Anyone know what the FSI pilot instructors make at the learning centers? What are career instructing positions like?
I enjoy teaching and have often thought it might be a good place to make a career when I decide to ditch the regionals.

Thanks All

I know a guy whose wife works for FSI, shes in accounting, but I was told a full time instructor makes about 70K

thanks, i had heard teaching at the higher levels ...types, crm stuff.. paid ok...

I used to work at FSI in SAV. Salary was $70k to start and they provided the type rating (G-V). Great people, great sims, world class facility to teach in.

Cons: Schedule is constantly changing. You are expected to carry a crew through the whole program, 2 FTDs and 7 sims, so you will work 9 on with 0 to 5 off each crew. If you teach the GS portions you will work M to F in class and fill in for sims on the weekend. Forget flying for a client as you won't have the time, so no chance to make extra $$ or stay current.

All in all a great place if all you want to do is sim instruct or if you lost your medical. OTOH, you will be making half what your students make and will have to say "zero hours in last 12 months" on any applications you fill out.

Think long and hard, I loved the place but am lucky to have escaped to a flying job.

thanks for thew great info... sounds pretty good too me... i have a ton of student debt, and outside aviation i haver no clue how I will ever be able to pay it off... wont happen flying rj's... I'd like to someday pay it all off and buy my own business...

what qualifications did they want for a new instructor?

thanks again

I would start with getting the address of the FSI facility you are interested in from their web site. Then call the front desk and ask for the name of the "Director of Training". Get your resume together, get a navy sport coat, a white shirt, red or blue tie and gray pants on and ask to see him or her. Have your resume and a cover letter telling him/her how much you have to give them and how much you enjoy teaching.

They have all experience levels there depending on which facility you are interested in. In SAV I worked with one guy that was retired Delta L1011/777 check airman. Another guy got hired even though he had been out of aviation for 10 years. Needless to say the DL guy was a ******* hot instructor, the other guy not so.

Be ready to teach a class of about 20 to 30 minutes on any subject outside of aviation. Prepare your own powerpoint presentation, have class handout notes and be ready to be heckled and drawn off the subject. They want to see how you are in a group classroom situation.

Keep in mind SAV teaches the big iron of the corporate world. I wouldn't expect $70k in VRB with the primary students.

Good luck, it really was a great place with good bennies. I just got a much better offer.

Stay away from the donuts, they are addicting!

Thats very valuable info and I appreciate it, as luck would have it I would be aiming for the SAV or VRB facilities because I live in the SE.

thanks !

VRB may be a dead end job. SAV is nice, 15 sims, 120 instructors. I would love to help you but my name is not "revered" there as I quit early in the program. The DoT and Asst DoT there are really good guys. Just be ready to talk on your feet and ask to see either of those guys.

They consider themselves to be the crown jewel of FSI and have a really nice facility to show for it. Oh, playing around in the G450/550 sims is pretty cool as well. The Gulfstream factory is right next door and there are a lot of high dollar clients in the building. They stress customer service and dress "Sunday go to Church" except on Fridays and weekends. I gave you the uniform of the day in an earlier post.

If you hire on, you will get 1 week company indoc, then typed as a client (about 26 days). You will repeat the type class to watch the instructors, then practice teach, then be evaluated. Last you will go to DFW for the professional instructor class (one week). After that you are considered checked out. The job to get is GS instructor as the hours are better.

If you plan to be a professional CFI this is about as good as it gets. I just wish they paid better and had a better schedule. They loose guys to the never ending heavy work schedule.

And you're welcome. Just be certain this is what you really want. If it is, you will love it. If it isn't, I told you so. As with any new job is pays to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut till you really know whats going on.

Thanks again for the great info... I'm sure you helped a few other people also. I'll keep you posted on what happens.... as a side note, I have a graduate certificate in instructional design.. be interesting to see if they consider that useful. I like instructing, but my big motivator is paying loans off so my parents don’t have to worry about it...

FSI has a curriculum design team in DFW but I have no info on pay or hours for that job. They are very careful to have every training event scripted and constantly harp on sticking to the approved master document list.

Each center has a curriculum support team as well, but again I had no contact with them in SAV.

Again, you're welcome and good luck. When I went job hunting at FSI there was very little to go on. I'm happy to pass on my research and experiences. It is a great job for the right person and a very stable company.