DCP454

I completely agree with propwash, it is really what you make of it. I spent a little over a year at TransPac and ended up getting about 800-900 hours. The instructors that cared and were willing to work hard with their students got good results. I learned a lot about flying and people in general during my time there, and am defiantly glad I went. Instructing there is not a cakewalk, but it is rewarding if you bring a good attitude to the job and are willing to work hard.

Also, if you are looking for other jobs, I heard that CAE in Phoenix is looking for instructors. They work with students from Europe as well as Asia.

Rodger Wilco

Let me tell you about Transpac,

It may not be for everyone, but for me it has been great. It depends upon what your goals are and the type of work ethic you have.

I will keep this short and sweet.

The pros:

Consistant and motivated students
Consistant pay
Well maintained fleet and great maintenance
A safety culture (many many safety programs, they do care)
Uniforms (yeah thats right, get used to it pro)
401K matching (pretty good for a CFI)
They will help you get your MEI at a reduced rate
Low cost of living in the KDVT area.
They have a bonus program
I averaged 87 hrs/month for the last 7 months.
Great flying weather
Airconditioning in every aircraft (this is important to SAFETY!)

The Cons:

Chinese students can be very challenging (especially for a new CFI)
Older fleet, No Glass
long work days, if you are not in the air you are in a classroom or sim
Crazy hours (especially in the summer)
HEAT Yeah 115+
Did I mention that the Chinese will make you crazy?
the bonus program sucks

Overall if you are a hard working person who can empathize with the students and their situation then it can be a good fit for you. I have seen some people have a hard time here but it is because they have illusions about being a flight instructor. Anyone who wants to be a pilot but has a problem with long days for little pay will probably not do too well no matter where they work, majors on down.

GMonie

I know this thread is a little old, I just wanted to answer some more questions about TransPac if anyone had any. The post above mine is definitely a good one and I may parrot some of what they have already said, so I apologize in advance.

Let me start by saying I know exactly who WX Guru is and please don't let a disgruntled former employee sour any idea's one may have if considering TransPac as a job opportunity. Now, don't misconstrue this as me saying it is the greatest place ever to work; a job is still a job and TP definitely has its ups and downs. If you want a relatively stable job (this is aviation after all) and consistent flight time, TP is a good choice. In my time there I flew on average 75-85 hours a month. Some months would be lower (55-60) and some much higher (105-120). These are rather rare though and are all a result of your students progress through the program.

Speaking of students, I know much has been said about the students there being quite poor, but this as a blanket statement is simply untrue. Are there some terrible students? Absolutely. Are there some students that cruise right through the program? Definitely. I would say most of the students are above average as a whole. Having taught both FAA (American) and Chinese students, I believe I actually prefer Chinese students. For the most part they have excellent study habits and work very hard. They want to be sure they have your respect and they will definitely give you theirs if you earn it. I only say that because there are instructors that believe they are God's gift to aviation and feel the need to constantly berate and humiliate students. With Chinese students this is more than counter-productive and will create a terrible learning/teaching environment for both you and your students. Most new hire instructors will start with brand new students and take them from 0 time to their commercial multi checkride (they do not do commercial single for the simple reason they'll never fly single again. They go home right into 737's and A300 series aircraft). From there the students go to high performance training in one of TP's King Air 90's. Don't get your hopes up to fly those though as it is a completely different program from what you'll be doing as a Line CFI.

80% of what a line CFI will do at TP is flight training though. Students have dedicated ground school classes with great ground school instructors. That's not to say you wont have to do some oral briefing, but it does make it much easier when the students already understand most of what you need to go over.

MX is awesome and done under a progressive maintenance program operating with MEL's. This is different that most flight schools and I feel it helps considerably. The planes are looked at more thoroughly, more often and essentially complete an annual 4-5 times per year (as I said, the planes fly A LOT). Don't expect Cadillac's though as the planes have been around for at least 10 years in most cases. Most of the planes have A/C (there are 5 or 6 that do not) and that alone makes a huge difference in the summer. It is still crazy hot, but it at least makes it a little more bearable.

There are a lot of great people that work there (and like any other job, some not so great) and that helps to make long days much more bearable. If anyone has any other questions, let me know.

ultraguy

I worked there for a 4 years and left in 2011, for the most part the students study hard and if you take the time to teach them what they need to know they will do a good job. You just have to stand up to the people in building 1 saying you need to hurry them along and just remind them that YOU are the instructor not them.