Good info in this thread, thanks to those who posted.

My question is for any recent Instructor hires, (if any are on here) what was your training schedule? I know 3 weeks for initial type training but after that? I’m trying to decide how to work moving to Dallas into the mix.


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Ground school is about 3 1/2 weeks. Then 2 weeks of Sim (including the lofts). Now that’s what a pilot would get. What you will probably get is2 weeks of ground, then “we don’t have an instructor available for your systems IPT so just hangout and self study”. Eventually they’ll get you done with ground school and if your VERY luck they”ll get you into a sim in a week or two. (Pilots will get a day off before sim 1. You’ll be at the mercy of scheduling). Last fall they send 3 instructors home without pay for 3 weeks between ground and sim. That decision was reversed and they all were eventually paid but complete BS that the company thought that was acceptable. 1 of the 3 never returned.

Best case if you get through with 0 delays it’s 6 weeks from day of of ground to finishing up you last Loft. Usually after that you’ll get a few days/week before Ca upgrade. You can’t really do anything until after CAUG. CAUG will probably be 3 1/2 - 4 weeks. Then you’ll have a professional instructor course (one week mon-fri). After they can get you through BCAT you’ll get your AQP-Override pay. Who knows when that will be BCAT is only offered a few time each year.

I’d be very careful moving for this job. Maybe commute until you decide to bail? If you want to move to DFW there are a TON of better places to instruct and lots of pilot positions. Not trying to burst your bubble but if you are think about moving I’d definitely suggest talking to a few current instructors and at least one or two that commute.

Thank you for the honest reply. That is what I am looking for before I make the jump. I have considered commuting but that sounds brutal.


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Can you get some of the commuting instructors on this forum so we can get their opinions? I will definitely be commuting and I'd like to hear their thoughts.

many thanks for this info, you’ve mentioned “I’d be very careful moving for this job” is it due to the training or actually working as an instructor after the training completion? Appreciate you response.

It’s the schedule, being lied to by management and complete disregard for the JCBA. Here’s a good place to start, ask anyone in management to explain how you are paid. About every third paycheck is wrong.

Schedule: They will give you a schedule on the 24th and on the 2nd you end up with a bunch of days that got dropped and are now ON CALL days. Sounds nice right? Until you realize the “company” interprets this to mean now you are responsible for 18hr duty period. So instead of knowing you had a 0530 brief and you’d be able to pick your kids up from school now you are on the hook for a 0400 - 1800 reassign that finishes at 2000. This is being done intentionally so they have flexibility in the schedule. If you pay attention the event you were scheduled for is still there (uncovered) but now they own you for 3 sim period instead of just one. If they move you from that 0530 brief to a 1330 brief then they’d have to pay you reassignment (1.5 for all 8hrs) by “PARKING” you On Call they don’t but can still move you. This kills your QOL.

You are a salaried worker (as the company sees its). So overtime, holiday, vacation, and reassignment if calculated by taking your monthly salary / monthly hours ETO calculate an hourly rate then multiplying that by 1.5 or 2.0. Then they will subtract your straight pay and add in you overtime, premium etc. They do the same for vacation and sick. It is unbelievable how often it is just flat out wrong. If you catch it usually they will have an excuse. If you keep pushing it most the time they will eventually fix it. Sometimes not. You can file a grievance but many just decide it’s not worth working there any more.

I’d also ask what the turn over has been the last 12 months? They’ve now been hiring for 12 mo this so Covid and VSP are not justifiable excuse for people leaving. There is one answer for the turn over and it is the leadership and culture.

4 years ago this was a great job. It is night and day compared to then and the only reason is the leadership.

I’m not sure where you guys are in your career. If you live in Dallas AND you have some Boeing experience AND you’re looking to stay busy in retirement I could see someone doing this job for a few years for benefits for a younger spouse or kids before retiring.

If you have a medical this job will set your career back a decade. Go look at JetBlue they’ll give you a seniority number as an instructor

If you don’t have a medical look at American where they’ll actually pay you for the work you do. There has been a mass exodus of instructors to FSI and CAE. These are new instructors either some 8-10 year guys.

Also you might want to Google SWAPA / instructors lawsuit.

Good Luck

Can you talk to this point in more detail? My thought was getting a 737 type rating and doing this job for three years would help the resume.

10 days off a month… where’s the throw up emoji?
Positive space commuting
$9117 a month to start
Company Seniority but not Pilot seniority. So if you get lucky enough to be hired after 3 years, you start at the bottom of the pilot seniority list.
401k matched dollar for dollar up to 9.3%, don’t know what % of profit share.
TWU is the union

Straight from a recruiter.

As said above, unless you cant get a medical or your only dream is to instruct in a simulator, there is no real incentives to taking this job if your younger and goal is to fly for a living.

Anyone have interview gouge for this position? Any hypothetical questions? Tell me about a time?

Lonestarcaptain, I really appreciate the information, definitely helps a lot for the new candidates. You think the schedule issue is still the same now especially with so much turnover.