Originally Posted by
ninerdriver
I've done both flight school and independent. There are plusses and minuses on the independent side.
It's great being your own employer. It's great being able to charge time for your plane *and* deduct it as a business expense. It's great charging a reasonable rate and receiving that full rate, rather than receiving one-third of what the flight school charges for your services.
Unless you already have a source for students, though, finding students can be hard. Advertising doesn't have to be expensive, but you'll need to put some time into it if you take the cheap route.
You're also going to have to convince someone that you, as a brand new CFI with no flight school oversight, are going to teach them well. That will be the hardest part of all.
Another plus of teaching at a school is the fact that you will make friendships with fellow instructors, learn from each other, and network.
I am still friends today with people I instructed with a decade ago. Several are at other airlines and we still talk regularly. It can be your hardest working, lowest paid, best job ever, a time that you will look fondly on for the rest of your life.