Line Pilot's instructor pay
 

Hey Delta guys and gals,

Would anyone please chime in with some information. If a line pilot joins the training department as an instructor how is that pilot being paid? What is the min guarantee instructor line and days off? Also if a pilot loses his/her medical can that pilot continue working as an instructor and at what pay?

Thanks

all that information can be found in section 11.C of the PWA.

It’s also all been changed in the new contract whenever we finish it. If you lose your medical you can’t continue to work as a seniority list instructor. You would transition to disability. If you desired you could apply as a non seniority list instructor and work for DGS. In that case you can also continue to draw disability. Currently it’s a virtual lock you would be hired by DGS. That could however change in the future.

Thanks but I have no way to read that information as I do not work for Delta. I am thinking of applying but wanted to find out more about the pay and benefits as a line pilot instructor.

Our Seniority List Instructors are hired as line pilots first. Then after building the required experience apply and interview for the position.

You need to be hired as a pilot at Delta first before becoming a line pilot instructor.

In general, SLI (Seniority List Instructors) get paid what their seniority can hold. They are guaranteed a certain number of work periods a month at 5 hours per period. They have the opportunity to pick up additional periods and doing "doubles" is very popular. SLI duty is both lucrative and conducive to a more normal schedule/home life. SLIs stay SLI's for a long time because it is a great job (and presumably, they are well suited to teaching.) Improved SLI compensation is rumored to have already been agreed to in negotiations. SLI's also experience appropriate oversight.

The training department has a vigorous observation program that weeds out or improves weaker instructors. I was looking to hire a former SLI as a LCP but received negative feedback concerning this SLI's instruction techniques. I was able to look at seven years of observational grades and student critiques that revealed struggles in the first and second year but continual improvement to the point of perfect grades in his last four years. He had followed a normal arc in becoming a good SLI. You cannot hide weak performance or coast with minimal effort. Too many good instructors are available.

If you are interested in SLI jobs at DAL, they are here for sure. Former sim/instructional experience is a huge leg up. And many have been hired into the sim in their first years. Steve Dickson, former VP Flight Operations, became a 727C SLI as a new hire IIRC.

point of clarification, FO instructors only receive FO pay, not paid what they can hold.

But if a FO can hold captain, they get the highest FO pay (A350), correct?

Yes. FO SLIs are capped on the FO pay scale at 350B if they can CA.