TO BE A CFI OR NOT TO BE!

rkiefer2

rkiefer2

Filing Flight Plan
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Feb 28, 2014
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18
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Waukesha, WI
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rkiefer2
Hello Everyone,

Looking to get some unbiased feedback from those whom have transitioned and/or became professional pilot from some other profession.

My Summary

  • 29 w/wife and 2 kids (2 & 4)
  • Work in the Diagnostic Imaging MFG industry as Operations Manager (8 years)
  • Degrees in ENG and Business Management
  • Have small real estate businesses to offset most bills (Rentals, Property Management, and Sales)
  • Pilot Experience
    • Finishing Private Pilot license and considering IFR, commercial, CFI.


I’ve talked with my CFI and other ATP pilots all whom are within the first 5 years of their career and I have yet to hear someone say it’s a definitive good path. I recognized the upfront

expense(s) and the not so gratifying pay.


I make great money, but hate what I do. Financially I’m somewhat confident we can handle the pay reduction with a small lifestyle adjustment. I love to fly and learning that I love to teach. So my thought was to become a CFI and see where that takes me. I think there’s a good road to get brought on as a CFI and possibly a corporate pilot at the place I training now.


My plan would be to complete my CFI at my local airport, pay as I go, and once complete leave the corporate world and do this full or part time. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side and this is a huge commitment for me. So was reaching out to get some input.


Questions

  • Anyone left a high paying job to peruse what he or she wants to do vs. what pays the most? Regrets? Recommend it?
  • Anyone actually enjoy just being a CFI? Most I’ve talked to are treading water to get to or back to the airlines.
  • I’m estimating about $25K - $30K to get me to CFI going through my current flight school. Other option is club and hire CFI to train me, about $8K cheaper. Not as good of plane, iffy on instructor availability, and loose my “in” with CFI job and corporate pilot opportunities potentially. Thoughts?


For those of you who survived reading this and take the time to respond it’s very much appreciated.


Thanks,


Roger
 
I don't know any cfi able to survive just teaching, our local cfi flights a falcon 50 as primary income,is not that many students this days, most people do the discovery flight and never go back, keep your job become a cfi and teach on weekends, no many people get lessons on Week days any way. That way you can afford to flight and still get the teaching bug fix.
 
The only way for a family guy like you good it is to have your wife working a good job, in which case your CFI pay might not cover the cost of daycare. Or to get enough rental property side gig stuff going on so you don't need a real job in the family. Straight up CFI work and supporting a family is not really possible. Plus all this new shiny flying stuff becomes old work, sucks when that happens.
 
With two young kids, you probably won't have any free time for a while, but teaching as a CFI part time is a fun way to keep your toe in the water without having to give up your day job.
 
While there's a select group of instructors that can make a living out of instructing, it's a small group. The key is to be a very good teacher, be committed to being just an instructor, and find a profitable niche. These guys are independent contractors with their own book of business.

There's a second group that supplements other income. Maybe their retired, have a spouse that makes enough or has other jobs on the side.

Most, like I was, were in it to build hours and move on. Some are good and some are terrible.

Other instruction jobs could be working for a training outfit like Flight Safety or Simcom. These are very location dependent, so you have to live close. Something else would be to work at a regional and try to get into the training department. I've seen guys start by teaching ground school or systems and then moving into simulators. Tough to find, but it has been done.
 
Keep your day job, get your CFI, teach in your spare time. CFI is not a career unless you have fixed supplemental income that covers your family's expenses.
 
rkiefer2 said:
Anyone left a high paying job to peruse what he or she wants to do vs. what pays the most? Regrets? Recommend it?
Click to expand...
I did, but not until I was an empty-nester with enough money to live on the rest of my live. No regrets at all. I sleep better, feel better, and my wife says I'm a lot happier person.
Anyone actually enjoy just being a CFI? Most I’ve talked to are treading water to get to or back to the airlines.
Click to expand...
Me, but I've always enjoyed teaching, and the airlines aren't a consideration once you pass your mid-50's.
I’m estimating about $25K - $30K to get me to CFI going through my current flight school. Other option is club and hire CFI to train me, about $8K cheaper. Not as good of plane, iffy on instructor availability, and loose my “in” with CFI job and corporate pilot opportunities potentially. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
If you're just planning to be a CFI, either way is fine. If you're looking to get into the pipeline to professional piloting in turbine-powered equipment (corporate, air carrier, or otherwise), a major flight school may work better to prepare you and locate opportunities.
 
I am a part-time flight instructor, and I enjoy the heck out of it.

The key for me was I got hired at the school I did my CFI training at. Though not a real big school, they are a pretty busy school for their size (meaning ratio of students to CFIs/airplanes), which is great for me. The Chief Instructor knew going in what my availability was (nights/weekends), and that I intended to only do this part-time. It has worked out great, I have been matched with students who also have full-time jobs and can only fly nights and weekends. One instrument student that I'm working with right now can only fly weeknights after 6, so that has worked out really well for my schedule as well - and doing IR training at night has been great for him too.

Since the school is busy enough, any time I've found that I want another student, I just let the Chief Instructor know, and usually within the hour I've got another one assigned to me. I take what I can handle and it has never been a problem. As a result, I've kept consistently busy at the level I want.

Flight instructing for a club or for individual owners would probably be a little more sporadic, as you probably wouldn't have that pipeline of customers ready to go. However, there's the chance to fly more and different equipment than standard "flight school" airplanes too.

To answer one of the OP's questions, yes, I enjoy "just" being a CFI - I am not treading water or trying to get to the airlines. I enjoy teaching. I have goals in aviation, but most of them involve teaching at one level or another. And since I'm not relying on it to put food on the table, that gives me a lot more flexibility to do what I enjoy.
 
Keep your job.
Get your CFI.
Forget about aviation as a profession.
Buy a fancy airplane, fly your family around.
 
Thank you everyone for the input. I agree with keeping the day job and pursuing CFI part time and seeing where it leads me. Makes the most sense for a multitude of reasons.

Now I focus on my upcoming Private Pilot check ride and then diving into IFR training.


Thanks again, very helpful and insightful.


Roger Kiefer
 
As a current freelancer in another industry who wanted to change careers I thought about becoming a CFI, I have no interest in flying for the airlines. The complaints I have about my job right now would be very similar if I became a CFI - hard to get healthcare, long hours, unstable income, etc. I'm dating a regional airline pilot, I never knew him as a CFI but he explained a lot more about getting students and weather etc especially on the East Coast. And knowing myself I would love teaching but I'd love the challenge of jets etc and would probably want to fly for the airlines, but then that would make our life very difficult hardly seeing each other. That would be something to think of with your wife and children if they'd be okay with that if you went down that route.
I want to go into the aviation industry. My BF and I talked and I'm working towards my airline dispatcher license now which will allow me to be in the aviation industry, I get to share PIC duties. It will also allow me to fly and hopefully become a part time CFI down the road.
There are other ways to be involved with the aviation industry besides flying if you want to do that for a career and fly for fun on the side. Definitely a lot of options out there if you research other possible careers.
 
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