FLightle

In fact, I would venture to say that if as an instructor you charge fairly and provide good instruction during the entire time, students will migrate to you through word of mouth. This would be especially true at larger schools.

Pilotpip

Rotax or Continental? Ours are the C1s with the Conti. They also have a 430 and are pretty well equipped for a VFR-only aircraft

In addition, I don't charge when I'm BSing. If I'm on the ground and we're doing legitimate stuff, you're on the clock. If I'm doing the preflight with you, you're on the clock. Usually when I'm doing a ground session I'll end up billing about .8 hours for a full hour because I like to get off on tangents about other things or tell stories.

Zach, are you the same Zach on my schedule Saturday?

ryane946

I think calcapt brought a very interesting point of view.

Personally, I think airline pilots should receive 3 types of pay.
Flight hours: A rate from when they push off the gate until they are back
Per Diem: A rate for hours away from home

In addition to these above (what they get now), I feel there should be another pay for time planning/preflighting, but not actually flying, (i.e. time at the airport during their duty day). It could be payed at something like $10-20 an hour. The pilot would be paid the greater of dutyrig / the new pay I invented.

Not only will this compensate pilots for time spent working, it will also help motivate a company to waste less pilots time in the airport during a duty day. Pilots will fly the same amount of hours over a shorter time period (more time at home), and be paid for time at the airport.
Thoughts??

FlyingChipmunk

My best advice to those who think that the instructors are using them as a meal ticket is to confront the instructors. As far as getting what we are worth you have to remember that as an instructor alot of time goes unpaid if you bill just by hobbs time. They way I see it an instructor is as important as your doctor or Lawyer but works twice as much and gets paid nothing for it.

Hot Sauce

My CFI in Daytona for the PPL was like that. He'd always want to go far away from the airport to avoid the Riddle traffic... this was justifiable, but not really necessary as most of the flights seemed like a cross-country just to practice manuevers and airport ops. Looking back, he never gave me a good prep for the checkride. I've never even heard of a PTS. But he & the FAA examiner were friends and probably spent my non-refundable 250 in bar or on cigarettes. After failing the oral, my CFI went on & on about how I'd need weeks & perhaps a month more of training. He also was very rude to another one of his students, who was Saudi Arabian, claiming that he doesn't want to learn - apparently he just wasn't a good teacher. The Saudi guy commented to me about the whole school, "They eat your money, man." So the Saudi guy left back to Saudi Arabia, and later I left to finish elsewhere.

I then went to Riddle ($$$) for the instrument. They have a nicely structured program but, the CFI's that I had seemed more interested in their ego and uniforms than anything else. Also watching your CFI doze or making tongue jestures to other same-sex CFI's across the tables is not cool.

If I had any advice or would do it over again, I'd do everything at a flight school like ATP (got my ME, MEI, CFII here) or Airman Flight School (Commercial, but school now shut down),
1. The courses are guaranteed (well atleast at Airman they were)
2. You pay everything up front and don't have to worry about paying for extra training
3. The CFI is at your mercy, must give you their all or it will cost the school money, and cannot cheat you to get more hours (or more money for them) since they're most likely on a salary instead of being paid by the hour.
IME, these CFI's had the best attitudes.

check6

Way back in the day when I instructed, I did have DOUBTS about certain students but I never failed to give them adequate instruction. There have been a few that I have had doubts about but presently surprised me as well. Sometimes, when the student hasn't studied or doesn't put the time in I feel like I AM THE ONE GOING ALONG FOR A RIDE.

shamrok

Hey Heavydriver, I paid 160/hr for my instrument training in a Piper Cherokee. The instructor was 50/hr and the plane was 110/hr wet. It was well worth it, the instructor was excellent and the plane was maintained to highest standards. Cost me $6500.00 for the rating. (about 40 hours)

LAfrequentflyer

Originally Posted by UConnQB14
has anyone gotten the feeling that flight instructors are taking them for a ride because they need the extra money?? didnt mean this to be a dig on CFI's, but this happens a lot to young students and often discourages them from continuing their training



Happened to me...I went thru three instructors at three different schools before I found the right combo...

I agree with the previous post = go thru a place like ATPs. Thats my school of choice if I ever decide to go full-speed ahead in aviation...


-LAFF

Cass

Hello all,
As an experienced instructor, I have seen all types of CFIs and can certainly sympatize with you aspiring pilots.One thing that is highly neglected in the beginning training levels are the use of simulators. I had 8 IFR students last year who were successful at an average of 45 hours.Teaching initially 20 hours in the sim for BAI, and then finishing up the last 20 or so in the plane after all the Basic attitude flying skills were mastered, and then aircraft utilation was much better.
Another thing is that each person is an individual and needs a ( slightly )differant approach. You learn to emphasize strengths, and not overly focus on weaknesses, those will generally work themselves out as the candidate attains experience.
The most important thing is that your student knows that you care about them, and that their personal success is also the instructors success, then it becomes teamwork, and is conducive to faster learning.
I used to know a guy who was so desperate for flight hours that he would just about bully anyone who walked through the door, drag them out for a disco flight, and then they were never seen again. In the year and a half that I worked there, I had 12 successful students who passed their checkrides, he didnt even have 1!!!!
SO>>>>> Advice,THOUROUGHLY research your instructor before committing to them.Check their last year, pass/fail rate etc etc..
( sorry to rant, but it is a passion of mine!)