flight school where chances are bright for flight instructor job

[Best_Pilot]

Hi All,

As per your opinion, in current scenario of FI shortages, which canadian flight schools are good and in constant demand of Class-4,3 flight instructors. Are they prefer students from same school (as a priority) over others?

Can you suggest best possible way / path for getting quickest job after CPL/ME/IR/instructor rating course in any reputed school?

What is the current pay (average)??

Regards,

[lownslow]

Literally all of them. Just pick your favourite.

[KissPlusOne]

I would actually say that not all flight schools are created equal.

I'm currently working at Harv's Air in Steinbach, and absolutely love it! Best decision I've made.

Before I got my rating, I was living in S. Alberta, looking at flight schools there. I almost committed to a few, but Harv's won me over, and it wasn't hard, given the competition in Alberta.

All the instructors at Harv's Air are averaging roughly 90 hours a month. If you push yourself, you can get over 100 hours. I qualified to upgrade from class 4 to class 3 in just under 3 months. (The actual upgrading process took a bit longer because of some mistakes at the TC office.... I proudly received a SECOND class 4 sticker in the mail after 4 months of waiting for my class 3... But I digress.)

I know Excel (Lethbridge) doesn't have the same student supply as Harv's does, so the time building/upgrading process takes much longer.

Then there's the pay difference. Class 4 at Harv's makes 30 dollars per flight hour, and at Excel you would be making 20. Class 3 makes 35 at Harv's....
22 at Excel!

Super T (Medicine Hat) is the only school I know of in Canada that pays instructors a salary. I think it was about 32,000 a year, but they also expect you to do all the other chores at the office. So, because it's a slower school, you don't need to stress about getting hours to pay your bills, BUT, you're also not getting many hours. Every once in a while, you might also do a pipeline survey at S.T.

The overall atmosphere is drastically different between the schools as well, with Harv's instructors harboring a more relaxed and caring attitude, and Excel instructors having more of a "holier than thou" attitude. Attitudes transfer to the students... So keep that in mind.

IF you have the opportunity to visit some places, I would recommend it. It would give you the chance to ask the bosses questions about career paths, wages, expectations BEFORE you commit to working for them.

At Super T, the ladies in charge actually made me NOT want to instruct because of the way they were "screening" me. They give you a separate test, unique to them only, to make sure that you "really want to instruct"... To make sure that you won't just get your 750 hours, MIFR, and then bugger off. I was ready to commit, but their attitude really pushed me away. I LOVE instructing. Especilly when I don't have someone making me question if I "really want to instruct."

Another thing to consider is funding. I used a student loan to pay for the venture. Some flight schools are set up with the student loan program. Find one that has that option. I would have gone with the flight school in Wetaskewin, but they didn't have that option, and I didn't qualify for a bank loan because I didn't have my job for more than 6 months (Ramp Agent at Integra in Medicine Hat.... Wouldn't have had that job for much longer anyways!)

I'm sorry that this is a biased post, but the way things are run varies from school to school. At Super T, I physically witnessed students making TEN MINUTE circuits!! At Harv's, if you take longer than about 6, you're wasting time!

If you can travel from place to place, talk to the students, and get their opinion of things, and how they like their instructor. Students have no reason to protect the school's image.

So, to sum up:

1-Talk to potential bosses either in person or over the phone in a non-commital manner (you're getting information)

2-Find the best way to fund it. Student loans have the smallest interest rate. Cash is easiest

3-Talk to students, and if you have time/patience, watch how the circuits are flown. That tells you a lot. Longer circuits means that the instructor is hosing the student for hours and money.

I guess that didn't really fully answer your question, but Harv's does give you the online materials for the MIFR for free. They want you to get your hours and make a step up to an airline. They support you the whole way, no hard feelings when you move on. I suspect Super T might hold a grudge if you move on before they've held on to you for 2 to 3 years (which is what they want you to commit to before they train you).

If you want more info, Best Pilot, pm me.

If I have any information incorrect, please correct me.

[C.W.E.]

This is the most important thing to understand.

3-Talk to students, and if you have time/patience, watch how the circuits are flown. That tells you a lot. Longer circuits means that the instructor is hosing the student for hours and money.

Even six minute circuits are too long unless other traffic demands it.

[FreelanceInstructor]

This is the most important thing to understand.

3-Talk to students, and if you have time/patience, watch how the circuits are flown. That tells you a lot. Longer circuits means that the instructor is hosing the student for hours and money.

Even six minute circuits are too long unless other traffic demands it.

I second this statement. However, I want to add one thing. As a freelance instructor, I have been all over Alberta, and have worked in the pattern in close proximity to the neighboring FTU's. In my opinion, not only are longer circuits an easy money/time grab for instructors, it's also a mark of shi*ty instruction. Whether it be for reasons of inexperience, the culture the CFI has fostered, or all around complacency, at the end of the day its an inconvenience for everyone else in the pattern at the least, and an accident waiting to happen at most. I teach every single one of PPL students to fly a 3/4 square mile circuit, just in case the engine decides to cough/quit. "How much of a kick in the ass would it be if your engine quits only to end up 100' short on final because you didn't space out your circuit properly?" Remember, fellow instructors, that the way you handle things in the most mundane of tasks also forwards over to how your student handles themselves when they are licensed. A 1 mile circuit flown by the #1 aircraft can very quickly turn into a 2-3 mile circuit if there are another 4 aircraft in the pattern behind you.

[bernoulliboy]

Very good info !! I hope all future students adhere to this wisdom and knowledge !! Well said !

[digits_]

This is the most important thing to understand.

3-Talk to students, and if you have time/patience, watch how the circuits are flown. That tells you a lot. Longer circuits means that the instructor is hosing the student for hours and money.

Even six minute circuits are too long unless other traffic demands it.

I second this statement. However, I want to add one thing. As a freelance instructor, I have been all over Alberta, and have worked in the pattern in close proximity to the neighboring FTU's. In my opinion, not only are longer circuits an easy money/time grab for instructors, it's also a mark of shi*ty instruction. Whether it be for reasons of inexperience, the culture the CFI has fostered, or all around complacency, at the end of the day its an inconvenience for everyone else in the pattern at the least, and an accident waiting to happen at most. I teach every single one of PPL students to fly a 3/4 square mile circuit, just in case the engine decides to cough/quit. "How much of a kick in the ass would it be if your engine quits only to end up 100' short on final because you didn't space out your circuit properly?" Remember, fellow instructors, that the way you handle things in the most mundane of tasks also forwards over to how your student handles themselves when they are licensed. A 1 mile circuit flown by the #1 aircraft can very quickly turn into a 2-3 mile circuit if there are another 4 aircraft in the pattern behind you.

I'm curious, what do you mean by a 3/4 square mile circuit? A circuit that covers 3/4 square miles? A square with each leg 3/4 miles? Something else?

[photofly]

A typical circuit at 1000agl in a piston single is going to take about 5 minutes. Two minutes at 500fpm rate of climb to reach 1000agl, one minute in the downwind to catch your breath, trim out and evaluate, and two minutes of descent at 500fpm to reach the ground. Plus some seconds landing, accelerating and taking off again. If you want to make it a *lot* quicker you’re going to have to spend no time at all in the downwind, climb to considerably less than 1000agl, or dive for the ground at considerably more than 500fpm. Or hire an aircraft that will climb at 1000fpm. Or perhaps increase the climb rate with a new, lighter instructor. You pick what you want to do. The shape of the circuit is somewhat irrelevant to how long it takes to complete.

Remember we’re talking about early students here; rushing people around the circuit so they’re behind the aircraft at every stage doesn’t help anyone. Nor do stupid-steep full flap maximum sideslip approaches because you “kept it in really tight” every single time. So, everything in moderation. Better students who just want to work on some landings? Climb only to 500 feet and get a circuit every three minutes. But that doesn’t suit every stage of learning.

[C.W.E.]

Who taught you to instruct photofly?

Or did you learn on your own through experience?

Either way you have it figured out very well.

And I am serious.

. E.

[photofly]

Who taught you to instruct photofly?

Why, you did.

[C.W.E.]

My comments are meant as a compliment photofly.

[Alcoholism]

anywhere if you're not a knob

[iflyforpie]

But only if you take an oath of celibacy and proclaim a solemn lifelong commitment to the field of ab initio instruction. Using flight instruction to time build is a strict no-no, as it might imply that you are doing substandard work at the expense of the student.

[Best_Pilot]

Thanks gents for such a elaborate response.

As somebody says, only few schools are paying fixed salary for FI.

In recent advertisement, so many places, I seen they are offering fixed salary plus per hour allowance.

This shows that the demand is really increases in last 6-8 months.

Also, major airlines reduces the entry as Jr. FO or FO posts. Atleast this is happening most parts of asia/middle east

Are you agree that this is happening in canada too??

share your experience.
Cheers..

Best pilot...

[NearNorthAviation]

Near North Aviation has just opened up an FTU at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in the JetPort building. Give us a call at 905-679-5577. As a new operation, we haven't built up a student load yet so we have aircraft available basically anytime you want.

We have a Twin Comanche with fresh engines, having a WAAS GPS being installed. When ready, she will be added to our OC shortly. Once up and going we will have one retired and two current airline pilots on staff.

In addition, we also have a Class 1 Instructor to supply the further instructors we will need to meet the future demand.