CFI working second job?

[cleared4theoption]

So, for those of you that are, or have been a CFI...how hard would it be to work a night(second) job while instructing...I am trying to create a financial path to living my dream of becomming a commercial pilot, and a CFI salary just won't pay the bills...
Have any of you ever done this? Is it something FBO's frown on?

 

[poadeleted20]

Back in the late 70's, I was working full time as a CFI while going to grad school a couple of nights a week and flying with the ANG a couple of nights a week. Those were about 4-hour stints after a full day at the flight school. I was able to do homework on weekends and during gaps in my schedule during the day. It was pretty grueling. I can't imagine working a full-time (8 hours/day) second job while spending 8-9 hours a day at the flight school -- even back then in my late 20's and in excellent physical condition, I could not have done that.

 

[cleared4theoption]

Probably not full time...just a part time 20-25 hours a week after CFI'ing
I am paying all my credit card debt, and my wife and I's two cars off to prepare for the reduction in salary I will take when I become a CFI. The problem is this house...have negative equity and I cannot shed that debt...the average CFI salary + my wife's salary just won't cut it...

 

[brcase]

I found it easier to make the CFI'ing the 2nd job. I could do 1 or 2 lessons in the evening after work and put in quite a few hours in on the weekend. Turns out this works well for many students as well, since most of them have jobs as well.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[poadeleted20]

Probably not full time...just a part time 20-25 hours a week after CFI'ing
I am paying all my credit card debt, and my wife and I's two cars off to prepare for the reduction in salary I will take when I become a CFI. The problem is this house...have negative equity and I cannot shed that debt...the average CFI salary + my wife's salary just won't cut it...

I'd have to say that Brian's suggestion might make better sense in your case if you currently have a full-time job that will pay the bills. OTOH, if you can do both and still get 8 hours a night of quality sack time, it's possible (I did more or less the same), but as I said, it was grueling even for a twenty-something who was in shape to run half-marathons.

 

[dell30rb]

I used to have an e-commerce business selling parts for jeeps. Spent about 2-3 hours on the phone a day, advertised on google. Income was sporadic but I had a very low overhead ($50 a month) and an average 25% profit on anything I sold. I ran the site through godaddy.com very easy to setup. I used google voice to create a (free) phone line. Never touched parts or carried inventory, I had drop ship arrangements. Now i have a full time real job (sucks) and I shut down that business.



It comes to mind that it would be a good thing to have if I was a CFI. From looking at my cfi's schedule he has full saturdays, sundays off and probably only works 5 hours a day during the week. If you had 2-3 hours a day to answer e-mails and phone calls you can setup a similar business. I stayed up until 4 am some nights just building my website and figuring out how to use quickbooks. But once I got things running, it was very smooth.

PS my average income from the company was $800-2500 a month working 2-3 hours a day. Can't live off that but it was nice extra $$

 

[Tristar]

I worked at the local newspaper night shift for a few months. The sucky part about that is you cant take early morning flights but it does help the bills.