Not only is it a lousy thing for them to ask you to pay for checkouts, it would be a lousy thing for you to accept. That just perpetuates their crummy business practice, and undercuts people unwilling to work for less than nothing!

When I started instructing, the school I worked at not only checked me out in their aircraft, they paid for my tailwheel endorsement, glider and seaplane rating, and CFII. The only thing they made me pay for was my multi-engine rating and MEI.

 

It wasn't too long ago when pilots had to pay 16K to get a job at a commuter and 5K to be a CFI. Those days will come back.

Training contracts, self paid type ratings and low wages; in the end we all end up paying for the job. Sometimes it is nice to have the costs up front.

Skyhigh

 

yea i went into their office the other day, and told the head guy that i felt left in the dark about having to pay for the flights, so i was unprepared financially to pay for those checkouts.

He apologized for not being clearer, then handed me a "terms of employment" paper, (dated sept 11, 07) which was after i found out i had to pay.

#1 read... "Applicants must supply the flight portion of the finances, ground will be covered by the university... " --how convenient

So luckily, i have a meeting with the chief flight instructor of the fbo's flight school that the university borrows the planes from (used by both schools at the same time), and those checkouts are going to be of "no cost to me." So hopefully they'll see me getting checked out here soon and working for the fbo, who uses the exact same planes.

 

UPDATE:

So i have to pay for my own 141 checkouts. Squared the financial part away with the owner of the airplanes. SWEET!!! scheduled a meeting/flight with the chief flight instructor, regretably, i called in and asked to reschedule for a later time. (food poisoning) We agree for a later time, and when i show up 15 minutes early, this guy comes up and says hey are you looking for Mr. XXXXXXX ? i tell him yea is he here? no he JUST took off, but he'll only be about 45 minutes....

So 45 minutes later, (30 minutes past when we were supposed to meet) he shows up... briefs with this student for 15 minutes... (i've been sitting there an hour now (i was 15 minutes early) i finally go into his office... and then get lectured for 20 minutes on how this is a serious job and changing times around is uncalled for, and how they dont accept any slackers...If you're not going to show up for me, are you going to show up for students??. He said, he's out of time for the day and we need to reschedule, So now it's scheduled for 2 weeks down the road....

I've already been sitting around for 1.5 months trying to meet the curveballs they've thrown me. and now wait around for 2 more weeks??

If i wasnt stuck here because of school, i would not have EVER COME BACK!!