Flight Instructing as a hobby/side-gig

[SamuelTheKitty]

I very seldom post here, but I have been lurking these forums for ~20-years. I have a question I suspect some of you might be able to weigh in on.

I am currently employed as a RCAF pilot (15 years experience) based in Trenton, ON. Notwithstanding my status as a pilot on squadron, I am interested in taking on additional flying opportunities above those associated with my current position, primarily due to the fact that my current job doesn’t afford me the occasion to fly as much as I’d like. I hold TC/FAA licenses which are all current.

While I don’t currently have an instructor rating, I have a non-trivial amount of instructional experience on the military side and have been considering obtaining my civilian instructor rating, which would obviously enable me to deliver flight instruction on the civilian side. I have developed a passion for teaching over the years (I am also a part-time college professor) and I think I would enjoy instructing part time. Additionally, I suspect I could probably add unique value, as I wouldn’t be doing it as a means to an end (building hours for my next job), and I have some real world experience that is likely a-typical of most flight instructors. Lastly, this is appealing due to the perceived flexibility - I could do it as my primary job permitted, flying as much or as little as I was available. I understand there would be some constraints as a Class 4.

Am I out of my mind? What am I not considering? I know I like teaching, I still love flying, and I feel like that is probably enough to make this an enjoyable “hobby". This said, I am not silly enough to think I’ve analyzed this from every angle (my last significant touch point with civil aviation was Aviation College 18 years ago).

[photofly]

Random thoughts:

You may find it tedious to knuckle down and submit to the TC flight training method, which you will have to demonstrate to get your instructor rating. It's likely the class I instructor who will train you for the instructor rating has a lot more time in Cessnas than you but (obviously) no fast jet experience. You'll have to get on well to make that work.

If you are a "(i) a Canadian Forces Flight Instructor - Aeroplanes, or" then you can skip the class IV (trainee) instructor stage and when you pass your instructor check ride you'll be a Class III instructor.

It's one thing to get an instructor rating, and quite another to find and build relationships with students to teach. There are a lot of people who would like to instruct as a "hobby" but your FTU and students will want someone who takes it and them very seriously. Think carefully about how much time you're prepared to commit to this "hobby" and whether you'll be able to prioritize student bookings over over very important calls on your time. You can be the best teacher in the world but if you're only there one weekend a month you're not much use to someone trying to get a licence.

You might find that you can build a niche teaching aerobatics, or acting as a mentor pilot for qualified pilots who are stepping up to higher performance aircraft - I don't know if your experience qualifies you for that sort of flying, away from the world of military support (which one imagines has all sorts of resources standing by to support your flights.)

[Aviatard]

The problem with this approach is the schedule availability. As a full time instructor you’d probably have a lot to offer. FTUs have their hands full trying to fill schedules so a part time class 4 isn’t attractive. I would pass on that resume if it came across my desk.

[SamuelTheKitty]

Thanks for the replies. I have come to a similar conclusion that absent of being able to carve out a niche to focus on teaching more advanced sequences (multi, IFR, etc), I would likely not be of much utility to an FTU who is primarily focused on training PPL/CPL candidates. I am still considering it, but I am realistic about the likelihood of a compatible opportunity finding me in a relatively isolated place out here in Trenton.

"All sorts of resources standing by to support your flights" - I got a kick out of that. I wish!

[DanWEC]

Surprising responses here. As a previous instructor and a patronizer of many clubs, I believe you'd absolutely be able to get a position easily, and you'd be an asset. Your status provides marketing and credibility for business as well. I'd look for a flying club as opposed to a license mill. You'll meet great people and your niche, if desired, would likely happen organically. You sound like someone who's inclined to train for the enjoyment of it, and flight instruction, even ab initio, is very rewarding for those of us who enjoy the process!

[digits_]

Even as a class 3 focusing on training pilots on their own aircraft you could probably stay hobby-level busy.

I'd be careful with the 'real world' experience argument though. A lot of more senior instructors claim that, but it doesn't always help the students much. Students and instructors do fly in the real world and have real world flight tests to pass.

[broken_slinky]

The largest issue with part time instructors is providing regular availability to the students. Especially the part time instructors that are close to or fully "retired". They tend to want to take more time off during summers, enjoy their weekends, etc... Makes it hard on a student who is trying to get the muscle memory flying on a regular basis. An FTU may have a place for you providing ratings like OTT and night where you can schedule the time to push them through at a decent pace while keeping the part time feel.

[SamuelTheKitty]

An FTU may have a place for you providing ratings like OTT and night where you can schedule the time to push them through at a decent pace while keeping the part time feel.

This feels like the sweet spot for me TBH. I certainly acknowledge my limited value to someone trying to get a license from start to finish. Quite frankly, if all I taught was instrument ratings and was a Class 4 forever, that would be fine with me.

Perhaps I should just shop this around to the schools/clubs that are "local" to me to determine if anyone would be even remotely interested.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I think hobby level instruction is very doable and have seen several successful examples of it. You will not only help students but also fellow instructors, many of whom would benefit from informal aviation mentorship.

There are some challenges for the OP however.

1) TC gives you basically no credits for your RCAF instructing. Unless you were an active RCAF QFI on single engine airplanes within the last 24 months you will have to do the whole 30 hours of flying dual instruction for the rating.

2) All ab initio instruction for the RCAF has been done by contracted civilian flight instructors for the last 25 years so even if you were a RCAF QFI you would have not done any basic instruction relevant to the PPL course. This matters because it is different teaching from zero as apposed to applying existing skills in different ways.

3) The military has an effective pre course assessment program so the students are high graded. No such winnowing process exists in civil aviation so you will deal with a much broader ability range, this to be frank, can suck the will to live from you when you have a bad student.

[SamuelTheKitty]

I think hobby level instruction is very doable and have seen several successful examples of it. You will not only help students but also fellow instructors, many of whom would benefit from informal aviation mentorship.

There are some challenges for the OP however.

1) TC gives you basically no credits for your RCAF instructing. Unless you were an active RCAF QFI on single engine airplanes within the last 24 months you will have to do the whole 30 hours of flying dual instruction for the rating.

2) All ab initio instruction for the RCAF has been done by contracted civilian flight instructors for the last 25 years so even if you were a RCAF QFI you would have not done any basic instruction relevant to the PPL course. This matters because it is different teaching from zero as apposed to applying existing skills in different ways.

3) The military has an effective pre course assessment program so the students are high graded. No such winnowing process exists in civil aviation so you will deal with a much broader ability range, this to be frank, can suck the will to live from you when you have a bad student.

To bullets #1 & #2 - tracking. I understand the full TC IP training program the price of admission if I want to do this.

To bullet #3, while encountering it has been fortunately relatively rare for me, especially compared to what I imagine is experienced on civvy street, I am well familiar with the soul crushing frustration associated with training a candidate who should never have got their wings in the first place. This is no longer our grandparents or even parent's RCAF - things have changed.

[Conflicting Traffic]

3) The military has an effective pre course assessment program so the students are high graded. No such winnowing process exists in civil aviation so you will deal with a much broader ability range, this to be frank, can suck the will to live from you when you have a bad student.

To bullet #3, while encountering it has been fortunately relatively rare for me, especially compared to what I imagine is experienced on civvy street, I am well familiar with the soul crushing frustration associated with training a candidate who should never have got their wings in the first place. This is no longer our grandparents or even parent's RCAF - things have changed.

I've done a lot of civi instruction, and a fair chunk of the contracted ab initio for the RCAF. The two don't compare. On civi street, you will see a *much* wider range of aptitude and attitude -- not just among the students, but among your fellow instructors. This doesn't need to be a reason not to proceed, but you want to know what you're getting into.

Quite frankly, if all I taught was instrument ratings and was a Class 4 forever, that would be fine with me.

If your niche is IFR only (and maybe multi-engine?), you don't need an instructor rating. Not that I don't think you should get one, but an instructor rating is expensive, and if you already have teaching experience, it may not be worth the cost. Having said that, having the rating provides you with some more flexibility to offer training for the short ratings like night and VFR-OTT.

If you are going to go to the trouble/cost of getting a Class 4, it's worth the extra effort to get a Class 3. The reduction in supervision, reduced frequency of renewals, and ability to freelance ab initio are worth it -- even (especially?) for a part-time/hobby instructor.

[Red_Comet]

PM Sent.

[Big Pistons Forever]

If your niche is IFR only (and maybe multi-engine?), you don't need an instructor rating. Not that I don't think you should get one, but an instructor rating is expensive, and if you already have teaching experience, it may not be worth the cost. Having said that, having the rating provides you with some more flexibility to offer training for the short ratings like night and VFR-OTT.

If you are going to go to the trouble/cost of getting a Class 4, it's worth the extra effort to get a Class 3. The reduction in supervision, reduced frequency of renewals, and ability to freelance ab initio are worth it -- even (especially?) for a part-time/hobby instructor.

I know that most schools are having huge issues keeping multi IFR instructors as instructors that have a bit of IFR time can easily move on to 704 and 705 operators. The good news is that if you have ever held an RCAF QFI qualification then you will start as a class 3 and can bypass the Class 4 restrictions.

[SamuelTheKitty]

If your niche is IFR only (and maybe multi-engine?), you don't need an instructor rating. Not that I don't think you should get one, but an instructor rating is expensive, and if you already have teaching experience, it may not be worth the cost.

This is a great point that I hadn't fully considered. Thank you.

[5x5]

It may also be hard to find a school that can/will fit in an instructor that only does IFR and ME (or other ratings like Night and VFR-OTT). While experience there can be a benefit, those courses are typically viewed as "rewards" for instructors that have stayed around a while. Also, teaching those ratings is the experience that is really valuable for an instructor as it gets them closer to being attractive to potential operators/employers which is the goal for almost all instructors. And it's a really great change from endless Private/Commercial training. So the benefit to a flight school of having someone long-term to only teach those courses can be outweighed by the negative impact on the other instructors.

Certainly not trying to dissuade you, but keep it in mind with whatever value proposition it is you approach potential employers with.

[photofly]

So the benefit to a flight school of having someone long-term to only teach those courses can be outweighed by the negative impact on the other instructors.

And there was I thinking flight schools were there to give the best service to their students, when all along it was about giving the best service to their employees?

Who would you rather have conduct your MEIFR training - a former military pilot, or a noob with 12.3 hours in a Seneca?

[digits_]

So the benefit to a flight school of having someone long-term to only teach those courses can be outweighed by the negative impact on the other instructors.

And there was I thinking flight schools were there to give the best service to their students, when all along it was about giving the best service to their employees?

Who would you rather have conduct your MEIFR training - a former military pilot, or a noob with 12.3 hours in a Seneca?

For most people the answer nowadays is 'whoever can get me the hours quickest'
If giving ME / IFR training hours to current instructors will keep them around longer, or entices them to accept lower wages, it's very likely that's what a flying school will do. And I do think the effect 5x5 describes is real.

[photofly]

]
For most people the answer nowadays is 'whoever can get me the hours quickest'
If giving ME / IFR training hours to current instructors will keep them around longer,...

The more multi hours you give someone, the sooner they'll leave.

[digits_]

]
For most people the answer nowadays is 'whoever can get me the hours quickest'
If giving ME / IFR training hours to current instructors will keep them around longer,...

The more multi hours you give someone, the sooner they'll leave.

True, but you need to give them something to keep them interested in working for low wages.

A class 4 likely won't leave until they made it to class 3.
A class 3 is free to move around and will be more interested in schools where there's an expectation of teaching ME.

It's a bit similar to salary. Pay someone 10 million a year, and they might stop working after a couple of years. Pay them poverty wages and they likely won't work for you either. Somewhere in the middle is the happy medium. Unfortunately closer to the poverty limit than the 10 million.

[Squaretail]

Who would you rather have conduct your MEIFR training - a former military pilot, or a noob with 12.3 hours in a Seneca?

In my experience most students will choose between those two options based on 1) availability, 2) price, and 3) the one that makes them feel the best at the end of a lesson. Generally in that order.