Originally Posted by
SoggyMcPancakes
Hello pilots,
I would like some insight from those who earned their CFI license while living in the Bay Area. I got my all my instruction done down south in Riverside, where the price is at least reasonable, but now that I'm back home I'm at a loss as to how to get my CFI license without waiting years to save enough money to dump into this prohibitively expensive rental/training rate.
Thanks to all who respond, negatively or positively, to this post.
I'm not a CFI yet(god only knows when I'll have the time) but I am in the Bay Area. It is expensive, but there seems to be a tremendous need for CFIs right now, mostly due to the tech scene, and their seemingly endless money. I have customers telling me to get my CFI and I'd have a spot with them even if only part time. I'm not currently looking for CFI gig, since I have an aviation job and a plane that I can fly, but if I was, I'd self-study as mush as possible, swipe my credit card for the rest. Get it done, pick up as many students as possible out of Reid Hillview, Palo Alto, San Carlos, Hayward. You should easily pick up enough students for 6 days a week of work, if you're game.
Plus you'll meet a lot of rich people who want jets and turboprops. In a couple years(maybe less) if you're particularly enterprising, you can find yourself flying/teaching these people in a Citation/PC12/TBM etc. I see it every day.