Amerijet cutting instructor pay
#11
In a land of unicorns
Joined APC: Apr 2014
Position: Whale FO
Posts: 6,469
I'm usually pretty generous with lower time folks, but they need to come into the industry in the place where they can do the most good. Most classroom instruction is defined in training manuals. Indoc usually consists of regurgitating the manuals at a class with a little bit of context and question-fielding. If that's what he was doing, it's great experience for a lower time pilot with an airline career in his mind. If he was teaching systems, etc. then there's more room for experience and critical context to be missed.
Having a very inexperienced instructor teaching class has some negatives. For example, it tells the classroom that the company doesn't take the material seriously. So it is noteworthy that they have such a low time instructor. That interest is not reflective of him or our opinions of him, though.
Glad he's moved on. Hope he can buy and sell the whole place in a few years.
Having a very inexperienced instructor teaching class has some negatives. For example, it tells the classroom that the company doesn't take the material seriously. So it is noteworthy that they have such a low time instructor. That interest is not reflective of him or our opinions of him, though.
Glad he's moved on. Hope he can buy and sell the whole place in a few years.
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,349
Regardless, nothing improves by cutting instructor pay.
#14
Disinterested Third Party
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,026
Two of the best initial instructors that I've had throughout my career, had no instructor certification, and they weren't pilots.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
#15
Two of the best initial instructors that I've had throughout my career, had no instructor certification, and they weren't pilots.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
#16
Two of the best initial instructors that I've had throughout my career, had no instructor certification, and they weren't pilots.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
Flight engineers, both. Not just sharp on systems or the other material, but outstanding instructors, too. Unfortunately, both retired, now.
I can second that. One was an Electra engineer, another a Navy DC6 (or whatever the Navy called them) flight engineer. Never had a systems instructor since then that came close. My initial 727 Ground school instructor was a retired Pan Am FE. All had very extensive experience and a calm confident (deservedly so ) demeanor. None had a CFI or AGI.
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,349
The conversation has kind of drifted from Amerijet instructor pay. This is my fault. I'll try to clean up my mess. Also I don't work for Amerijet, so I'll back off after this.
Flight engineers I'd argue are more qualified to teach indoc/systems than a 500hr pilot who hasn't seen the line. They've seen the environment and operated in it, for example. Amerijet was lucky to have found a competent instructor so early in his career. A smart company would have sweetened the pot to keep him around. This may have also attracted more talent and motivated more people to cultivate talent from within. Lowering instructor pay means the opportunity to find and cultivate assets is lost.
Like I said, I don't work for Amerijet. I have made a decent life surfing the oddball parts of the industry. I've seen companies (135 and contractors) cut funding to critical parts of their own organization, try to play games with fuel payments to spread debt around and even lose track of parts as pieces of one plane get used on another, etc. It was a fantastic education for me. I never observed a company walk this road then suddenly do well. Maybe I'm blind, though?
Flight engineers I'd argue are more qualified to teach indoc/systems than a 500hr pilot who hasn't seen the line. They've seen the environment and operated in it, for example. Amerijet was lucky to have found a competent instructor so early in his career. A smart company would have sweetened the pot to keep him around. This may have also attracted more talent and motivated more people to cultivate talent from within. Lowering instructor pay means the opportunity to find and cultivate assets is lost.
Like I said, I don't work for Amerijet. I have made a decent life surfing the oddball parts of the industry. I've seen companies (135 and contractors) cut funding to critical parts of their own organization, try to play games with fuel payments to spread debt around and even lose track of parts as pieces of one plane get used on another, etc. It was a fantastic education for me. I never observed a company walk this road then suddenly do well. Maybe I'm blind, though?
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: Left, right & center
Posts: 774
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