Question for the Freelance CFIs

[acropilot]

I am a CFI and have a few people who have come to me looking for tailwheel training. At the current moment however, I do not have a TW plane to fly. How have any of you approached individuals, or schools about gaining access to teach in their aircraft?

By the way, I am not new to tailwheel flying and previously given both tailwheel and aerobatic instruction.

Thanks for the help!

 

[GCA319]

I am a CFI and have a few people who have come to me looking for tailwheel training. At the current moment however, I do not have a TW plane to fly. How have any of you approached individuals, or schools about gaining access to teach in their aircraft?

By the way, I am not new to tailwheel flying and previously given both tailwheel and aerobatic instruction.

Thanks for the help!

I have and currently teach in two different school's airplanes. Any specific questions?

 

[poadeleted20]

I have in a couple of occasions gone to a flight training organization and become a part of their training staff. However, I know of no flight training operators who allow free lance instructors to come in with their own students and rent the school's planes to give training on their own -- too many legal and insurance issues. OTOH, I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find individuals willing to let you use their planes that way, although I'm equally sure they will also require you to pay the substantial extra premium for the necessary insurance, and I strongly suspect that extra premium will far outweigh any revenue you would be able to gain for those occasional training flights.

 

[LDJones]

I associated with the school that has the equipment my students need. They get a cut on my rate but take care of the billing and collections. Works fine. Have an LLC so that I am an independent subcontractor, not an employee.

 

[RyanShort1]

I've come to the conclusion that it's best to own my own bird - hence my recent purchase.
I have gone to a school and asked for access before - twice. The first time I was told no. The second, I was allowed to use a Cub, and I still work with that aircraft.
I was also approached by a school to teach their instructors to fly in their new Husky. They made a special arrangement for that, and I've kicked myself for accepting that one for a while without any contract, because instead of doing what they verbally agreed to do, they got one instructor to what I considered a barely proficient standard, then said see ya and had him start doing instruction in it.

Ryan

 

[schmookeeg]

I have in a couple of occasions gone to a flight training organization and become a part of their training staff. However, I know of no flight training operators who allow free lance instructors to come in with their own students and rent the school's planes to give training on their own -- too many legal and insurance issues.

We've done this. Didn't even take a cut either. Figured flying planes are happy planes.

We asked the CFI to carry CFI non-owned coverage. Insurance didn't have issues. Never got into a legal tussle, but I figure, we rented a plane to a person to train in -- he signed the contract, he's on the hook.

 

[poadeleted20]

We've done this. Didn't even take a cut either. Figured flying planes are happy planes.

We asked the CFI to carry CFI non-owned coverage. Insurance didn't have issues. Never got into a legal tussle, but I figure, we rented a plane to a person to train in -- he signed the contract, he's on the hook.

I pay well over a thousand a year for my non-owned CFI policy. Give enough training, and it's worth it. Do less than 100 hours a year as a part-timer, and you don't have much left after expenses and taxes.

 

[alfadog]

I am a CFI and have a few people who have come to me looking for tailwheel training. At the current moment however, I do not have a TW plane to fly. How have any of you approached individuals, or schools about gaining access to teach in their aircraft?

By the way, I am not new to tailwheel flying and previously given both tailwheel and aerobatic instruction.

Thanks for the help!

Let me give you another perspective.

Last year, I got my tw endorsement. I had met a fellow with a Luscombe a few months earlier and we hit it off as friends. He was/is in the midst of a personal finance meltdown and was considering selling the airplane, which was not flown much anyway. I agreed to help him with the fixed costs, pay an additional nominal dry fee, and commit to a certain number of hours (50) if he would put me on his insurance. I had zero tailwheel time and poor stick and rudder skills (by tw standards). My "excuse" was that I had recently started flying again after 34 years.

For an instructor, since I was named insured, all that was needed was one with the required number of hours in a Luscombe and that was surprisingly not hard to find.

This worked out well for both of us. I ran through the agreed block of 50 hours, he removed me from the insurance, and now I fly the Luscombe under the open pilot provision of the policy.

Just offered as another way to skin the cat (just don't skin any cats).

 

[write-stuff]

A significant CFI personal liablity policy is only the beginning. For the airplane you'll be giving instruction in, insurance will run you in excess of $5K/year. Rates skyrocket once you start giving instruction in an aircraft.

 

[acropilot]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I do know this is an unconventional approach and having my own aircraft would be a more ideal situation, but that is out of the question at the moment.