set up a day and time and knocked it out.

So,.....

Suppose you downloaded the airmen database and searched for pilots in your area who looked like they might be due soon, then made a direct mailing offering a BFR with them providing the airplane (owned or rented). Some bulletins at local airports, maybe some advertising magnets left on hangar doors, etc., would also drum up a little business.

You wouldn't be giving primary, so not really competing with the schools. With most owners, you'd be covered under their existing insurance. You would have no aircraft ownership expenses, and really no overhead at all.

Furthermore, if you establish good relationships, when these folks want to add on an IFR rating or a commercial ticket or something, there's a good chance they'll call you first.

Also, since you're not doing primary, there's flexibility in your schedule. You won't have to commit to flying with someone twice a week for months on end. One and done, with each airman, unless there's a need for a little dual before you can sign him off, which would also generate a few bucks.

You could also include "rusty pilot" refresher training if you'd like.

I'd bet you could pick up a couple of thou a month this way, depending on your local market, especially if no one else is doing this. Might be worth exploring a bit, if you're truly only looking for a "little" income from a part-time gig.
 
I don’t think it is something I would want to do in retirement?
I see the CFIs going out to teach at my airport on some really hot bumpy days.
I remember plenty of those when I was training. I don’t think you could pay me enough to do that, plus the fact some are trying to kill you.
My last CFII was a saint to ride around with me in the pattern getting me to solo since it took me a long time.
And like said you really are on the students schedule and not so much yours. Then there plenty of cancellations because of the weather and because of the student.

On the other hand I learned a older CFII is worth a lot more than a younger one heading for the airline’s.

BTW it took me 16 months and close to 100 hrs to get my PPL. I never missed or canceled any days and was never late. I did get the respect from the school and they always worked me into the schedule, but this was in 2015 when things were different then.
Like some one said ferry airplanes for some extra bucks seems better to me?
 
Half Fast said:
You wouldn't be giving primary, so not really competing with the schools. With most owners, you'd be covered under their existing insurance. You would have no aircraft ownership expenses, and really no overhead at all.
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Our school would see this as competition because we also do a lot of flight reviews. With most owners, yes, you probably meet the open pilot requirements, but that does not mean they would not subrogate to recover from you. I carry non-owned liability coverage because not all of the owner airplanes I fly in have my employer listed as additional insured with a waiver of subrogation. I am still exposed for aircraft damage liability. Consider that risk.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
It has been my perfect retirement gig for 13 years.
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Sure, it’s been my perfect retirement gig for the last 11, but not as a freelance at a local airport just doing recurrent training. There is likely not enough demand to make worth his effort and expense and the extra income will be quire limited.
 
Clip4 said:
Sure, it’s been my perfect retirement gig for the last 11, but not as a freelance at a local airport just doing recurrent training. There is likely not enough demand to make worth his effort and expense and the extra income will be quire limited.
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When I first became a CFI, I had no intention of doing anything else other than flight reviews and such, on a very limited basis. Up until that point I was what you would call a "ratings collector", and got the CFI mostly because it seemed the next logical, useful rating to get. I found that I enjoyed the work so much that I kept expanding into where it was very much a perfect retirement gig (I'm just not retired yet).

Which is to say, the OP's mindset and goals, like everyone's, will likely change over the years. But you can't get anywhere if you never start.
 
1) You may find that no one will rent you a plane to teach in, as you are competing with their instruction business.

2) In some cases, there are provisions against independent instruction at a given airport. May not be legal, but are you willing to fight that battle.

As others have said, best bet would be to work through the local school as a part time instructor.

Also, unless your part time is a specific schedule, it will be hard to do any instruction towards ratings, as those people have to fly fairly often and to a schedule.
 
RussR said:
When I first became a CFI, I had no intention of doing anything else other than flight reviews and such, on a very limited basis. Up until that point I was what you would call a "ratings collector", and got the CFI mostly because it seemed the next logical, useful rating to get. I found that I enjoyed the work so much that I kept expanding into where it was very much a perfect retirement gig (I'm just not retired yet).

Which is to say, the OP's mindset and goals, like everyone's, will likely change over the years. But you can't get anywhere if you never start.
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Something like this. I'd suggest, just start with Commercial, then go for CFI, and see what happens. You can't tell what might or might not come up in the future, but without the ratings, nothing will. As far as income, could end up nothing more than beer money, or you could end up making a living salary. As to buying a trainer, you have to have that plane moving a lot to break even, expect insurance as much as $5K a year, and that would put you head-to-head with the local flight school.
 
Half Fast said:
Suppose you downloaded the airmen database and searched for pilots in your area who looked like they might be due soon, then made a direct mailing offering a BFR with them providing the airplane (owned or rented). Some bulletins at local airports, maybe some advertising magnets left on hangar doors, etc., would also drum up a little business.
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I think this would pick up only those who got a new certificate about 2 years ago as a BFR won't show up in the database.

I teach via a flight school, but also do Flight Reviews, IPCs, etc on the side and have a couple outside instrument students. I prefer the instrument and commercial guys as they already know how to fly and, being a software guy, the IR stuff is just interesting from a procedural point of view.

I built a website for my CFI work (link in the signature), and have been in aviation here for more than a decade so people know me. I love it. I am semi-retired from being self-employed in software for 20+ years and I get to go flying often. I make enough to support my own flying habit. :D
 
Jim Carpenter said:
Something like this. I'd suggest, just start with Commercial, then go for CFI, and see what happens. You can't tell what might or might not come up in the future, but without the ratings, nothing will. As far as income, could end up nothing more than beer money, or you could end up making a living salary. As to buying a trainer, you have to have that plane moving a lot to break even, expect insurance as much as $5K a year, and that would put you head-to-head with the local flight school.
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Of course you mean certificates, not ratings.

Keep it true for potential CFI’s…
 
Thanks for all the replies, lots to think about.

There are two other airports near me, one is pretty much dead. The other is fairly active and I've considered moving my plane there for various reasons. The field I'm at is better overall but their fuel prices are getting ridiculous and they no longer have a mechanic. I might go over there and talk to some people- they're more of a typical independent small airport FBO and might just have an opportunity.

There's a lot of wisdom in the idea of at least starting out working for someone. I think my hesitancy there is I walked away from having an employer years ago and lack of respect for my time was one of the larger issues. I have time, but also lots of little commitments so I need to be able to say "nope, not this day." without argument. I also want to be able to say "I'm going out of area for a week" a few times a year without argument. Putting in a long day or a few long days in a week I don't mind so much but the flexibility has to be there. Well that and any part time employment in this area tends to pay so little I might as well just stay home after you figure the gas to drive there.

I guess speaking of commercial is there anything good I can do part time with a commercial cert living in the middle of nowhere, IL? Cropdusting is big here but I've watched those guys and man.... that looks a lot scarier than student pilots.
 
cowman said:
I think my hesitancy there is I walked away from having an employer years ago and lack of respect for my time was one of the larger issues.

I guess speaking of commercial is there anything good I can do part time with a commercial cert living in the middle of nowhere, IL? Cropdusting is big here but I've watched those guys and man.... that looks a lot scarier than student pilots.
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These two are incompatible. No way you're just going to waltz right into aerial application with a wet commercial cert.
 
Walboy said:
These two are incompatible. No way you're just going to waltz right into aerial application with a wet commercial cert.
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Agreed. The only people I’ve seen do that were either born into a family that was already in the business or they started their own application business. Further, that segment of aviation is more of a lifestyle than a random, part time job.
 
I train and rent with several very busy flight schools in my area, and know a few independent CFIs. My CFI for my commercial always had time blocked off his schedule so he could coach sports most evenings, and my multi CFI at another busy school regularly blocked off time to make time for family. Both were low to mid time CFIs building time to go to the airlines eventually and yet they made it a priority to have quality time for their families or outside passions. I respected that a lot even if it meant I couldn't fly with them as often as I liked. The independent CFIs I have trained with have other jobs or retired and make time to teach around their life. I look forward to becoming a CFI myself as it seems like a good lifetime skill.
 
BTDT - I instructed about 800 hours a year on top of working another full-time job for too long. All it really did was turn my flying into work and burn me out on aviation.
 
jesse said:
BTDT - I instructed about 800 hours a year on top of working another full-time job for too long. All it really did was turn my flying into work and burn me out on aviation.
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Well no wonder, that's a ton of flying as a part time job. I've found that I could do 400 a year while working a full time job, and even that was in the edge of being too much to have a good balance. But 800, wow.
 
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