Where I work they are cutting 14% of their workforce in the next few months. This, on an order backlog that was supposedly in the billions only a year ago. Times are tough all around.

Flew Yesterday
 

I flew my plane yesterday. I even did three touch and goes. :)

SkyHigh

Tough times
 

I hope that things are alright with you.

SkyHigh

Instructing anyone?
 

How is instructing going? Has there been a drop in students? I was a full time instructor during the recession of the early 1990's and it was like turning off a switch. One Saturday there were students in the lobby and the next it was a ghost town.

Months later all the instructors were using the lobby as a hangout since there was no flight training going on. People began to come though the door again, however they were pilots who were looking for work. A recession can be hell. Lets all hope that it eases off by summer.

SKyHigh

Sky,

There's a guy on another thread selling a real estate class. Might chat him up a bit.

Tony

I saw that. I wonder what the deal is.

Skyhigh

Well, we have 500 pilots utilizing 20 airplanes and total flight hours is about 10,000 per year. I haven't been around all that long, but word has it when layoffs occur the fleet is gets adjusted by the percentage of people laid off. So, we'll probably lose 3 airplanes and cut down to a rate on par with a 8,500 hour projection. Not a disaster really, but then again who knows how many more layoffs we have coming.

Flight School Load
 

The student numbers are definitely down at our flight school. We are university affiliated as well as teach folks from the community. As far as instructors go, we haven't been hiring instructors to replace leaving instructors, thus keeping each CFI busy with the students who are left.

Of course, the owner of the flight school is making far less now because the flight training is way down. A few aircraft have been sold.

I've heard the flight schools that cater to foreign students are doing well, as I've spoken with a couple of instructors from those types of schools. As far as the U.S. students learning to fly, it's a lot like you said Sky, someone flicked the switch off!

Oh, and the folks who are coming in are mostly folks who are furloughed or can't get a job anywhere else. The sadder thing is we won't take them either!

So funny to think how during the regional hiring craze anyone was good enough to CFI here, and now you just about need some shuttle time to get in. This stinks!

It happens
 

The same thing happened to me. One day I had a good start on a bright career, the next I was a laid off flight instructor. It took many years for me to get my career back on track. By then I was 5 years older and behind the power curve of my career. Minimums at the regionals will most likely keep increasing over the next few years.

In my case by the time I was able to get a job at the regionals I really didn't want it anymore.

Skyhigh

I understand the feeling, at least a little.

I hate to throw the word 'luck' around too much, because that is a bit like saying hard work doesn't pay off. BUT- the gentlemen about 1.5 years ahead of me career-wise with little or no dual given are now upgrading to captain at their regional and I will most likely instruct for a very long time yet. :rolleyes: