Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
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Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
I'm trying to get back into flying after covid threw me off track. I have just over 300 hours. I'm curious what you would pick if the choices were to instruct part-time while working a full time corporate job or to bite the bullet and do a ramp to flight line position up north. My goal is to hopefully end up at Porter or something similar before the music stops again. Here are the pros and cons from my perspective:
Instructing Pros
- I enjoy teaching
- I can start flying right away
- I'll have two incomes and I'll be able to pay off student debt quicker
- More experience in my day job = more of a backup for the next Covid/2008 event
- Flight benefits, RRSP and weekends/holidays off at day job
- I'll build lots of PIC time and be able to upgrade quicker once at a regional
- I finish around 2-3pm at my day job so I could still work a decent amount on weekday evenings and weekends (~30 hrs/wk)
- Super cheap rent where I live and wouldn't have to move. Could absorb the cost of the rating and pay it back quickly.
Instructing Cons
- Costs 10-15k for the rating
- I have to keep working in my day job for 1-1.5 years. It's not work I'm excited about by any means and high workload.
- I might burn myself out doing two mentally stimulating jobs. Might not end up flying as much as I think I could right now.
- I know that there are a handful of part-time instructing gigs available now, but it's not a guarantee and could end up spending 10k for nothing. I couldn't afford full-time instructing unless at a salaried college program, and even then it would be tight.
- I would be done the rating by mid-summer so I might miss all of the hiring.
Pilot-in-Waiting Pros
- It would certainly be an adventure to go up north
- Once on the flight line, I'd be flying a two-crew turboprop and I'll be flying full time
- If I go now I would have a cheap room, which I would need to be able to afford the pay cut
- I would get multi-crew IFR experience
- The company apparently respects seniority for flight line
- No bond for some of the fleet
Pilot-in-Waiting Cons
- Wait time advertised as 1 year. A buddy there said it should be less, but there's zero guarantee.
- I would be scraping by financially - would be relying on OT for unexpected expenses
- Would burn some bridges in the corporate world if I left my current job so soon (started in earlier this year)
- If I leave my day job now, I will be saying "how would you like your coffee?" when the economy tanks again unless I get lucky with seniority.
- Working on the ramp in -40 isn't the most pleasant experience. Done it before...
I'm leaning towards instructing, but I would be interested in learning some other perspectives. Thanks!
Instructing Pros
- I enjoy teaching
- I can start flying right away
- I'll have two incomes and I'll be able to pay off student debt quicker
- More experience in my day job = more of a backup for the next Covid/2008 event
- Flight benefits, RRSP and weekends/holidays off at day job
- I'll build lots of PIC time and be able to upgrade quicker once at a regional
- I finish around 2-3pm at my day job so I could still work a decent amount on weekday evenings and weekends (~30 hrs/wk)
- Super cheap rent where I live and wouldn't have to move. Could absorb the cost of the rating and pay it back quickly.
Instructing Cons
- Costs 10-15k for the rating
- I have to keep working in my day job for 1-1.5 years. It's not work I'm excited about by any means and high workload.
- I might burn myself out doing two mentally stimulating jobs. Might not end up flying as much as I think I could right now.
- I know that there are a handful of part-time instructing gigs available now, but it's not a guarantee and could end up spending 10k for nothing. I couldn't afford full-time instructing unless at a salaried college program, and even then it would be tight.
- I would be done the rating by mid-summer so I might miss all of the hiring.
Pilot-in-Waiting Pros
- It would certainly be an adventure to go up north
- Once on the flight line, I'd be flying a two-crew turboprop and I'll be flying full time
- If I go now I would have a cheap room, which I would need to be able to afford the pay cut
- I would get multi-crew IFR experience
- The company apparently respects seniority for flight line
- No bond for some of the fleet
Pilot-in-Waiting Cons
- Wait time advertised as 1 year. A buddy there said it should be less, but there's zero guarantee.
- I would be scraping by financially - would be relying on OT for unexpected expenses
- Would burn some bridges in the corporate world if I left my current job so soon (started in earlier this year)
- If I leave my day job now, I will be saying "how would you like your coffee?" when the economy tanks again unless I get lucky with seniority.
- Working on the ramp in -40 isn't the most pleasant experience. Done it before...
I'm leaning towards instructing, but I would be interested in learning some other perspectives. Thanks!
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Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Just my $0.02. I would go with instructing. Maybe look at doing your instructor rating at a flight school that will hire you after you are done. I don't know how industrious you are (you sound like a hard worker), but if you started the instructor rating right now and worked hard you could get it done in time to do some summer instructing.
The way I would see it is where would you be one-year from now? On one end you could part-time flight instruct. Maybe you get 200 hrs and you're now at 500hrs which opens more employment options for next year. You're also better off financially. If you work the ramp up north for a year, you'll get no hours, have less funds, and if it doesn't work out for you where will you be? You'll be without a job and no current or recent flying. That means you're back to the same position but worse than you are next year. If you instruct for a year you might be able to do the same job up north without having to spend a year on the ramp.
I think the flight instructor rating can also be written off your taxes (not 100% sure), so it would be somewhat subsidized if that was the case.
The way I would see it is where would you be one-year from now? On one end you could part-time flight instruct. Maybe you get 200 hrs and you're now at 500hrs which opens more employment options for next year. You're also better off financially. If you work the ramp up north for a year, you'll get no hours, have less funds, and if it doesn't work out for you where will you be? You'll be without a job and no current or recent flying. That means you're back to the same position but worse than you are next year. If you instruct for a year you might be able to do the same job up north without having to spend a year on the ramp.
I think the flight instructor rating can also be written off your taxes (not 100% sure), so it would be somewhat subsidized if that was the case.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
The above advice makes sense unless you can get a ramp job you are 100% confident will move you to the right seat quickly.
The rating cam give you a tax credit if you do it through a school who will give you the forms for cra but the credit could be minimal depending on your taxable income.
Instructing is draining though and don't consider it a second income. I wouldnt consider it an income even if you did it full time. Would take you 2 years to pay off the rating you're part time. But you said you likevteaching and it will make you a good pilot.
Be aware that schools may not want to hire part time instructors. I heard the ones in southern Ontario aren't anyway. I still can't figure that one out as its almost free to put them on the schedule.
My 2 cents. Good luck.
The rating cam give you a tax credit if you do it through a school who will give you the forms for cra but the credit could be minimal depending on your taxable income.
Instructing is draining though and don't consider it a second income. I wouldnt consider it an income even if you did it full time. Would take you 2 years to pay off the rating you're part time. But you said you likevteaching and it will make you a good pilot.
Be aware that schools may not want to hire part time instructors. I heard the ones in southern Ontario aren't anyway. I still can't figure that one out as its almost free to put them on the schedule.
My 2 cents. Good luck.
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Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Thanks Randy, this is more or less where my head is at. I feel as though I could be in a better spot by next year if I chose to instruct. The challenge is finding a place that can accomodate new students. A lot of schools have long waitlists. Also, most of the schools make it clear that they do not guarantee employment, but my day job is remote so I could probably move somewhere that would hire me if required.Roundel Randy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 6:03 pm Just my $0.02. I would go with instructing. Maybe look at doing your instructor rating at a flight school that will hire you after you are done. I don't know how industrious you are (you sound like a hard worker), but if you started the instructor rating right now and worked hard you could get it done in time to do some summer instructing.
The way I would see it is where would you be one-year from now? On one end you could part-time flight instruct. Maybe you get 200 hrs and you're now at 500hrs which opens more employment options for next year. You're also better off financially. If you work the ramp up north for a year, you'll get no hours, have less funds, and if it doesn't work out for you where will you be? You'll be without a job and no current or recent flying. That means you're back to the same position but worse than you are next year. If you instruct for a year you might be able to do the same job up north without having to spend a year on the ramp.
I think the flight instructor rating can also be written off your taxes (not 100% sure), so it would be somewhat subsidized if that was the case.
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Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Thanks for your response Khedrei. I've never come across a ramp job ad where they promise you a quick right seat. The one I'm considering certainly doesn't. There's always the chance that it could though if timing is on your side, but it's a gamble.khedrei wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 6:39 pm The above advice makes sense unless you can get a ramp job you are 100% confident will move you to the right seat quickly.
The rating cam give you a tax credit if you do it through a school who will give you the forms for cra but the credit could be minimal depending on your taxable income.
Instructing is draining though and don't consider it a second income. I wouldnt consider it an income even if you did it full time. Would take you 2 years to pay off the rating you're part time. But you said you likevteaching and it will make you a good pilot.
Be aware that schools may not want to hire part time instructors. I heard the ones in southern Ontario aren't anyway. I still can't figure that one out as its almost free to put them on the schedule.
My 2 cents. Good luck.
Why wouldn't instructing be considered income? It's still money in my pocket at the end of the day no matter how draining it is. I understand that there's some unpaid work though like doing paperwork and such, but it wouldn't be my primary income source.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
If you want to make piloting your career, then any job flying is better than any job not flying. You never know when the music stops.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Instructing would put you one step closer to getting your ATPL signed off. Loading drums in the back of a plane, not so much.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
yowflyer23 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 1:56 pm I'm trying to get back into flying after covid threw me off track. I have just over 300 hours. I'm curious what you would pick if the choices were to instruct part-time while working a full time corporate job or to bite the bullet and do a ramp to flight line position up north. My goal is to hopefully end up at Porter or something similar before the music stops again. Here are the pros and cons from my perspective:
Instructing Pros
- I enjoy teaching
- I can start flying right away
- I'll have two incomes and I'll be able to pay off student debt quicker
- More experience in my day job = more of a backup for the next Covid/2008 event
- Flight benefits, RRSP and weekends/holidays off at day job
- I'll build lots of PIC time and be able to upgrade quicker once at a regional
- I finish around 2-3pm at my day job so I could still work a decent amount on weekday evenings and weekends (~30 hrs/wk)
- Super cheap rent where I live and wouldn't have to move. Could absorb the cost of the rating and pay it back quickly.
Instructing Cons
- Costs 10-15k for the rating
- I have to keep working in my day job for 1-1.5 years. It's not work I'm excited about by any means and high workload.
- I might burn myself out doing two mentally stimulating jobs. Might not end up flying as much as I think I could right now.
- I know that there are a handful of part-time instructing gigs available now, but it's not a guarantee and could end up spending 10k for nothing. I couldn't afford full-time instructing unless at a salaried college program, and even then it would be tight.
- I would be done the rating by mid-summer so I might miss all of the hiring.
Pilot-in-Waiting Pros
- It would certainly be an adventure to go up north
- Once on the flight line, I'd be flying a two-crew turboprop and I'll be flying full time
- If I go now I would have a cheap room, which I would need to be able to afford the pay cut
- I would get multi-crew IFR experience
- The company apparently respects seniority for flight line
- No bond for some of the fleet
Pilot-in-Waiting Cons
- Wait time advertised as 1 year. A buddy there said it should be less, but there's zero guarantee.
- I would be scraping by financially - would be relying on OT for unexpected expenses
- Would burn some bridges in the corporate world if I left my current job so soon (started in earlier this year)
- If I leave my day job now, I will be saying "how would you like your coffee?" when the economy tanks again unless I get lucky with seniority.
- Working on the ramp in -40 isn't the most pleasant experience. Done it before...
I'm leaning towards instructing, but I would be interested in learning some other perspectives. Thanks!
I’d instruct. You’re going to want a backup,
When I started out I put all my eggs in one basket. Every time, the economy had a hiccup I’d be back on the ramp, grooming planes or something else.
When COVID hit and I was at a the airlines I was laid off.. same crap. ( this time a min wage job as I couldn’t get a ramp job with 6000+ hours)
I’ve learned my lesson .. have a plan B and diversify.
Also, if you get injured ( car accident etc) and lose your medical ( heaven forbid) now you have a backup.
When you get to the airlines, Keep in mind, disability / EI is predicated on a percentage of your last year’s earnings.
( do the math on 38,000 per year- it’s not good)
Don’t leave yourself without an alternate

Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
How is instructing a backup if you lose your medical?
If you're talking about being a ground instructor, then you don't need an instructor rating for that at all. No need to spend 10k on that.
If you're talking about being a ground instructor, then you don't need an instructor rating for that at all. No need to spend 10k on that.
As an AvCanada discussion grows longer:
-the probability of 'entitlement' being mentioned, approaches 1
-one will be accused of using bad airmanship
-the probability of 'entitlement' being mentioned, approaches 1
-one will be accused of using bad airmanship
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
You have to have a valid instructor rating to teach groundschool. So that means a valid medical too.
I just meant that the pay sucks. And I mean REALLY sucks until you can upgrade and maybe freelance. But yes is income. Make sure you bill for everything you can.
It sounds like its your best chance at building hours.
I just meant that the pay sucks. And I mean REALLY sucks until you can upgrade and maybe freelance. But yes is income. Make sure you bill for everything you can.
It sounds like its your best chance at building hours.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Ah, my apologies, looks like the rules changed.khedrei wrote: ↑Wed Apr 19, 2023 2:49 pm You have to have a valid instructor rating to teach groundschool. So that means a valid medical too.
I just meant that the pay sucks. And I mean REALLY sucks until you can upgrade and maybe freelance. But yes is income. Make sure you bill for everything you can.
It sounds like its your best chance at building hours.
Previous version:
Current version:406.24 No flight training unit shall appoint a person as a ground instructor, and no person shall act as a ground instructor, unless the person
(a) has been briefed by the chief flight instructor on the objectives and standards of the training to be conducted; and
(b) has demonstrated to the chief flight instructor a satisfactory level of practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject that the person is to teach.
I am still not sure you need a medical though. Although it would be hard to renew an instructor rating without one406.24 No flight training unit shall appoint a person as a ground instructor and no person shall act as a ground instructor unless the person holds a flight instructor rating in the appropriate category or meets the personnel licensing standards.

As an AvCanada discussion grows longer:
-the probability of 'entitlement' being mentioned, approaches 1
-one will be accused of using bad airmanship
-the probability of 'entitlement' being mentioned, approaches 1
-one will be accused of using bad airmanship
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Yes, I was surprised to see that change as well. It wasn't too long ago.
Your instructor rating becomes invalid as soon as the medical expires or if you are medically unfit. That being said, I believe you can get authorization TC to teach ground school if you lose the medical to fly. Someone at our school did I believe. I dont know the details.
Your instructor rating becomes invalid as soon as the medical expires or if you are medically unfit. That being said, I believe you can get authorization TC to teach ground school if you lose the medical to fly. Someone at our school did I believe. I dont know the details.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
… or meets the personnel licensing standards. 426.24 doesn’t mention an instructor rating:
A person may be appointed or act as ground instructor for a flight training unit if that person:
(amended 2006/12/14)
(a) demonstrates to the chief flight instructor, or designated assistant chief flight instructor or check instructor, that they have sufficient aviation experience to have technical competence in the subjects they are to teach; and
(amended 2006/12/14)
(b) is briefed by the chief flight instructor, or designated assistant chief flight instructor or check instructor, on his or her duties and responsibilities and the applicable instructional techniques set out in the Flight Instructor Guide, Part I.
And yes you can be authorized by TC to teach instructor rating ground school if your medical is suspended. I did that a couple of years ago for a few weeks.
A person may be appointed or act as ground instructor for a flight training unit if that person:
(amended 2006/12/14)
(a) demonstrates to the chief flight instructor, or designated assistant chief flight instructor or check instructor, that they have sufficient aviation experience to have technical competence in the subjects they are to teach; and
(amended 2006/12/14)
(b) is briefed by the chief flight instructor, or designated assistant chief flight instructor or check instructor, on his or her duties and responsibilities and the applicable instructional techniques set out in the Flight Instructor Guide, Part I.
And yes you can be authorized by TC to teach instructor rating ground school if your medical is suspended. I did that a couple of years ago for a few weeks.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
That is correct. No instructor rating or medical needed to teach ground school. But doesn't everyone get their ground school online, these days? As a fall back in case of losing your medical, it's not great.
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
So what does the "or meets the personal licensing standards" mean?
The current ammendment was in 2021 i belive.
The current ammendment was in 2021 i belive.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Yes, I see the post. That was the previous version. Digits posted the current one.
I'm not sure that I understand why the current version would also include the previous version.
Perhaps you can explain that.
I'm not sure that I understand why the current version would also include the previous version.
Perhaps you can explain that.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
Regulations are numbered X0Y.ZZ and standards are numbered X2Y.ZZ.
This is regulation 406.24 so the standard is numbered 426.24. I don’t think it was changed in 2021. The notation below 406.24 says SOR/2006-352, s. 21, which if I am interpreting it correctly means it was last changed in 2006.
I didn’t post the previous version of 406.24 I posted the text of standard 426.24.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
As Aviatard correctly points out - whenever a Regulation refers to a Standard (in this case the regulation says "personnel licensing standards") that's your prompt to change the zero in 406.24 to a 2 - and get 426.24 - and refer to that Standard, to see what the regulation is referring to.
A whole bunch of stuff in the CARs suddenly makes a lot more sense when you remember to do that!
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
The government website i found it on showed the versions like digits posted it. Weird how the "previous version" matches what is in the standards. Then the "current version" mentions the instructor rating.
I honestly don't understand why they did it that way but I think thevreason i thought it was recently amended was because its an archived website. Looking at it today says it was modified yesterday. So when I checked a couple years back I would have seen it modified the day before I checked.
It seems like you need a law degree to understand these regs sometimes.
Anyway, I stand corrected. Looks like you can rely on ground instructing if you lose your medical.
Sorry to drag this off topic a bit.
I honestly don't understand why they did it that way but I think thevreason i thought it was recently amended was because its an archived website. Looking at it today says it was modified yesterday. So when I checked a couple years back I would have seen it modified the day before I checked.
It seems like you need a law degree to understand these regs sometimes.
Anyway, I stand corrected. Looks like you can rely on ground instructing if you lose your medical.
Sorry to drag this off topic a bit.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
The prior version of the regulation has content that is better categorized as a 'standard'. So probably as part of a tidying-up exercise the conditions were moved from the regulations to the standards where they fit better.khedrei wrote: ↑Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:43 pm The government website i found it on showed the versions like digits posted it. Weird how the "previous version" matches what is in the standards. Then the "current version" mentions the instructor rating.
I honestly don't understand why they did it that way...
They're written by lawyers, for lawyers to use to prosecute pilots. If they were written for pilots to be able to understand and follow, it would be much much better for pilots.It seems like you need a law degree to understand these regs sometimes.
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
It’s not . I believe the OP stated that instructing would allow him to work in an alternate field while accruing hours for the airlines. ( Porter )
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Re: Part-Time Instruct or PIW?
I am in a very similar boat as you, except I did get my class IV instructor rating near the end of '22. I was really hoping to get a gig part time as I cannot afford the salary of a full time instructor at the moment. Unfortunately I was pretty much told "NO" to part time instructing at almost all the FTU in the GTA & surrounding area, including my own school where I did the bulk of my training.
I am now considering reaching out to skydive places to see if they need any weekend pilots.
Regardless of the outcome, I am happy to have completed my FIR, as the process gave me a deeper understanding of the subjects.
Perhaps you may have a different experience and land a P/T gig, I really hope you do.
I am now considering reaching out to skydive places to see if they need any weekend pilots.
Regardless of the outcome, I am happy to have completed my FIR, as the process gave me a deeper understanding of the subjects.
Perhaps you may have a different experience and land a P/T gig, I really hope you do.