DorkFromFL

So I have taken a break from aviation for about three months now after recovering from a surgery and finishing up a temporary job. I am about 10 hours short of my commercial and going to start the CFI academy at American Flyers in August...

ANYWAYS to get to the point.. With the current status of the economy, fuel prices increasing, and the nasty F word, how is this effecting the CFI job market??? Within the last two years FBOs were begging for CFIs due to the low hour requirements at some regionals and those crazy jet transition schools, but since the hiring has stopped and now with this influx of pilots back on the market, is it going to be competitive now to get hired as a CFI? Have any CFIs noticed a decrase in students or has it been stable? I appreciate the help and information.

Thanks
Nick

Careercfi

Hi Nick,

I can only tell you my little perspective of things - much an attempt towards logical guessing at this time.

Past: A few years ago flight schools and their students suffered badly because they were left alone, outside in the rain by time hunters that left for a right seat and frozen dinners.
That somehow changed the market, towards better pay, benefits, retirement and sometimes quite desperate measures to retain CFI's.
I met CFI's making $40/hour + benefits - flying 8 hours a day.
Desperate school = Instructors.

Now: - the CFI market appears stable...many foreigners are taking advantage of very cheap AVGAS and a strong Euro.

Future: Furloughed pilots still have their instructor ratings - they taught 3 years ago (some half motivated at best) and now many of them are loosing their jobs. Whether they will be subject to recall or not - many will remember the old times teaching for 11 dollars an hour and try to get back in. Just now, their logbook is filled with what the market calls high quality flight time. My guess:
Very desperate pilots = School.

The question seems - have the flight schools learned enough not to be to dependent on the state of the airline industry?
Don't know what to make of it myself.

cfii2007

Good point. The typical flight school knows many CFI's don't stick around long enough to seek higher wages. It's a double edged sword. Most schools that offer good salaries, 401k, free ratings (MEI...) are doing what they can to attract more labor.

DorkFromFL

Thanks careercfi, you pretty much broke it down nicely with explanation

I owe ya a beer

ILS37R

Though the downturn in commercial aviation is putting some inactive instructors back into the CFI gig, I think the more immediate issue is that a lot of instructors who were expecting to teach for less than a year--in some cases only a few months--are finding the low-time regional jobs just aren't out there anymore. As such, they're looking around for "good" CFI jobs, in case they have to dig in their heels for a couple years until things get better. The practical outcome being two-fold: first, there's fewer CFI openings and, secondly, the choice jobs are fewer and further between.

That said, I haven't heard of much of a lapse in training demand, especially from foreign quarters which appreciate the weakness of the dollar, so jobs will continue to be available.

FlynPoPo

I agree with ILS37R- I've talked to some flight school owners here in South Florida and all state international students are lined up to get in. A couple of schools have waiting list for August!

Careercfi

I'd start studying Chinese - quickly! August is only 1 month away.
And that is gleat with flied lice!
I can see myself arriving in SFLA speaking fluent Chinese - when their economy collapses (or reality sets in)- and they start staying away from Flight Training. What if the Euro looses strenght?
I'll sue my parents - they set me up with two languages - but did not forsee the right future. Hell!
How could they?

DorkFromFL

Rosetta Stone, here i come