Newbie here and currently a non pilot with a few questions on recommendations.

First of all, I have friends with PPL and planes and have flown a lot with them. I absolutly love to fly and have always wanted to learn. Along the way I was never able to get started due to life, wife, kids, responsibilities, $$, etc.

Now that i will be 50 soon, I will have no debt including a paid off mortgage this year, a good deal of savings now, and kids off on their own path and out of the house this year. I plan to have my PPL and IR by the end of this year, and i am looking to slow down from the rat race, and being a full time pilot working for an airline or cargo just doesn't seem to appeal to me. My wife is a full time teacher so I don't need benefits from my employer. I am also able to buy a modest plane once licensed to build hours or commute.

So here is my question, with so many student pilots becoming CFI's to build time to move on, is there room for a semi-retired new pilot to fit in and make a living by just wanting to instruct? I live in Central FL and willing to commute, but not relocate.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!!

 

Follow your bliss! There is always room for more participation in aviation! This is a non-issue.

 

Yes there is.
Welcome to the team.

 

Thanks guys! I was just wondering since I mostly see posts on moving on vs making a career out of being a CFI not only here but other forums too.

 

There's a shortage of 2 year CFI's to teach new CFI's. Once you get to that point, you'll be in high demand.

 

That really depends on what you mean by "make a living."

For most it means "just get by until getting enough experience to go do something else."

 

$40k-$50k would be plenty and could get by on less. Wife still working, rental properties supplementing. As i mentioned before, we are soon to be completely debt free.

 

If you manage to get 25 an hour instructing, it's going to take 2,000 hours of instructing a year to make fifty grand.

You might set your sights a bit lower.

 

FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach was a great place for me to work. You can fly as much as you want and they love people willing to work up the ladder. Great corporation, great benefits, with many different routes to go if you want to fly Corporate down the road.

Also maybe check Aerosim, they are located in Central Florida and I am sure would love to someone who wants to be around for the long time.

 

My best year I made $52k which was in 2006 and on hourly wage.
Yes, I lived at the school.
Wages have gone up since though.
Flight and ground pays the same so assuming a 1:1 ratio you should be anywhere between 1200-1500 billable hours in a year.
You need a ‘full time’ school though with a steady supply of students to make it happen.
School could pay you $75/hr but I’d you can’t put the hours in it’s no good.

CFI>CFII>MEI your value keeps going up. Mentioned already but >2 years and you train new instructors.