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Need to gross 20k a year

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Old 05-03-2010, 09:22 PM
  #1  
New Hire
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Joined APC: May 2010
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Default Need to gross 20k a year

Thanks in advance for the help. Here's my situation:

I am working on an online computer science degree which will take a couple of years to complete. I plan on making that my bread and butter but I also would love to instruct on the side. I have my commercial certificate and would like to earn my flight instructor certificate this summer. There are other jobs that I could do where I could make more than that while in school. It is just I love to fly and want to keep active in the profession. Flight instruction could be the fitting job as I could use down time between flights to study for college.

I was born and raised in a part of the Northeast where the weather annihilates flight training for about 3 months a year. I understand that the industry is not doing well across the board but it is especially bad here. This would not be a good place to instruct so I need to move if I am going to entertain the idea of living off flight instructor wages for a few years.

I see there are a lot of flight schools in the Miami and Southern CA areas. Anyone from those areas care to mention how much you fly and what the demand is for instructors (how often you see people hired)? Also, is grossing 20k a year a realistic prospect? Any other areas where flight instruction is relatively "hot"?
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Old 05-06-2010, 10:38 AM
  #2  
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I flight instructed for some years in the Northeast. I grossed about 20K when I was working for an established school (part 61) with multiple programs that made it interesting to locals and visitors alike. Keep in mind, 20K meant working- or at least being at the airport ready to go- 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. The pay might be a little better now, but with the economy, it might not equate to larger earnings.

You may want to shop around for a place to get your CFI that could also at some point become your place of employment, because then you'll have your foot in the door. This scenario worked for me under different circumstances.

Sorry, no experience down south or west with 141 schools and their hiring practices, though I'm afraid to think that no one is hiring or will be for a bit of time.
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Old 05-06-2010, 10:42 AM
  #3  
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The cost of living in SoCal might offset whatever loss of revenue you might experience with three months of weather.
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