Pan Am to CFI?
 

Come this May, I will be graduating my part 141 school with a degree and (hopefully, no failed checkrides between now and then) I will have my CFI/CFII/MEI and want to start looking where to go afterwards. My ultimate career goal is to fly planes - be it Regional, boxes on the back side of the clock, or corperate. Although I am a bit partial, now at least, to go to the regionals (yes I know, paycut).

At my current school, I have been almost gaurnteed employement when I graduate at least part time, hopefully fully time. I will get about 6 students/semester which is about 150 hours every 5 months. Benifits are great and almost everything and pay is around $20K. HOWEVER, it will be atleast two years before I get a multi-engine student. So that is one option.

However, at our last career fair, Pan Am academy was out and was trying to sell their program. Their website doesn't include much information about the job, other than $35K, many benifits, etc. I don't know how many hours I would get or even mutli time. Has any one gone to the program there or even instructed there?

Before anyone chimes in, yes I understand the goal of instructing is to instruct, not gain hours. Yes my ultimate goal is not instructing. I am looking for the bridge to connect the two.

Any input would be great and appreciated.

Nothing wrong with instructing for the purpose of building time. However...you must give instruction your full attention and enthusiasm while you are doing it, and don't pad the hours.

Two years seems like somewhat of a long wait to MEI, but I guess it could also depend on the economy and airline hiring. I did about 1.5 years ASEL before I got an MEI job. But A few of months of MEI started my phone ringing off the hook from airline recruiters.

It's posible that you will be a CFI for a while anyway due to airline cutbacks...I might look more at pay, bennies, and job security than fast time building in this environment.