Took me two months for find a CFI

[JCranford]

I bet you’re closer to the 5% than the 25%. Also most independent CFI’s are probably still dependent on the student having access to a training plane. I wouldn’t instruct in my personally owned plane and as a CFI i’d probably Be too poor to buy a plane specifically for instructing.

 

[AggieMike88]

I wouldn’t instruct in my personally owned plane

I don't blame ya... 1) Ruby needs to be flown "just so" to remain a happy C210. 2) the insurance costs to teach in her would eat you alive....

 

[schmookeeg]

I came to read the answer "Move out of the sticks, Gump". Disappointed to not see it. Is 100,000 a large and wealthy town that supports a huge aviation industry? Methinks not.

As regards $10,000 spent not coming with "good service", that's because "good service" in aviation is closer to $15,000-$20,000 for a Private. But the people who offer the $15,000 good service will go out of business. Why? Because crapshack service from "dude and a cessna flight school" down the street is being offered for $10,000 and they're getting 90+% of the pilot starts in the area. Because flying is crazy expensive, so people tend to optimize dollars waaaay over everything else.

That $10,000 crapshack service actually costs the FBO $12,000 to produce by the way. They're pocketing a ton of cash from people who start up, hate the ratty planes, CFI turnover, or flying in general, and disappear with a few grand left on the books (no refunds lol) -- it's alarming.

And everyone whines about not getting their $10,000 worth.

It's a terrible business. I did it for 7 years. Chose to provide good service and low cost and barely got out with my credit rating intact. I had the benefit of a large metro area in Los Angeles, a lucrative day job, and inherent volume at a low-cost airport in a high-cost of living area. Do better if you dare. You seem to have a pile of answers from your furious google searches. Get to. It's how I got suckered into it.

Separately, I'm a CFI. When I'm not flying turbines for fun, the only training I'm doing is transitions for people who already have their private and instrument tickets. Who the hell wants to drill circles in the sky with a noob who is trying to kill me? In a sadly maintained and underpowered 172? For the paltry $60/hr that he ******* about at every opportunity? Hard, haaaaaard pass.

$0.02.

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

I came to read the answer "Move out of the sticks, Gump". Disappointed to not see it. Is 100,000 a large and wealthy town that supports a huge aviation industry? Methinks not.

As regards $10,000 spent not coming with "good service", that's because "good service" in aviation is closer to $15,000-$20,000 for a Private. But the people who offer the $15,000 good service will go out of business. Why? Because crapshack service from "dude and a cessna flight school" down the street is being offered for $10,000 and they're getting 90+% of the pilot starts in the area. Because flying is crazy expensive, so people tend to optimize dollars waaaay over everything else.

That $10,000 crapshack service actually costs the FBO $12,000 to produce by the way. They're pocketing a ton of cash from people who start up, hate the ratty planes, CFI turnover, or flying in general, and disappear with a few grand left on the books (no refunds lol) -- it's alarming.

And everyone whines about not getting their $10,000 worth.

It's a terrible business. I did it for 7 years. Chose to provide good service and low cost and barely got out with my credit rating intact. I had the benefit of a large metro area in Los Angeles, a lucrative day job, and inherent volume at a low-cost airport in a high-cost of living area. Do better if you dare. You seem to have a pile of answers from your furious google searches. Get to. It's how I got suckered into it.

Separately, I'm a CFI. When I'm not flying turbines for fun, the only training I'm doing is transitions for people who already have their private and instrument tickets. Who the hell wants to drill circles in the sky with a noob who is trying to kill me? In a sadly maintained and underpowered 172? For the paltry $60/hr that he ******* about at every opportunity? Hard, haaaaaard pass.

$0.02.

Wow, this sounds like being a CFI is a job straight out of hell. If this is the general census then...

1) We're really [insert expletive here].
2) We need to find a way to change it.

Flying is crazy expensive... I agree. I don't agree that it has to be, especially with this "pilot shortage" looming. Shouldn't we try to find ways to get more young people into aviation? Within two hours driving of the sticks where this Gump (me) lives, there are flying clubs charging a $100 per month fee and renting out Cessna 172s (in MUCH better shape than any school plane I've seen) for under $80 per hour wet. I looked at other places (KC, some in FL, etc.) with similar rates. Since they're non-profit flying clubs, they price their planes at operating cost. $40 for gas, $20 engine fund, $20 whatever fund. Hence, I don't see how it costs the FBO $12,000 to provide a $10,000 service. The math just doesn't work.

As for "moving out of the sticks". lol. No, thank you. I lived in NY and LA for longer than I wanted to (and I'm only 30). I'm glad I now get to live in the sticks and just travel to the concrete jungles whenever I have to for meetings or conferences once a month ;-)

 

[lancie00]

That's because there's nothing in NW Iowa. NE Iowa isn't any better, and I'd guess the entire state is in much the same condition outside of the larger cities.

It's the price we pay for living in more rural areas. There just isn't enough work to make flight instructing at these county airports worthwhile so people don't stick around and do it.

Obviously you've never been to NW Iowa. Sure, we're not the concrete jungle but I don't know why anyone would want to live there anyway. But it's not like there's nothing here either. Believe it or not, we even have electricity.

 

[mondtster]

Obviously you've never been to NW Iowa. Sure, we're not the concrete jungle but I don't know why anyone would want to live there anyway. But it's not like there's nothing here either. Believe it or not, we even have electricity.

Been there plenty of times, and grew up just on the other side of the IA/SD border. When you're talking about major metro areas, there are none in NW Iowa that will draw instructors in. Outside of large population centers, the number of active instructors will be very small because there is not enough money to be made nor is there enough demand for their services. The demand for airline pilots right now doesn't help matters either because a lot of the guys that might be trying to do some instruction at these smaller airports are now gone.

 

[Z06_Mir]

If your in NW Iowa I highly recommend Riggin Flight Service in Madison SD. I’m from California and went through Commercial Multi with them and am currently studying for my CFI/CFII. I’m considering returning to South Dakota to instruct as I prefer flying in the Midwest over flying in California. They do all of their training in Cessna 140s and Piper Apaches.

I've heard good things about Riggins. I keep meaning to get my seaplane there but haven't gotten around to it. I'm in Rapid City, so not near Iowa but the little flight school I own/operate has 6 airplanes (four here) and a healthy number of students. Most of my students are under age 40, so I think I've appealed to the millennial well. We're not the cheapest, but have experienced instructors who actually enjoying teaching and airplanes that are kept clean, well maintained and updated..If you ever want to muddle in teaching at KRAP send me a PM.

 

[Lantraxco]

Here's a thought... from the top down, it's a jungle. You get to the top or near it, you get to kick rocks down on all the levels below you, because you are a legacy airline captain with all the benefits that entails, hopefully until you decide to pull the pin or you age out. Now why would they want to help or recruit anybody coming up? Seems to be plenty of FO's on the schedule, I'm getting the long haul routes I want, life is good. Skip down to the bottom where 250 hour CFI's are desperately trying to build hours, and they're teaching the way they were taught, probably with very little if any supervision, and it's a love hate thing. They need students to keep them in ramen and hot dogs and pay for the logbook time, but they're teaching the competition! It's a subtle subconscious thing probably for most, but I'm betting it's there. Why don't we have more people interested in flying, and why is the dropout rate in the first hundred hours so high? Maybe I should start a new thread, lol.

 

[3rdgenaviator]

I've heard good things about Riggins. I keep meaning to get my seaplane there but haven't gotten around to it. I'm in Rapid City, so not near Iowa but the little flight school I own/operate has 6 airplanes (four here) and a healthy number of students. Most of my students are under age 40, so I think I've appealed to the millennial well. We're not the cheapest, but have experienced instructors who actually enjoying teaching and airplanes that are kept clean, well maintained and updated..If you ever want to muddle in teaching at KRAP send me a PM.

Yes it’s a very well run and affordable flight school, so glad I discovered it. Students live in houses in Madison and typically go from zero time through commercial multi for less than $35,000, while gaining over 100 hours of TW, all in about 5 months. Morris, the students, and CFIs are at the airport 7 days a week flying or studying. In the era of lawsuits and liability there’s not too many flight schools left that do all of their training in tailwheels. I have 70 hours of TW and no one in Northern California will allow me to solo theirs.

Thank for the offer! I will let you know after I take my CFI initial in mid March.

 

[DonJinIA]

Yes it’s a very well run and affordable flight school, so glad I discovered it. Students live in houses in Madison and typically go from zero time through commercial multi for less than $35,000, while gaining over 100 hours of TW, all in about 5 months. Morris, the students, and CFIs are at the airport 7 days a week flying or studying. In the era of lawsuits and liability there’s not too many flight schools left that do all of their training in tailwheels. I have 70 hours of TW and no one in Northern California will allow me to solo theirs.

Thank for the offer! I will let you know after I take my CFI initial in mid March.

Curious if I would be able to go there for a week or 2 to finish up my Private?
I'm currently "in between" CFI's.
I've got 22 hours of dual instruction and am in a hold for a couple months to try and build my cash reserve back up.
Might have to give them a call in March.

 

[3rdgenaviator]

Curious if I would be able to go there for a week or 2 to finish up my Private?
I'm currently "in between" CFI's.
I've got 22 hours of dual instruction and am in a hold for a couple months to try and build my cash reserve back up.
Might have to give them a call in March.

Call them and ask, I’m unsure of what their availability is right now.

 

[woodchucker]

Little confused what you are searching for? You found a CFI, perhaps at an inconvenience. Did you contact a flying club? I think most have Cfi’s also. My club has at least five Cfi’s and accepts new students. Most clubs require a buy-in of multiple AMUs. That’s why some people pay more for a flight school because they don’t have the money to drop up front. So what’s your angle? A marketing guy (let’s face it ... I could throw a garbage truck further than I would trust you) with little aviation experience who wants to change the industry?

Go for it if you can. Otherwise exercise good ADM and have fun flying!