Originally Posted by
Stryker
WEll when it comes to making decent money what a lot of you need to realize is that $29/hour does not always translate into a decent paycheck... At an airline you have a guaranteed number of hours paid... teaching you could get 80 hours one month, and 20-30 the next 8 months (as has been the case with me)... I sit around for 6 of my 8-10 hours I am at work doing nothing because of a drop off in student interest. Don't ever look at the dollars per hour and think that should be a selling point... if there are no students, you will be filing for welfare and food stamps in no time...
I agree with you fully. I am currently flight instructing and though the work and flight experience I've obtained is immensely useful to me, the paycheck is something I always struggle with. Depending on where you instruct, you are either salaried, or as is the case in most places, paid by the flight hour and any pre/post brief time.
The worst part about instructing where I am is my paycheck is so dependent on weather and students. This summer, I'm mainly working with primary PPL students and usually get weathered all the time. The
highest I've ever had in a paycheck was 56 hours in two weeks. That's pretty miserable at the pay rate I earn.
Of course, if you have enough dual given, you can go to the better flight schools. Unfortunately, as is the case for me, it takes money to move, which I don't have so I'm stuck in this hole.
I've had my few hours instructing and could definitely use a more steady job with which I can budget a minimum monthly guarantee. As it is now, I can't budget worth a damn!