spikemath

TransPac is always hiring flight instructors. Must have CFI and CFII. No prior experience required...at all. As of right now they are offering a $3,000 signing bonus, see https://transpacacademy.com/instructWithUs.php . I am a current instructor there and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Also, if you are seriously looking at coming they offer a referral bonus to current employees (ranges from $500 to $1000) that I would be happy to split, extra cash for both of us. PM me with any questions.

awax

What is the starting salary for a CFI? CFII? MEI?
What are the scheduling practices for a CFI with respect to duty day? Is it common to have a primary student in the morning and a IR student in the evening (duty rig)?



Do new hire CFI's really consider the Foreflight Pro App to be a benefit?

Heed

I part-time CFI (Active Duty still) and initially I wasn't certain I would keep the pro subscription.

It probably also hinges on the training fleet avionics setup. But from an app point of view, I think it it is worth it.

In the last several months, I have been doing a lot of instrument and ATP flights. In my local area, we can do the flights under VFR without working with ATC and I have access to all the approaches; VOR's, ILS, GPS, etc.

I like having the pro subscription as I can give the student great vectors when I play ATC with the geo-rectified plates.

Also, it would be nice to have when it comes time to shoot the approach in IMC.

Heed

Natca

This place is always hiring, I have heard mixed review, some guys like it and build lots of time quick, but also have heard pressures to sign off the foreign students.... We had lots of guys go there around 08-09 when the economy was in the dump, they seem to always have business, that is for sure.

Snuffaluffagus

I worked at Transpac in 2011. I enjoyed my time there. Got about 80 hours a month, at least one weekend day off a week, and my students were pretty cool and funny dudes who spoke decent English.

The pay was salary, after taxes, checks were about $900-$1000 twice a month. For a young, single guy living at home, I was racking up cash.

I never felt a lot of pressure on signing off a student on their checkride. I'd recommend Transpac for anyone who is a new CFI and especially if you live in Phoenix and don't want to leave (like me).

threeighteen

Is there a signing contract associated with the bonus?

If so, what are the details? (prorated?, Can you opt out of the bonus to stay contract free?, is it void if you get an airline job?, etc)

Do they hire in October/Nov?

Can you take unpaid time off?

spikemath

TransPac is a 141 Ab Initio flight school that contracts with airlines from other countries, mainly China and Vietnam. They send new cadets to Phoenix to get their training up through Commercial Multi, as well as some High Performance training. The program goes about a year for a new cadet, then they return home and begin simulator training for the airline.

Flight instructors are hired based on incoming students, which there are several hundred new students coming in the next few months. An instructor is assigned usually 4 students that he would work with daily, mainly for the flight training. Students also attend a ground school two days a week, and those two days are the flight instructors days off. They are consecutive days off. You will typically be assigned 4 students who will start at private and you will see them through as far as your certificates will allow.

Flight instructors are paid a base salary of 28,000 per year which comes to about 2100 a month. There are other incentives and ways to heard extra on the side (first time checkride passes, working an extra day...etc). Most flight instructors fly 4-6 hours a day, for 5 days, so the average flight time is easily 80-100 hours per month. For a pilot looking to get hours fast to get the regionals it's a decent option, pay is better than most other places.

They also have other positions for experienced and retired pilots such as High Performance instructor, ground school instructor, stage check pilot...etc. Most of those other positions start salary around 45,000 per year and go up.

The signing bonus of $3,000, which would be received in two payments: 1k with first paycheck, 2k in the paycheck after completion of basic standardization, probably 2-3 weeks after arrival. There is a 12 month contract for the signing bonus, but if you ended up leaving early you would repay a prorated amount, about $250/month, so if you look at it it's like making an additional $250 each month til you leave.

Ive enjoyed the foreflight pro mainly for overlay of some plates and such, but TransPac has an agreement with Foreflight that allows them to utilize the docs folder disseminating all company manuals to each employee. That feature wouldnt be available through the standard version. A new hire who already has a subscription will have their personal account put on hold by foreflight, who will let it go through the remaining months after you leave.

Hopefully Ive answered most of your questions. Please PM me for anything.

spikemath

Like mentioned above it is prorated. You can definitely choose not to take it. They hire all year, seriously. The incoming CFIs will be here for a year to 1.5 years max, then theyre gone. About 10 new guys come per month, while 10 are also on their way out. The bonus however fluctuates depending on how in need they are of new cfis. They are currently in a period with tons of new students coming over the next six months and so the bonus reflects that.

spikemath

Exactly. It's pretty good here. The higher-ups are friendly and most guys are enjoying their time. Sure, it can be frustrating at times, and some guys let it ruin their time as a cfi. 90% of the cfis here are really happy, the other 10% most guys don't want to be around. The leadership also do not unjustly put pressure on you to sign a student off. They encourage you to try to keep their training within the allotted time, but if a student needs more they understand, and do their best to balance deadlines with actual training needs.

spikemath

MEIs start at 31,000 but that begins after you finish their multi-engine standardization. A new hire would be at 28,000 until that point. Depending on prior experience you would also have the opportunity to be a stage check pilot if you chose to and your pay would go up to like 42,000 or something like that. The tradeoff is your monthly hours flown would drop but some guys arent here for the hours, but to work in between jobs or instruct part time.