CFI location
 

I am just about to do my CFI check ride in the Minneapolis area and have been contemplating where I want to instruct afterwards. I was an alumni of UND, so I've thought about going back. My question is it worth moving somewhere like Florida or Arizona to get my hours sooner? Any suggestions would be great.

Absolutely go somewhere where you can fly every day. I just talked to a former UND instructor and he said it was tough during the winter. I made a similar decision and was glad I did after seeing those hours build quickly in my logbook.


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US Aviation flies year-round and is looking for instructors.

UND has a flight school campus at the Mesa-Gateway airport in Phoenix.

There are schools in Phoenix that cater to large numbers of foreign students; some of them such as ATCA are very professional. Others, such as Transpac, are not. In fact, the student level turned out by Transpac should be a criminal offense. (when the typical student fails a checkride three times for each certificate or rating...there's a BIG problem...so you want your signature on any of that?)

Look at their qualifications:

Minimum and preferred requirements include:

• FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
  • Instrument Instructor (CFI-I) preferred
  • Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI preferred)
• GNS 430 Experience required for Instrument Instruction
• Part 141 experience preferred
• Experience with international flight students preferred

really? Who the heck has a MEI right away and who the heck has experience with international students even before they instructed??

Clearly they're looking for instructors with that experience. Where do they state that they want such experience from someone who has never instructed?

If they're in need of primary instructors, you'll likely find that their preferences will be downgraded to whomever they can take, and that a new instructor still has an "in."

A lot of instructors have their MEI early in the game.

My first student, as a newly minted CFI, flew over from Germany to get his private. New instructors working with international students isn't unusual at all.

My MEI was my first instructor cert followed by CFI-I and lastly CFI. I went ATP years ago and everyone did their MEI as an initial. I believe they are still doing it in that order.

Absolutely move somewhere in the southwest. Don't buy that "Sunny Florida" nonsense. Plenty of rainy days with t-storms passing through.

The MEI and experience are preferred, not required. We hire plenty of instructors without these qualifications but those who have them will get preference.

Thanks everybody for the responses!!

While it's not clear and a million like in the desert, I still racked up the hours instructing in Florida. The rain comes and goes. You learn to live with it, and in it. Go to the most stable place with international contracts where you can get paid the most. That should narrow your search down to Florida, Arizona, and Texas.

When I got my initial CFI there were a ton of furloughed regional FOs out there looking for work. The flight schools had their pick of the litter, and unless you were an internal product of their institution, you could count on needing at least a little experience to get an interview. Transpac wanted CFI/CFII/MEI and 200 dual given to get an interview, and that was the standard among those type of schools.

Fast forward to today, and it really is a buyers market. I got an ad from Transac not too long ago offering a $5k sign on bonus and $1k for referrals. Feast or famine my friend.

Exactly, that is why I thought their job criteria was a little presumptuous. While it's nice to have, unlike 10 years ago you are rarely going to find anybody these days that fits those criteria. If you want someone like that you are going to need to pay a premium.