How much should I tip my CFI?

Fatherof2

Fatherof2

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Fatherof2
Hi Gang,
I purchased an airplane, and I need a CFI to help me ferry it home.
The seller is going to pick me and my CFI up at my local airport. He will fly us back to his home airport in his 310. Its about an hour and a half in his twin. We will then fly the Cherokee 160 home. (The plane I am buying.) Its about 2 and a half hours home. (Ballpark.)
How much should I tip for that? The CFI is also a flight instructor at the school where my son is learning to fly. I will also be taking instruction to get current in the plane. (It might be my son's actual instructor or maybe another one if he is busy.)
Appreciate any input!
 
I never did anything exactly like that...and I did my training in a different era....but I never tipped any flight instructors. Never knew anyone to do it. I paid their rate.
I did buy lunch occasionally...or a few beers...I wasn't making a lot back in those days but I know they made less.. so I tried to look out for them when possible. so I guess that's a tip in a way...just not cash
 
I should have mentioned that my sons instructor told me that there would be no charge as my son is student at the school. I will also be needing instruction.
 
Pay him his hourly rate for the six hours - and buy him lunch. If you have your student pilot certificate already, you can get hours in your log book for the trip back as well.
 
don't forget the 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC

(evil grin)
 
Consider paying him his usual hourly rate as mentioned...even if he refuses you have shown good will for a very generous donation of his time. If he does not accept a Benjamin or two stuffed in his jacket would not hurt ;). I have not tipped my CFI but I let him use my 182 for the occasional trip with his wife/daughter if he pays the fuel. He was more than pleased with that arrangement.
 
$500.

Edit: This is essentially taking an experienced pilot for a day to pickup a newly purchased aircraft and fly it back home. I consider $500 to be the low end for hiring a good pilot for a day.

If there are issue found during the flight (which is not unreasonable for an older aircraft - I am not sure it was posted anything about the year or model aircraft) and the pilot is able to identify and appropriately deal then at that point this could be the best money you have ever spent in your life.

My suggestion. In the scope of purchasing an airplane, the time to cut corners and try to shave a few bucks is NOT on the initial flight back home.
 
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I would not tip, but would either pay his hourly rate.

Or pay the daily rate for a ferry pilot.

When I picked up my airplane, I met an instructor at the location (he flew his own plane in). We spent the evening reviewing the POH. Flew 5.5 hours the next day. Did some more review the next evening and he signed off a Flight Review. I paid 2 night hotel, meals, and $600. He paid for his own fuel/operating costs on his plane.
 
The tip is your CFI should tell you what his rate is, you either accept it, negotiate it or decline it. There is no tipping culture in aviation, don’t start that, please…

You can buy lunch, dinner, snacks or alcohol as a gift, I do see that, it’s a give a take gentlemen’s club. Not a tipping club.
 
His hourly rate and any expenses involved ,also any meals . Then tip whatever you are comfortable with.
 
MauleSkinner said:
So a solid 6 or 7 hours…buy him a good lunch, and hand him $100. :dunno:
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He is donating 6-7 hours of time that he could be flying with paying students.

Lunch and $100 at a minimum.
I would recommend lunch (aka expenses) and his hourly rate for the 2.5 hour flight back.
I am assuming you will logging instruction from him on the flight back.

Or lunch and offer to put him on the insurance for the airplane and let him use it occasionally.

Treating him well, even though he is offering to do it for free might mean he is more available when you do need some training from him.

Brian
 
Tip a cold drink, maybe.

edit: oops, pun not intended
 
Pay what you pay per hour for a CFI, and not chump change the school pays him. But what you would pay the school per hour.
 
Give him whatever gifts you think appropriate, including cash, but he’s already said you don’t owe him anything. He’s offering you a gift. Accept it graciously.
 
Sluggo63 said:
Do you tip line guys? I do (mostly), and although I know not everybody does, I think that’s relatively common.
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We tip the guys at the FBO our personal aircraft are at for Christmas. Same with the folks at the FBO my wife's work aircraft (we also manage the a/c) is based at. Standard is for them to tip on trips..especially places they go back to. Makes folks happy to help.

Me?....I just let my CFI sleep with me ;-) 13 years and counting :)

OP....offer his cumulative hourly/daily rate, cash, and pay all his associated expenses...ymmv. You're building a relationship. Congratulations on the purchase!

Jim
 
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I kind of see two scenarios that might affect my decision.

1) If your son is training at a typical "pilot mill" school and the CFI is a young, recent graduate of the same program, then it's likely that the CFI is excited about the possibility of getting more "free" flight time towards his ATP on a day off, and getting to do a more interesting trip than flying around the pattern. If this is the case, then as a CFI myself I would consider it a professional favor if you explained to the CFI that their time and education is valuable and they shouldn't give it away for free.
2) If the CFI is an older, more established CFI who should know better than to give his time away for free, well then so be it. Do pay all his expenses though.

I've done a bit of ferry work, and typically I'm charging my day rate, plus expenses. If it goes a second day, that's another day rate and lodging. If I need to airline either way, obviously that's covered too. But yes, of course I've helped out friends in need too for the cost of lunch of even just goodwill. But those are established friends.

As for "tipping", the traditional concept of tipping is that you don't tip the owner of the business, you tip employees. Since you're hiring this CFI as a freelancer, he IS the owner of his one-person company and can set his rate to whatever he wants. So a tip above that isn't really appropriate, unless something unusual happens (like an expected flat-rate 4-hour round trip turns into a 14-hour slog). I assume you're not working this through the school, in which case a tip WOULD be appropriate.
 
Sluggo63 said:
Do you tip line guys? I do (mostly), and although I know not everybody does, I think that’s relatively common.
Click to expand...

Never have, if I go to the same place a few times with the same people then I might throw a 5 or 10.
 
Sluggo63 said:
Do you tip line guys? I do (mostly), and although I know not everybody does, I think that’s relatively common.
Click to expand...
I tipped the guys who dumped the lav or helped us load/unload our 1000 lbs of “collectibles”.
 
Line guys - yes, I tip. CFIs I pay their hourly rates. I also don’t tip my doctor, lawyer, or plumber.
 
Sluggo63 said:
Do you tip line guys? I do (mostly), and although I know not everybody does, I think that’s relatively common.
Click to expand...

If the go above and beyond.

I landed at one field for gas and over night. I pulled up to the self service pumps, the line guy came out, filled the tanks, towed my plane to a parking place, tied it down and gave me a ride to the FBO (not that far). I tipped him.
 
RussR said:
1) If your son is training at a typical "pilot mill" school and the CFI is a young, recent graduate of the same program, then it's likely that the CFI is excited about the possibility of getting more "free" flight time towards his ATP on a day off, and getting to do a more interesting trip than flying around the pattern. If this is the case, then as a CFI myself I would consider it a professional favor if you explained to the CFI that their time and education is valuable and they shouldn't give it away for free.
Click to expand...

As a CFI I will frequently volunteer or discount my services if the flight also has value to me. Like checking someone out a new airplane that I haven't flown before that I really like flying. I might take an extra hour reviewing the systems and operating of the procedures for that airplane. I am not going to charge for the time I am teaching myself about the airplane, even if I am teaching the "learner" as I do it. It helps that I am a part time instructor, so I don't really need the income to pay the bills. The Cruisair, I recently started flying is a good example, even though I have flown Cruisemasters before. But now I am an experienced Cruisair instructor and may get more work doing instruction in other Cruisair's.

Another example, I "loaned" a couple of my students to another instructor who needed to build a few hours of night flying for a job he was applying for. In exchange for the students doing a bit of night flying perhaps a bit earlier than we might otherwise have done it, he offered to donate the night instruction, while they paid for the airplane. Was a win-win for everyone, the student got discounted night instruction (paying only for the airplane) and the instructor didn't have to rent an airplane to build up his night time.

For these kinds of situations, I let them know... I will tell them my fee. If they offer anything on top of that I am not going to haggle with them, I will just say thank you.

CFIIG
ASEL
 
I ask for my hourly rate for the flight portion of my time. No charge for preflight, waiting for a briefing or moving the airplane, etc. Just pay for when I am in the right seat or for any ground instruction required. Our rate where I work is $55 an hour in your airplane. If the owner wants to buy lunch, great, but not necessary or expected.
 
I can only remember getting one tip when I was instructing. Student and his wife took me and my girlfriend, later wife, to an upscale restaurant after student passed his private. This happened in the mid 80's and we stayed in simi contact for decades, last saw him about 12 years ago. Just heard he passed from natural causes. :(
 
FYI, the custom in the USAF was to tip your instructor with a nice bottle of potable spirits after your T-37 solo. :D

I would always accept a bottle of GOOD stuff as a tip. :D
 
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