Flight Instructor Rating
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Aviator172
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- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2025 11:25 am
Flight Instructor Rating
Is it worth getting my flight instructor rating? I'm a fresh CPL lacking the PIC time of course. Ive been told by some to continue with my IFR and find a job from there but i know that comes with consequences down the line (not reaching ATPL requirements) due to the lack of PIC time. Any response helps! Thank you.
Re: Flight Instructor Rating
I think this question gets asked a lot.
Short answers. Depends what you want to do, your life situation, type of flying you want to do. Also depends what kind of jobs are available.
It will cost you 10k or more. Most instructor jobs are in more civilized places than other entry level jobs. That being said, there may or may not be lots of openings for fresh class 4's right now. Do you have a good relationship with the school you will get your rating at? Can they give you an indication if a job may possibly be available to you when you finish? A job after the rating is no more guaranteed and probably just as likely as a job after the CPL and IFR. As far as I know, flying jobs for a fresh 250hr MIFR CPL are not plenty right now and if you get one it will likely be way up north. Does that work for your life situation?
On behalf of all instructors and future pilots, if you do go the instructor route, do it honestly. Meaning don't just go there to build hours and leave. Give your students as much time and effort as your instructors gave you. And if your instructors were crap, give them something better than you got. Once you are done, move on respectfully knowing that you've helped people learn to fly and left the industry better than you found it. I have taken over enough students that were neglected by their previous instructors who didn't give a crap about anything other than building hours and they were ill prepared and further behind than they should have been for the amount of hours they had. Please don't be that guy.
For the ATPL hours, I don't think I would worry too much about that. You may be missing the PIC and night PIC time for the ATPL, but a lot of companies have the PICUS program to get most of it, and there are some king air or PC12 operators that may likely give you a left seat upgrade around 1k hours if you are doing a good job, where you can build the rest.
Good luck to you.
Short answers. Depends what you want to do, your life situation, type of flying you want to do. Also depends what kind of jobs are available.
It will cost you 10k or more. Most instructor jobs are in more civilized places than other entry level jobs. That being said, there may or may not be lots of openings for fresh class 4's right now. Do you have a good relationship with the school you will get your rating at? Can they give you an indication if a job may possibly be available to you when you finish? A job after the rating is no more guaranteed and probably just as likely as a job after the CPL and IFR. As far as I know, flying jobs for a fresh 250hr MIFR CPL are not plenty right now and if you get one it will likely be way up north. Does that work for your life situation?
On behalf of all instructors and future pilots, if you do go the instructor route, do it honestly. Meaning don't just go there to build hours and leave. Give your students as much time and effort as your instructors gave you. And if your instructors were crap, give them something better than you got. Once you are done, move on respectfully knowing that you've helped people learn to fly and left the industry better than you found it. I have taken over enough students that were neglected by their previous instructors who didn't give a crap about anything other than building hours and they were ill prepared and further behind than they should have been for the amount of hours they had. Please don't be that guy.
For the ATPL hours, I don't think I would worry too much about that. You may be missing the PIC and night PIC time for the ATPL, but a lot of companies have the PICUS program to get most of it, and there are some king air or PC12 operators that may likely give you a left seat upgrade around 1k hours if you are doing a good job, where you can build the rest.
Good luck to you.
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Aviator172
- Rank 0
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2025 11:25 am
Re: Flight Instructor Rating
I think i would love being an instructor, its something Ive always thought of doing. I'm just trying to figure out what path would be the "smartest" to make. PICUS is a possibility but i keep being told that its not a consistent system, some captains wont offer it. Arent a lot of pilots stuck as first officers at the moment? As far as my goals, my end goal is the airlines. Appreciate the feedback!!
Re: Flight Instructor Rating
If you think you would love being an instructor then I think you have your answer. I would explore that avenue if that is the case.
Have a look at the job market and put out some feelers. If you come up short on entry level jobs, then start the rating as soon as you can.
I'm sure there are lots stuck as FO's if they are short on experience for the left seat. I know most parts of the industry is starving for captains. The experience just isn't there.
PICUS isn't perfect, but I wouldn't make your decision on that vs what job would suit you better.
Have a look at the job market and put out some feelers. If you come up short on entry level jobs, then start the rating as soon as you can.
I'm sure there are lots stuck as FO's if they are short on experience for the left seat. I know most parts of the industry is starving for captains. The experience just isn't there.
PICUS isn't perfect, but I wouldn't make your decision on that vs what job would suit you better.
