First Flight Instructor Job
 

What can a brand new flight instructor expect? I did all my flying in a Part 141 flight school, this summer I will be teaching near Portland, OR, at a Part 61 flight school.

What does the Cheif Instructor usually do with unfamiliar instructors who will be teaching at his flight school? Will he have to fly with me a lot and teach me how they run things? Any input would be appreciated!

Typically you will get (or should get) Commercial students right away - or soon after being hired. (this is what the school does back home where I learned) You are the instructor that is most familiar and comfortable doing the high-performance maneuvers for CPL students. You will also get the 'reject' - or - pain in the ars students that no one wants. You also might get handed out students from a flight instructor that is leaving for a job...

Those are the 3 most common senerios that I can think of...that is what happens all the time at the flight school where I was taught.

Lax

(My spelling blows a goat...just worked a 10 hr day...hehehe)

Usually a ride with the chief pilot to make sure you know what you are doing if you didn't do your CFI with the flight school. Good luck,

Hey, we seem to be in a simmilar boat. I just got my CFI and just filled out my paperwork to start instructing. I am working at the FBO that I did all my training at, I don't think they are going to take me out and have me show them all the maneuvers because I showed them while doing my CFI prep. It doesn't look like I am going to have much work at all for a while, but I am going to spend a lot of time there waiting for people to come in looking for flight instruction. For me, I think that I will have as many students as I can find by myself. I am going to leave a lot of flyers at my last job for intro flights.

Good luck to you. I am just a few miles north of you at Bremerton National (PWT) What airport are you going to be working at?

I'll be working at KVUO, pearson airfield. Its right by Portland. www.aeromt.com

Good luck to you to! :D

Pearson? Is there a DC-3 based there? I think my Uncle has one down there that he is working on. As far as I know, it isn't in flying condition, but I haven't talked to him in a while. I should be making better friends with him...

Yeah I believe so. They have a museum on the field. Lots of history for that airport, pretty interesting.

Big article in AOPA about pearson field. I believe Elrey Jeppsen learned to fly there.

I am a flight instructor! 3 hour ground, 1.2 flight, and I was done. Start work tomorrow. Thank you everyone for your help.

You can expect to be proven wrong about 100,000 times in your first 200 hours of dual instruction. It'll only be about 50,000 times in your second 200 hours, and diminish with time. By the time you get 1,000 (god forbid) you'll wonder how you got your CFI when you did since you'll think you didn't know sh*t. And if it's Part 61...expect a lot of private pilot applicants, discovery flights, and ramen noodles. Congrats on the job and stick with it.