usfsfire

Got my new class date! July 6th ERJ in Den. So excited to start.

brocklee9000

About damn time, one of the only good things to come out of this whole pandemic.

domino

don’t knock yourself. You worked hard to get that CFI remember. Flying these regional jets anyone can do. It’s mind numbingly boring and anyone could do it. Being a CFI on the other hand takes actual skill.

cessnajockey

If you don't like this career, I don't understand why you do it.

brocklee9000

This job is great. Probably helped that I knew what I was getting into before even taking my first flying lesson. But I enjoy this job. Instructing? I get anxiety** thinking about if I ever had to go back to that...I keep my CFI active mostly due to how hard it was to get. But anyway. Instructing, talk about mind-numbing.

**don’t tell the FAA

LAXtoDEN

I agree 150%, out of any job I’ve ever had, the worse was instructing. Thankfully I knew it was only temporary as way to build time and move up. If I ever got furloughed, the last job I’d go back to is instructing. Probably go work at golf course cutting greens, better pay and free rounds. Anything to stay current that’s not instructing would be my side job.

On the flip side I’m happy I instructed, it got me this job.

GojetFires

It's not mind numbing or boring. Congratulations, Skywest is a great company with a lot more airplanes going there. 12 more for Alaska, 20 for Alaska erj and 29 700s.

There are also 25 700s that were going to another carrier but went back to SW when the other company could not pay. United is pushing hard for SW to fly those for them.

IdirisAhmed

And I am struggling just to get my first instructor job. Might as well get II and MEI


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captive apple

The last earnings call was the first I had heard them mention *thinking* of flying the 550 directly. That was definitely a change from what I’d heard before…I think. As far as flight instructing goes, I was looking at the mechanics hourly rates on my vehicle and couldn’t help but think how much less an instructor of flight gets per hour.

brocklee9000

That’s where I was just a few years ago. Tried my darndest to get any other job, while working through CFI. Finally got it, within a month or two of all my friends were getting CFI jobs. Only for every school in the area to tell me “TBNT, come back with more ratings or XXX hours of dual given.” So I got my II and had a job the next day. Now that every airline is draining their CJO and cadet pools, instructors will finally move on and you’ll be flying your pants off.

Yeah they’ve always been very specific to say they have no interest to operate the 550, but throw in a tiny bit of noncommittal language in at the end. To paraphrase, “Blah blah blah we have no plans to operate at them, but maybe we’ll reevaluate some day.” With gojet hiring new FOs and DECs, I’m guessing they must be taking the pile of 700s Mesa retired to TUS.

Yeah when I have a long sit and I think about how much unpaid work there is, or how little my hourly rate actually is when I divide it by my total TAFB for the month, it kinda sucks. I did okay as an instructor since I lived right by the airport, and did everything I could to make sure I was getting paid for pretty much every minute I was there. Some guys would sit around all day between lessons, but I scheduled grounds and flights one after the other so my day was a 4 to 8 hour block with no dead space. I could usually credit 30+ hours a week. Before starting pay was increased, I was even going to take a pay cut coming to SkyWest. $36*76*12months versus $30*120*12. Anyway I was able to be really efficient as an instructor but not everyone can. Even my commutable 200 trips in Detroit were pretty efficient, so last summer really sucked when all my trips were like a 1-2hr flight, sit for 4 hours, fly back, and the whole day still got rounded up to 4:12 because actual block was maybe 4 hours and duty was about 8. I was pretty spoiled in the beginning, but now it’s just whatever. I certainly wish this industry had better ways to pay us for our time, but I guess a lot of other jobs are like that too. Anything appointment based like doctors, mechanics, home repair trades, barbers and stylists, anything on demand like taxis and ubers.