I am from the Detroit area and have been offered two CFI positions. One is in the Detroit area and the other is in the Houston, TX area. Now it would obviously make sense and stay closer to home, except the job in the Houston area is a Part 141 school while the one here is a Part 61 school.

Now, I know the difference between the two.. however, I am trying to decide which would be a better work environment and one that would allow me to receive the most flight time. So if any of you have worked in either type of school... your input would be appreciated!

I graduated from a 141 school and so am much more familiar with that and I also know that this Houston school has alot of foreign students, which i am also not sure of. Thanks for the help!

If you look towards this winter, could you honestly say you'll be able to fly as much in Detroit and Houston? I'd think the winter weather would play a big role in your decision.

What about them concerns you?

Which one will provide more opportunity to work as an MEI?

When hiring resumes there are going to be 2000 hour ASEL CFI's lined up around the block. ME time has always been the key breakout factor when hiring is competetive, which it usually is after a downturn.

Also there is a bill in congress which will require airlines to place more emphasis on ME experience, although no details are spelled out.

My suggestion would be ASEL to 1000-1200 hours, then MEI to 1500, then get the ATP (also soon to be a requirement for airlines). Any less the 300 ME hours and you may not be competitive, at least that's the way it was last time.

Other than that...teaching at a 141 school may pay more, since they normally do formal 141 ground courses which you can get paid to teach. Ground in part 61 may be minimalist, or they may expect you to provide it for free (I refused to do this, my time was worth the same regardless if was flying, preflighting, or doing ground).

If there is such a bill on the multi engine, it's probably not going to pass. If it does I feel sorry for those that are starting out, including people like me that have hundreds of hours of multi and pt121 but not current.... Getting multi was hard enough a decade ago, now when there's no one flying finding multi time is very hard. Not to mention even if you find one you can only afford to get current not to get hundreds of hours.

The language in the bill does not set out any details (such as minimum ME experience). It simply says the airlines need to consider ME experience.

GO TO HOUSTON!!!

cliff
NBO

Is the Houston school an official school or an FBO? If it is a school, you will have students given to you, if you are at an FBO you will probably have to find your own students. you will definately fly more in Houston, but when I went to my first job interview, they were impressed with the actual instrument time I had, because I got lucky and had several linstrument students which keeps the schedule busy even on bad days. I guess my decision would depend on student load in Detroit, and like another poster said the possibility of multi time.

Yeah, I'd look for the place that can give you more Instrument students and Multi guys. Now I'm partial, as I prefer to teach those two, but they are more valuable time in the long run. If you can, try to talk to some instructors who work there and see how much work they are actually doing and how busy it keeps them.

Just remember.....foreign students usually means BOATLOADS of hours. Thanks to my foreign students I racked up hours in no time and moved on....so do not let that be your deciding factor.