jmt7599

I currently have my sel, mel, commercial and instrument rating and am about to test for my CFI. I live in western Montana and the full time cfi jobs are harder to get and don't promise many hours. I have looked into going freelance but most flying clubs near me don't allow cfis to rent and instruct in their aircraft. Is there a way to work with these clubs that anyone is aware of? I'd really prefer not to move out of the state until I'm looking at an airline spot. Thanks for your input!

JohnBurke

You've answered your own question. If they don't allow freelance, they don't allow freelance.

The only other option in such a case is to work under their banner. You can apply for a job; you're best off getting your certificate and rating at a place that has a high volume of students; good schools employ their students.

Schools like instructors that go get students for the school. When I was seeking instructor work, I gave presentations, taught ground schools, towed banners advertising flight training, gave intro flights, towed an airplane through a parade, and took an airplane apart and put it back together inside a mall for a display. I brought students to the school. As a new instructor, you've got nothing to offer but your flight instructor certificate; no experience, no background, and virtually every working pilot out there holds a flight instructor certificate. CFI's are a dime a dozen. What are you going to do to make your self valuable to a school? What's valuable to the school? Not your certificate. That's just a job qualification.

Students are valuable to a school. Schools value instructors who can bring in students.

As a pilot who lacks experience and qualification, you're a beggar, not a chooser. It's aviation. You go where the work is. It won't come to you.

Flyhayes

You don't "rent" a flight club airplane. Renting would imply that the aircraft is operated for hire, which would then require that the airplane be commercially insured and undergo 100 hr inspections (something that the members of the club might not be willing to do) many clubs will allow a CFI to teach it's own members at a fixed rate (sometimes they will allow the CFI to set individual rates). The problem with going the flight club route as a source of income, is that your prospective students might not want to fork out the money required to join the club.