I would like to hear the comments from flight instructers and others who were hired by an FTU.
What type of training did the FTU provide before you began instructing for them.
How formal was it.
If you were a class 4, what sort of supervision did the FTU provide.(and guidance).
And if you were a class 4 were required check rides considered part of your training or were they charged to the student?

I look forward to the comments

trey kule wrote:And if you were a class 4 were required check rides considered part of your training or were they charged to the student?

Charged to the student of course. It was the student flying the airplane with an instructor next to him/her. The student wasn't doing an unnecessary flight, just flying with another instructor instead of flying with me.

Mike

I think TK means check rides of you. As in did the CFI or your supervisor actually fly with you to see if you were doing your job properly.

Both of the schools where I do some part time training have a formal recurrent training program which I helped develop for all their instructors which includes check flights for the instructors. The Class 4's get looked at more often than the more experienced instructors.

trey kule wrote:I would like to hear the comments from flight instructers and others who were hired by an FTU.
What type of training did the FTU provide before you began instructing for them.
How formal was it.
If you were a class 4, what sort of supervision did the FTU provide.(and guidance).
And if you were a class 4 were required check rides considered part of your training or were they charged to the student?

I look forward to the comments

Checkouts in the aircraft and a pgi or 2
Ftu was great, wasnt always breathing down your back like some schools but always there if u needed help


Dont pay to get checked out in your employers planes! Know of a few schools that do it...sad

Tks. Any more?

I got my instructors where I was going to be working, I tutored students while I was working on the instructors too, basically once I got the checkride done I just jumped right in.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting your instructor at the place you plan on instructing.

trey kule wrote:I would like to hear the comments from flight instructers and others who were hired by an FTU.
What type of training did the FTU provide before you began instructing for them.
How formal was it.
If you were a class 4, what sort of supervision did the FTU provide.(and guidance).
And if you were a class 4 were required check rides considered part of your training or were they charged to the student?

I look forward to the comments

I know I'm from the other side of the equation, but once upon a time I was a class 4. For clarification though, what are you referring to as a "check ride"? Are you referring to the supervising instructor riding along? Or are you referring to when the supervising instructor simply flies with students? Or are you referring to the class 4 as the "student"?

For my own, the school eats the bill for training costs for the instructors. If the instructor needs, recurrent training, testing or (heaven forbid) remedial training the school eats that. Every instructor has at least an hour before starting work of in flight, and usually a few days of indoctrinal training, with all the fun stuff that's required by us by various government agencies. More flight time is done as necessary. Review is done on an annual basis, or as I see fit.

Line indoc consisting of a number of open book tests on the FTOM, MCM, etc. Dispatch and ramp training.
Check ride with the ACFI or CFI in each and every type that you will be instructing in. Full checkout including an open book A/C exam.
Class 4 give mock PGI's to the A/CFI monthly I believe.
All instructors regardless of class have periodic one-on-one's with the A/CFI to review PTR's and student progress.
All students have a check ride with the A/CFI prior to recommending a PPL or CPL flight test.


On the note of paying for your instructor check rides ("Check on type"), I would hope no flight school would ever do this to new hires- do they??!?!
I had 5 check rides at my school, one for each type, including 2-3 hours in our twin. That would be a month's salary if I had to foot the bill for them.
We're as penny pinching as any school given the typical FTU margins, but we don't pay for uniforms or anything else required by our employment except our medicals.

SSU.

I am not trying to be vague or ignoring your question, but I am concerned about the thread turning into a Driftussion if I answer you.
My reason for starting the thread was to get an idea of the extent of training an FTU provides new hires, as well as a secondary issue regarding quality assurance and supervision.

I have some rather strong opinions about some of these things, and I really dont want to stifle any instructor from posting their experience by getting up on a soapbox.
Quite selfishly, I am hoping to learn something rather than share.

We also did open book tests annually on the MCM, relevant POHs, ramp proc's, OHS, etc (I don't remember being paid for this time). Aircraft familiarization and/or airspace familiarization (if needed) was done by a more senior instructor usually (at the school's expense). Because most of the new hires came through the school's IR program there was seldom a need for much more training.

TC req'd checks: Supervisor would ride along in the back prior to authorizing first solo and would conduct the entire pre-flt test. The ride along would be charged to the school and the pre-flt was the normal dual rate. Class 4s were req'd to briefly discuss all flights and ground lessons with their supervisor prior to conducting them. Class 4s kept a paper trail of the lessons, supervisor would make suggestions and sign off on it (there was no compensation to the instructor for this time). This seemed like a good way to keep the new instructor pointed in the right direction but I don't recall a supervisor ever sitting in on a PGI/flight (other than prior to first solo) to make sure.

On the note of paying for your instructor check rides ("Check on type"), I would hope no flight school would ever do this to new hires- do they??!?!

Oh, yes!!!

Including a two separate "checks on type" between two different 172 models. Believe it.

chephy wrote:

On the note of paying for your instructor check rides ("Check on type"), I would hope no flight school would ever do this to new hires- do they??!?!

Oh, yes!!!

Including a two separate "checks on type" between two different 172 models. Believe it.

I witnessed this once at the local FTU. Class 4 had to be checked out on the newer FI cessna 172. I new this guy was a good stick and flew tail wheel and other types on the side, so it must have been a part of the FTU thing.

chephy wrote:

On the note of paying for your instructor check rides ("Check on type"), I would hope no flight school would ever do this to new hires- do they??!?!

Oh, yes!!!

Including a two separate "checks on type" between two different 172 models. Believe it.

Unless it's a radical avionics difference like a G1000, or an R/G, an individual model check is dumb enough in itself but probably just to generate revenue. But to be clear, we are talking about the instructor having to pay for their own checkride for employment. Did that happen??

DanWEC wrote:Unless it's a radical avionics difference like a G1000, or an R/G, an individual model check is dumb enough in itself but probably just to generate revenue. But to be clear, we are talking about the instructor having to pay for their own checkride for employment. Did that happen??

Yes.