Are there any career instuctors out there?

[Peter Millard]

Is is possible to make a living instructing without taking an oath of
poverty?

I would love to instruct full time but the rates seem downright insulting.
The only instuctors I know are either young kids waiting to get on with the
majors, or geezers who drive rusted out Ford Pintos and can't afford to
retire.

Yes I know many do it for the love of the game (and I understand that), but
can anyone make a reasonable living at it?

I'm 51 and work as an IT Manager in a gas utility where I'm bored out of my
mind. I own a Cessna 172, am an ATP/CFI and would love to change careers
but I've got 2 kids in university and a wife and a teenager at home. While
my wife is constantly telling me "you're so unhappy at work, go fly for a
living", she also expects a few minor things like food, clothing and
shelter.

Are their any market niches for instructing that make more money? Can you
link it with some other source of income like teaching at a college or
university?

Anyone care to share their thoughts/experiences (both the good, the bad and
the ugly)?

Thanks...Peter

[Dan Thompson]

Can your wife get a job, or a second job if she has one already, or your
teenager a paper route? Maybe that would make it happen for you.

"Peter Millard" > wrote in message
.. .
> Is is possible to make a living instructing without taking an oath of
> poverty?
>
> I would love to instruct full time but the rates seem downright insulting.
> The only instuctors I know are either young kids waiting to get on with
the
> majors, or geezers who drive rusted out Ford Pintos and can't afford to
> retire.
>
> Yes I know many do it for the love of the game (and I understand that),
but
> can anyone make a reasonable living at it?
>
> I'm 51 and work as an IT Manager in a gas utility where I'm bored out of
my
> mind. I own a Cessna 172, am an ATP/CFI and would love to change careers
> but I've got 2 kids in university and a wife and a teenager at home.
While
> my wife is constantly telling me "you're so unhappy at work, go fly for a
> living", she also expects a few minor things like food, clothing and
> shelter.
>
> Are their any market niches for instructing that make more money? Can you
> link it with some other source of income like teaching at a college or
> university?
>
> Anyone care to share their thoughts/experiences (both the good, the bad
and
> the ugly)?
>
> Thanks...Peter
>
>

[Dave]

"Peter Millard" > wrote in message
.. .
> Is is possible to make a living instructing without taking an oath of
> poverty?

Not so far, I work in IT also and qualify for a pension, and I can't quit to
go flying yet. I would make sure you are qualified to teach in the new Sport
Pilot category. If it takes off (no pun intended) it looks like that sector
will be attracting the most students.

[G.R. Patterson III]

Peter Millard wrote:
>
> Is is possible to make a living instructing without taking an oath of
> poverty?

About the only way I know of is to become very good at some specialty. Once
you become well-known for that, you can charge a premium. You will also have to
travel. It helps to be able to give lectures, do stand-up aviation comedy, or
write for publication.

George Patterson
A friend will help you move. A really good friend will help you move
the body.

[Michael]

"Peter Millard" > wrote
> Is is possible to make a living instructing without taking an oath of
> poverty?

Yes, several ways. You can be a check airman at an airline. Of
course this requires you to become an airline pilot.

You can do insurance-mandated training in aircraft with a hull value
in excess of half a million dollars. Of course this requires you to
first accumulate plenty of time in aircraft with a hull value in
excess of half a million dollars.

You can own and operate a flight school, but really you make your
money running a business, not instructing.

You can become a full time designated examiner. The minimum
experience requirements are surprisingly low (I believe in some cases
you can be a DE with as little as 1500 hours) but you need to be
politically connected with the local FSDO to get designated.

You can become nationally known for something (aerobatics, for
example) and charge a lot of money to teach it. No CFI ticket
required.

But if you're talking about instruction done in airplanes that don't
cost six figures or more, and without running your own business - then
no. There's no way to make a living wage doing that.

Michael

[Bob Fry]

This question seems to come up 2 or 3 times a year.

Flight instructing seems most equivalent to graduate school teaching:
neither pay well, and neither are meant to be long-term careers.

They may seem unfair. But just as graduate school may be a really fun
place to be, being a permanent student is not something society seems
to want, so we won't pay for it to be permanent. Likewise society
seems to have decided that teaching flying in 30-year old, $20,000
airplanes isn't something that should support a family for the long
run.

I've found just about any job gets boring after several years...so
while I won't suggest you accept a well-paid, boring day job and
instruct on the side, it might be better than the alternative...a
boring flying instructor job (after a few years) that pays lousy.