NatGeo

I remember what it was like to be at that stage as a CFI. The first 100 hours of being a CFI is great and then when the 101th hour hits and it is kind of downhill from there on. I'm talking about working over 70 hours a month when you are a CFI.

A first officer job will be more exciting than what you are doing now, but the problem with taking a first officer job now is you will end up making a lot of sacrifices for less pay and less flight hours.

My advice is to give Alaska a try in May. Get a ticket to Anchorage, rent a car for 3 days and go around to the schools/ freight operators and tell them you are an 800 hour pilot who has always dreamed of flying in Alaska.

I think you will get the greatest quality of flying, the most flight hours, and the highest pay in Alaska. Even if it is just 3-4 months you get up there, when you come back to Georgia you will feel recharged.

PRS Guitars

You might not realize it, but you’re actually learning a ton and improving your SA when lying a supervised solo. You are constantly thinking about what the student is doing and probably thinking how you’d do it better. He’s putting you in situations you’ve probably not put yourself in. You are deciding whether/when to intervene. You’re expanding your SA bubble and comfort zone. When you’re an FO you might one day have to decide some of the same things when flying with a CA who’s not great or having a bad day.

I instructed lots of foreign students in the T38 and they really upped my game. I had a couple of crazy experiences with a Japanese student in my front pit and a solo Japanese student in formation on our wing. It made me a better instructor, pilot, and leader. Plus I really enjoyed flying with them.

Rotors2Planks

Turn the heat off? Was that you?

Sliceback

If it was his APC name would be ‘Satan’!! :-))

TiredSoul

Epic video that was.....

PRS Guitars

Ha! No, but I flew with him as a student, Sliceback is correct. Actually brings up an interesting point. There is in fact no “OFF” switch for the heat. There are numbers only, and with a Japanese student whom tend to take things literally, that was confusing.

I would say to the kid “ hey Stan, would you mind turning the heat switch to 40? It’s the inboard switch on your lower left console.” worked every time, but yes an entertaining video.

dodsqubam

The CFIs I’ve known who’ve left have regretted it. I use my time sitting right seat to try to keep my skills sharp. Sometimes I’ll get my instrument scan going, other times I’ll think of an emergency that could pop up and how I’d handle it, look at clouds and think about weather stuff, try to recall FARs, etc. The 1500 hour requirement is excessive. I learned A LOT my first 500 hours as a CFI, but now it’s just a grind. I do try to make a conscious effort to enjoy the students I’m flying with and take pleasure in their accomplishments. I also realize that after this phase, I’m going to be commuting, stressed out during training, and working longer hours for about the same $ (all this at least for a bit). Try to enjoy being at the top of your game and PIC while you can, because we go from that to SIC and the challenge of having to acquire different knowledge and skills.

Excargodog

If you can actually instill situational awareness and a good understanding and ability to communicate in ATC-speak (if not the entire scope of the English language) to students that have deficiencies in those areas there is probably no greater contribution you coukd make to flight safety, because all too soon those individuals will be flying approaches at three times what they are doing now with the lives of a few hundred people depending on them getting all that stuff.

And you will learn more from watching the sorts of mistakes such students make or (hopefully) almost make than you will from flying floatplanes around Skagway showing tourists the scenery or hauling boxes in the dark.

But in the end, your call. If it's that unpleasant, go find something you will enjoy.

PRS Guitars

No it’s not, you still have a lot to learn. You’ve gotten very comfortable, which can lead to complacency. Be careful out there. By the way just for a history lesson, before 911, one typically needed 1500 to 2500 hours and 100 multi just to get to a regional.

Sorry, for the semi thread drift